South Carolina basketball: Gamecocks Christmas wish list
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina basketball hopes its wishes are answered this Christmas.
South Carolina basketball kicked off its season in late November, getting off to a 1-2 start before COVID issues inside the locker room derailed the season’s momentum.
As it stands, the team has had to miss five games, and is unsure of when it will return to the court.
With the year in a bit of a pause, let’s take a look at some items on the basketball wish list for Frank Martin and the Gamecocks.
A game, any game
South Carolina has missed its last three games, and announced this week that the SEC opener versus Kentucky would be postponed, too. They were also forced to cancel a season opening exhibition with Coker.
The team has played just three games, dropping two of them, and can’t seem to get into any sort of rhythm. They also have no set time table for a return, leaving fans eager for any sort of competition, in what was setting up to be a roster that could produce an NCAA tournament run.
For now, we’ll have to wait and see when the Gamecocks can get back in action, but this wish is certainly high on the list.
NCAA tournament bid
Speaking of the roster, South Carolina entered the year hoping to reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017, when they advanced all the way to the Final Four.
The roster is full of experienced guards, and was expecting to challenge for an SEC title. The year has obviously not gotten off the intended start, as Gamecocks dropped games to Liberty and Houston, followed by a two-week COVID related hiatus, but there’s still time to right the ship.
South Carolina is hoping for a run in the SEC league slate, and a shot at an at-large bid.
A matchup with Clemson
The Gamecocks were forced to postpone its annual in-state rivalry matchup with the Tigers, but both sides have expressed a desire to get it back on the schedule once South Carolina can resume play.
Clemson is off to a hot start this year, climbing to No. 24 in the polls, and winning six of their first seven games. The Gamecocks want to extend their winning streak to two in the series after taking down the Tigers in Clemson last year.
The two schools were forced to cancel the annual football matchup, and it’s made fans even more eager to see the foes meet on the court. Hopefully, this wish will come true later this year.