The 2018 SEC men’s basketball tournament gets underway on Wednesday just after the regular season came to a close this past weekend, which brings much anticipation for South Carolina and its fans.
The Gamecocks are currently the No. 11 seed in the tournament, coming off a nine-point loss at Auburn on Saturday. This loss capped off an overall disappointing season for the 16-15 Gamecocks, especially after the run to the Final Four last season. Head coach Frank Martin reminded his team that it can be a difficult task to close out road games in the SEC.
“It’s hard to win man," Martin said. "This is a hard league, our guys, they fought.”
For the Gamecocks to win in the SEC tournament, it is imperative that Chris Silva stay out of foul trouble as guards contest drives to the basket, which will hopefully prevent turnovers.
Gamecock fans were able to witness how the accumulation of those factors led to the Auburn loss as Silva fouled out, Hassani Gravett was beat on the first step many times and the Gamecocks allowed 12 steals.
South Carolina will take on Ole Miss in the opening round at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri, following the first game tipping at 7 p.m. The Gamecocks have been unsuccessful in their conference tournament recently, going one-and-done the past two seasons.
South Carolina lost its only regular season matchup with Ole Miss, but Martin acknowledged that the Gamecocks have made unbelievable progress this season and that the SEC tournament can be very unpredictable.
“It’s crazy, who knows what's going to happen ... it should be a lot of fun," Martin said.
The Gamecocks will likely lose in the second round or quarterfinals where they would play Arkansas or Florida respectively. Both of those teams would have full rest to rely on.
There is much excitement from Martin and his team as they wait to prove themselves in the tournament and struggle to to live up to the expectations fans set during the preseason. Getting back to the Final Four has been a goal for the Gamecocks, but if they get out of the SEC tournament early, they may not even make the big dance at all. Even though they hoped for a different outcome, the Gamecocks still believe anything can happen.
“Too many people judge basketball teams based on their records," Martin expressed.
South Carolina has shown glimpses of greatness through the season, even beating then No. 11 Auburn at home. The Gamecocks must play at their highest level to win five games in a row and take home the tournament title.