No. 3: The South Carolina Basketball Team Played in the Final Four
Even though it was a losing effort, just how cool was it that the Gamecocks made it to the Final Four and played competitively? An unfortunate flu bug went around the team in the lead up to the Final Four, and Sinadarius Thornwell reportedly had it worse than anyone. He, Maik Kotsar, and Rakym Felder had their worst games of the Tournament against Gonzaga in the aftermath of the bug.
Despite having to overcome sickness, the Gamecocks played a very close game with the Bulldogs. In the end, Nigel Williams-Goss (Thornwell’s matchup) proved to be too much as the Gamecocks fell 77-73. Thanks to a virus, a season for the ages ended with fans asking the question, “what if?”