South Carolina Basketball: SEC Tournament Preview; How to Watch
By Kevin Miller
After a much-more competitive end to conference play, the South Carolina basketball team rose from last place in the SEC standings to 12th as they head into the 2023 SEC Tournament. Unlike many previous years, the SEC Tournament will not be played on Vanderbilt’s campus at Memorial Gymnasium. The tournament will still take place in Nashville but will be played, instead, at the larger Bridgestone Arena in downtown Nashville.
The Gamecocks have one last gasp of hope when it comes to postseason play in 2023, and that hope is found in winning the SEC Tournament. Conference tournament winners receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina’s current 11-20 record does not allow for them to qualify for the Big Dance or even the NIT, so an SEC Tournament sweep is the only chance of seeing the Gamecocks play past this coming weekend.
An 8-16 start for the CourtCocks doomed them to most likely tie their historical loss mark for a season. On three different occasions, the South Carolina basketball program has endured 21 losses in a season, so without an absolutely miraculous run to a national title, the Gamecocks will match that number in the 2022-2023 season.
Despite looking that dubious record in the face, Lamont Paris and his team can see progress. The Gamecocks’ 3-4 finish may not seem impressive, but it was an improvement. It wasn’t just the wins, though, that show positive growth. South Carolina was much more competitive down the stretch as they only had one loss by more than 11 points after the calendar flipped to February. Future contributors like Meechie Johnson, Jacobi Wright, and Josh Gray also displayed the development that Paris and his staff have been talking about since his hire last year.
“There is no tomorrow” is a reality for the 2022-2023 squad as a loss will end their season. For this year’s Gamecocks, there is nothing more to think about except the next game. That next contest will be a winnable one, as the 12-seed vs. 13-seed game will feature the South Carolina Gamecocks against the Ole Miss Rebels, a team they beat on the road during the regular season. That game can be watched at 7:00 on Wednesday on the SECNetwork and ESPN App.
If the Gamecocks survive and advance on Wednesday, they will have to turn around and play again on Thursday against their worst matchup in the tournament. The Tennessee Volunteers await the winner of the 12/13 game, and Rocky Top thoroughly dismantled the Gamecocks by a combined 83 points in two opportunities. While not an impossible task, overcoming the Vols seems unlikely, and a loss would mean the end of the 2022-2023 South Carolina basketball season.
The silver lining to this disappointing season is that it ended better than it started. For the South Carolina basketball team, its coaches, and the fans, these games in Nashville are like playing with house money. The single-season loss record is all but guaranteed. Postseason play is not happening without a miracle. Lamont Paris isn’t going to lose his job over a difficult first season of a tough rebuild.
The lack of pressure should allow the Gamecocks to play loose and without fear, giving the fans just a few more moments of hope for the future.