Selection Sunday is finally here.
Months of mindless babbling by a seemingly endless parade of self-proclaimed TV bracketologists abruptly concludes tonight at 5:30 as the 68-team field for the 2017 NCAA Tournament is finally revealed on CBS in a 90-minute special.
Until a couple of weeks ago, South Carolina was a lock to make the NCAA Tourney field for the first time since 2004. But six losses in the final nine games, including a disappointing 64-53 defeat to Alabama Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament in Nashville, has some folks questioning if USC, stumbling to the finish line for the secod year in a row, belonged in the field.
According to one of the best known bracketologists, the answer is yes.
Late Saturday night, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Gamecocks as a No. 8 seed in the East Regional facing No. 9 Dayton for the right to advance and play (most likely) No. 1 seed Villanova in the second round.
Sunday morning, though, Lunardi had changed his mind on the Gamecocks, putting them in the West Region as the No. 8 seed opposing No. 9 Oklahoma State (coached by former Gamecock assistant Brad Underwood) in Salt Lake City, UT. Winner gets #1 seed Gonzaga in the second round.
In the latest NCAA RPI released Saturday, the Gamecocks are No. 44, the fifth highest ranked SEC team behind Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas and Vanderbilt, which jumped 10 places up the ladder to No. 33 after outlasting the Gators on OT on Friday.
If the order of those five SEC schools remains the same, USC’s chances of garnering a NCAA Tourney at-large berth could depend largely on whether the selection committee takes four or five SEC schools.
If they take just four, the Gamecocks could be left out in the cold again. However, if they take five SEC teams, USC is clearly in as the next highest SEC team in the NCAA RPI is Georgia at No. 52.
Frank Martin has proclaimed for weeks that the Gamecocks deserved an at-large berth to the NCAA Tourney based on their total body of work throughout the 2016-17 season, and Friday’s loss to Alabama did nothing to change his mind.
“We lost to a good team. We didn't lose to a team with a 300 RPI.” Martin said. “We lost to a team that finished fifth in the league. It's not like we got beat on a neutral site by a team that's not any good. One game on a neutral site against a very good opponent is going to outdo 12 conference wins and the wins we had in non-league play?
“(If so) then it is what it is. At the end of the day, the committee is not going to call me to ask me my opinion. What I think and what I feel is completely irrelevant to the whole situation. But if they feel we won enough, they put us in.”
Even if the Gamecocks secure a spot in the tournament, the USC players realize they must step up the level of play they have demonstrated beginning with the four-overtime loss to Alabama on Feb. 7.
Friday, they were outrebounded, 42-27, by the Crimson Tide, which grabbed 12 offensive rebounds. Alabama's domination on the boards overcame the fact USC committed just 9 turnovers. Thus, the physical style of play Martin craves was lacking.
“We’ve got to get back to our identity,” Gamecock guard P.J. Dozier said Friday following the loss to Alabama at Bridgestone Arena. “The last games we’ve lost, we haven't been playing the same basketball that we played when we went on that winning streak (USC won 9 of 10 from Jan. 4 to Feb. 4).
“We’ve got to get back to what we've been doing. I think the coaching staff have been doing a great job to continue to treat the players the way they treated us when we were winning. So, it's on us to get back to what we have been doing.”
Last year, the SEC got only three teams into the NCAA Tournament, and one of them (Vanderbilt) had to play in the First Four in Dayton.
If the SEC is able to get five teams into the Big Dance, Martin views that as a major step upward in the perception of the league as a basketball conference, which may have plunged to an all-time low a year ago.
“This league has gotten a lot better,” Martin exclaimed. “It's real good right now and that's not me. I've said that every year I've been here. Right now, it's a lot better than it has been since I've been in this league.
“All the folks that have great opinions as to who belongs in the NCAA Tournament or not, they have five teams as a lock for the NCAA Tournament. That's what I was told this morning. People are paying attention to this league. It's a lot better than it's been and continues to get better.”
Although the probability of a happier ending is greater this year due to USC’s higher RPI and stronger non-conference schedule, USC is clearly guarding against another disappointing outcome. Unlike last year when hundreds of fans filled the ballroom at the new Alumni Center, no university-organized public gathering of Gamecock fans is planned.
Instead, the Gamecocks will hold a private team-only gathering on Sunday evening to watch the NCAA Tournament Selection Show, and later speak to the media.
What does the committee think about the Gamecocks and the SEC this year? We’ll find out in a few hours when the brackets are finally made known.
2017 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT SITES (Early Rounds)
First Four
March 14 and 15 - UD Arena, Dayton, Ohio
First and Second Rounds
March 16 and 18
KeyBank Center - Buffalo, NY
Bradley Center - Milwaukee, Wis.
Amway Center - Orlando, Fla.
Vivint Smart Home Arena - Salt Lake City, Utah
March 17 and 19
Bon Secours Wellness Arena - Greenville, SC
Bankers Life Fieldhouse - Indianapolis, Ind.
BOK Center - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Golden 1 Center - Sacramento, California
