Gamecocks keep alive postseason hopes with big SEC win over Bulldogs
Feb. 23, 2022With their postseason hopes hanging by a thread just weeks ago, the South Carolina Gamecocks (17-10, 8-7 SEC) have rallied to win four straight games and keep their names in the conversation. The fourth of those wins came Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena in a dominant, confident 66-56 victory over visiting Mississippi State. The Gamecocks never trailed.
The last time South Carolina played the Bulldogs, on Feb. 1, Mississippi State snapped USC’s three-game winning streak, and the Gamecocks went on to lose their next two games. Gamecocks found a measure of revenge Wednesday.
The SEC men’s basketball standings couldn’t be tighter. Heading into Wednesday night, the Gamecocks were tied with LSU and Mississippi State at 7-7 in the conference. Wednesday’s win pushes Gamecocks into a tie with Alabama who just so happens to be South Carolina's next opponent on Saturday on the road. As the Gamecocks climb up the standings, they improve their seeding in next month’s SEC tournament and bolster their resume for the postseason.
Of course, the NCAA selection committee looks at various metrics beyond conference performance, with NET rankings serving as a crucial component. Even after a Quadrant I win Saturday over LSU, the Gamecocks came into Wednesday ranked 94th in the NET, compared with 46th for the Bulldogs. As it stands, The Gamecocks remains out of NCAA tournament projections, but the Gamecocks’ chances aren’t dead. The NIT still seems like the safer bet, with the Gamecocks projected to make the cut there as a bubble team.
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