As the NCAA basketball season comes to a close and the “madness” nears, we take a look at both the men’s and women’s programs at South Carolina and what the postseason could potentially look like for the duo of squads.
The Women’s Program
The Lady Gamecocks, the women’s team, closed out their regular season last Sunday afternoon during Senior Day at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C., against the Texas A&M Aggies. South Carolina cemented a perfect conference record with the 60-52 victory over the Aggies and closed out their season with an impressive 29-1 record.
What a senior day!
๐ฐ: https://t.co/C2UMSaByOy pic.twitter.com/We86wREzxm
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) March 1, 2020
The Gamecocks only lost to Indiana in late November and they had an astounding victory against the University of Connecticut Huskies for the first time in history on Feb. 10.
We're officially SOLD OUT Monday vs UConn! First-ever sell-out in our CLA history! @dawnstaley #TheShowSC #Gamecocks pic.twitter.com/4SUqzHF1NC
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) February 5, 2016
South Carolina has been ranked No. 1 in the nation in both the AP and coaches poll the last four weeks, have been ranked all season, and had a three-game lead over Mississippi in the SEC. They entered the SEC Conference Tournament as the top seed in Greenville and were favored to win the tournament for the fifth time in seven years.
On Sunday afternoon, the Lady Gamecocks did just that when they secured their fifth SEC tournament title with a 76-62 victory over Mississippi State and took both the regular season SEC championship title and the conference tournament championship. This South Carolina team is projected to get the top seed in the NCAA Championship Tournament but the official decision will be made on Selection Monday (Mar. 16), which is also when their matchup and game details will be released.
Senior guard Tyasha Harris posted 350 points for the 2019-2020 season and 1,295 total points in her four-year career at South Carolina while her teammate and fellow senior Mikiah Herbert Harrigan made notable contributions of her own. Herbert Harrigan recorded 376 points in her senior year and a total of 1,127 in her four years as a Lady Gamecock. Junior guard LeLa Grissett recorded 20 blocks, 23 steals, and 183 points this season while freshman sensation Aliyah Boston posted an impressive 74 blocks, 38 steals, and 373 points in her first year with South Carolina.
The South Carolina women’s basketball program is a perfect combination of talented young ladies who give their all to the game and the phenomenal leadership under head coach Dawn Staley. As a result of her hard work and dedication to her women’s team, Staley was honored as the SEC Coach of the Year on March 3 and is one of the finalists for the Naismith Coach of the Year award.
Congratulations to @dawnstaley on win 3โฃ0โฃ0โฃ at South Carolina!#SCWomanUp pic.twitter.com/mcmd7f2sGn
— South Carolina Women's Basketball (@GamecockWBB) February 23, 2020
A whole movement! Before anyone steps….STEP! #MYOBB https://t.co/je6LnovFne
— dawnstaley (@dawnstaley) March 2, 2020
The Men’s Program
The South Carolina men’s basketball team, under the leadership of head coach Frank Martin, finished out their regular season 18-13 overall and 10-8 in the SEC conference. Although the Gamecocks have posted a solid winning season, they didn’t secure the final two victories necessary to stay “on the bubble” for tournament contention. The Gamecocks handled Mississippi State in their season finale at home on Senior Night at the Colonial Life Arena, but they faltered in the final game of the season against Vanderbilt on the road, 83-74.
๐ฅณ ๐บ๐ฌ๐ต๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐ต๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ป 2k20 ๐ค#Gamecocks๐๐ // #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/477A7ptadD
— Gamecock Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) March 4, 2020
FINAL: South Carolina falls at Vanderbilt, 83-74, in the regular season finale. #Gamecocks pic.twitter.com/rILNPJET1P
— Gamecock Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) March 7, 2020
The Gamecocks started the season with four of seven wins in November, four of six in December, including the defeat of the Virginia Cavaliers, and secured wins against Kentucky, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Arkansas in January. South Carolina swept the Georgia Bulldogs in a series that included a 94-90 victory in overtime, beat the Aggies for the second time this season with a 20-point victory, and beat the Mississippi State Bulldogs one of two times in the last six weeks of the season.
๐ฑ-straight and another SZN ๐๐๐๐๐ of the Dawgs in an OT thriller ๐งน๐ #Gamecocks๐๐ // #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/ha3SMb9fnW
— Gamecock Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) February 27, 2020
South Carolina finished the season sixth in the SEC conference behind Florida and ahead of Texas A&M. They will play in the first round of the SEC tournament on Thursday, March 12, and essentially need to come away from the tournament victorious in the second round against Arkansas or Vanderbilt, and then survive the quarterfinals, semifinals, and the championship game to gain a berth in the “big dance.” As of season’s end, it appears the Gamecocks will earn a seed in the National Invitational Tournament, instead.
โผ๏ธANNOUNCEMENTโผ๏ธ The #SECMBB seeds are SET.
Your 2020 #SECTourney Bracket
See you March 11th. pic.twitter.com/qZGt6TSTlK
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) March 8, 2020
