There are three games left to play, the Gamecocks have a chance to finish in the top four again in the SEC and Jermaine Couisnard doesn’t know where his team currently sits in the standings.

All he knows is which game is next and what the Gamecocks (17-11, 9-6 SEC) are playing for.

The Gamecocks are still on the outside looking in for the tournament but have a prime chance to move closer to the field of 68 with a game at Alabama Saturday night.

“(Frank Martin) is telling us to be strong, be confident in ourselves and take it one game at a time,” Couisnard said. “You try to win and be the best we can the last few games we play.”

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Joe Lunardi released his updated bracket projections Friday morning and the Gamecocks weren’t included despite not playing a game and being listed in Lunardi's “Next Four Out” just a day earlier coming off a win against Georgia.

Only four SEC teams were in Lunardi’s bracket safely—Kentucky, Auburn, Florida and LSU—with other teams like Mississippi State, Arkansas and Alabama lingering as well.

DRatings has the Gamecocks as a No. 2 seed in the NIT playing one of four seven seeds: Duquesne, UNLV, Pacific or San Francisco.

As of Friday night, the Gamecocks have a NET ranking of 64, the eighth-highest among SEC teams, and a strength of schedule in the low 60s.

A win against Alabama (15-13, 7-8 SEC) would go a long way for South Carolina’s tournament resume with the Tide considered a Quad I win in the NET at No. 39.

Not only would it do a lot for the team’s tournament attractiveness but for SEC seeding entering the tournament.

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With three games to go, the Gamecocks have already locked up at least a first round bye with an outside shot of getting a double bye and not having to play until Friday in the quarterfinals.

They could finish anywhere from second—if they win out and Auburn, Florida and LSU all lose out—or ninth.

Right now they’re sixth in the SEC tied with Mississippi State but are on the wrong side of the tiebreaker since Mississippi State is currently 1-0 against the Gamecocks this season (the two teams will play again March 3).

If the season ended today they’d be the No. 6 seed in the conference tournament playing either Missouri or Vanderbilt Thursday night.

A win against the Tide would help seeding obviously, and the Gamecocks might get a crack at the Tide without super sophomore John Petty, who could miss Saturday’s game with an arm injury.

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“He’s a good player. He likes to shoot it a lot,” Couisnard said. “He’s good in transition and a good defender. He likes getting to the rim a lot.”

Alabama will have Kira Lewis Jr., though, who’s averaging almost 18 points per game this year and will likely draw the matchup with Couisnard.

“He’s a good player,” Couisnard said. “He likes to get downhill and likes to score at all different levels. He’s going to be tough.”