Following the South Carolina men's basketball team's historic Final Four run last season, many believed the team would be positioned to make a similar run this year. However, based on the latest projections, the Gamecocks may not even make the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina (15-13) has been inconsistent at times this season. The team entered a tough, four-game test against ranked opponents with an 11-6 record. The Gamecocks pulled off impressive upsets against Kentucky and at Florida, putting them in place to be one of the last four in to the tournament.
However, that prediction slowly started to fade away as the Gamecocks suffered a six-game losing streak. Their postseason hopes were lost at that point until the Gamecocks pulled off yet another incredible upset over then-ranked No. 10 Auburn on Saturday. This win not only preserved the Gamecocks’ winning record, but it also put them back in the conversation for the postseason.
South Carolina will likely need to win out and make a run in the SEC Tournament if it wants to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row. The team's postseason fate is very unclear right now as there are multiple paths to the postseason for the Gamecocks. If South Carolina can win two of the last three regular season games and make a conference tournament run, the Gamecocks could either play in a First Four game or enter the NIT.
As it sits right now, the Gamecocks are predicted to be a 5-seed in the NIT. They’re projected to be put in a region where their first game would be against a St. John’s team that's had its own impressive wins on the season, beating both Duke and Villanova.
The Gamecocks have three regular season games left on their schedule, featuring their last game at Auburn. Another win against the Tigers right before the SEC Tournament will be huge for South Carolina's postseason fortune.
If the Gamecocks can beat Auburn on the road or make a run in the SEC Tournament, they could be back in the conversation come Selection Sunday. If they fall early in the tournament and suffer some tough losses to end the regular season, they will slip back to the NIT or potentially miss the postseason all together. And after last year's historic postseason, fans would love to see South Carolina make another run.