SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL

South Carolina's non-conference performance was an up and down one with a few good wins but a handful of bad losses as well.

The Gamecocks (8-5) finished their non-con slate this week with a loss to Stetson and now have about a week to figure things out before SEC play starts Jan. 7 against Florida.

Because of the rollercoaster of a non-conference season, a couple national prediction services don't see the Gamecocks doing much their next 18 games.

According to ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI) the Gamecocks are the No. 112 team in the country, down 10 spots after the loss to Stetson Monday.

They are No. 200 overall in the BPI's offensive ratings and No. 64 in defensive rankings as well.

The BPI also predicts the Gamecocks to finish the season 15-16 and going 7-11 in conference play, which starts Tuesday against Florida (7 p.m., ESPNU). They have the 64th toughest schedule remaining among 353 Division I teams.

As of Jan. 2, the BPI ranks South Carolina's resume as 138 nationally with these record against each NET Quad:

Quad I: 1-1

Quad II: 2-2

Quad III: 0-0

Quad IV: 5-2

South Carolina has two good wins at Clemson (Quad II) and at Virginia (Quad I) but the two losses to Quad IV teams in Boston and Stetson are a knock to the resumé.

As for KenPom, the Gamecocks are projected to finish with the same record as the BPI projects.

The college basketball analytics site predicts the Gamecocks to finish at 15-16 this year with a 7-11 SEC record.

Before conference play starts this weekend, KenPom gives South Carolina a win probability of 50 percent or greater in just four games: Jan. 18 at Texas A&M (51), Jan. 25 against Vanderbilt (70), Feb. 8 against Texas A&M (75) and Feb. 26 against Georgia (51).

South Carolina is considered the No. 102 team nationally based off of KenPom's algorithm and are 101st in offensive efficiency, averaging 101 points per 100 possessions and 80th in defensive efficiency averaging 95.1 points per 100.

The Gamecocks (8-5) finished non-conference play Monday with a 63-56 loss to Stetson.

They begin conference play next week with a gauntlet of a first five games.

It starts Jan. 7 at home against Florida before road games against Tennessee, Texas A&M and Auburn and another home game against Kentucky. Four of the five teams are currently in KenPom's top 50 with three—Auburn, Florida and Kentucky—in the top 25.

Things lighten up marginally the final 13 games with rematches against Texas A&M and Tennessee, home and homes with Vanderbilt, Mississippi State and Georgia and standalone games against Alabama, Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss and Missouri.

Full SEC schedule:

Jan. 7 vs. Florida (7 p.m., ESPNU)

Jan. 11 at Tennessee (1 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 15 vs. Kentucky (6:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 18 at Texas A&M (1 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 22 at Auburn (7 p.m. ESPN2/U)

Jan. 25 vs. Vanderbilt (8 p.m., SEC Network)

Jan. 29 at Arkansas (8:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 1 vs. Missouri (3:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 5 at Ole Miss (7 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 8 vs. Texas A&M (1 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 12 at Georgia (6:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 15 vs. Tennessee (6 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 19 at Mississippi State (9 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 22 vs. LSU (8 p.m., ESPN2/U)

Feb. 26 vs. Georgia (6:30 p.m., SEC Network)

Feb. 29 at Alabama (8:30 p.m., SEC Network)

March 3 vs. Mississippi State (6:30 p.m., SEC Network)

March 7 at Vanderbilt (12:30 p.m., SEC Network)