Gamecocks' regressive play down stretch story of 2011 campaign
The Tigers were terrible this season. They went 11-20, with nine of those losses coming by 11 points or more. Mercifully, their season came to an end in the opening game of the SEC Tournament via a 69-51 loss to Georgia.
However, the Tigers can head into the offseason feeling relatively good. How, you ask? Because Auburn closed its season in a positive fashion, the blowout against the Bulldogs aside. AU entered the league tournament on a two-game win streak and winners in three of its last seven games. Those four losses even had positives — two of them came by only two points each. Auburn was supposed to struggle this season, and it did. But, it improved as the season went along and played its best basketball at the end.
South Carolina did the opposite. It regressed as the year progressed. That fact, and not another losing record, is why USC's season became such a disappointment.
The Gamecocks weren't supposed to tear up the SEC. Everyone understood USC was young and no longer had Devan Downey. 14-16 with home wins over Clemson and a ranked Vanderbilt team and a road win at a ranked Florida team is about where most thought they'd be, and maybe better.
It's the way USC got there that has raised concerns. Despite the 3-1 start to league play and the sole possession of first place in the SEC East that came along with it, few thought this team was going to the NCAA Tournament. However, the NIT appeared a distinct possibility.
Carolina then lost 11 of its last 13 games, with nine of those losses coming by 11 points or more. Every game began to feel like the film "Groundhog Day": USC would jack up bad shots, and miss. It would take good shots, and still miss. It would break down defensively at the worst possible moments. It would hit an extended scoring drought, usually in the beginning of the game, and fall behind. Then, it would begin a valiant comeback only to fall short. Then it happened again the next time out.
It's not all gloom and doom. The team showed this year it doesn't quit (the debacle at Kentucky aside) and can rebound well. Bruce Ellington showed flashes of brilliance at times. Eric Smith came on strong late. Malik Cooke is back next season and Murphy Holloway, the Ole Miss transfer, becomes eligible. Heralded recruits Damien Leonard and Anthony Gill are on their way. Lakeem Jackson (injuries) and Ramon Galloway (inconsistency) didn't have the sophomore seasons expected of them, but many players figure it out as upperclassmen.
Coach Darrin Horn is not on the hot seat because of the above. USC was supposed to be young and struggle to be competitive this season, and it was just that. All the potential related to the youthful adversity is why Horn has the complete support of USC's administrators as he goes about the process of building a program — a process he isn't shy about telling you he's undertaking.
It is true, however, that the future of South Carolina basketball is solely on Horn's ledger now. USC's first-round loss to Ole Miss ended the career of Sam Muldrow, the last player on the roster recruited and signed by former coach Dave Odom. Everything at Horn's disposal to continue construction on the program is of his own acquisition now, a natural turning point for any coach. Once it's your team, there's a limited window of time to get better and start making things happen.
It's hard to envision USC not being better next season. The Gamecocks should be close to .500 in league play and anything less than an NIT berth should be a disappointment. That would be progress. Maybe not the progress most fans would prefer — USC's last NCAA Tournament appearance, in 2004, was eons ago — but progress nonetheless.
Given the way this season ended, any progress would be good progress.