South Carolina basketball tops country in remaining strength of schedule
South Carolina basketball will have a tough road to a second NCAA Tournament berth in a row. In fact, according to ESPN’s BPI (Basketball Power Index), the Gamecocks’ remaining strength of schedule is the toughest in all of college basketball.
The entire SEC occupies the top 16 spots in the BPI’s strength of schedule rankings. The conference has been the best in the nation so far this season, so that doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. SEC teams went 185-23 combined in out-of-conference play, including a 59-19 mark against the ACC, BIG Ten, Big 12, and Big East.
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Because of the tough slate, the BPI doesn’t love the Gamecocks’ chances at making a tourney run. The model does not give Carolina a good chance of making the field and only gives Lamont Paris’ team a 2.9% chance of escaping out of the round of 64 if they do make the NCAA Tournament.
The Gamecocks rank 64th overall in the BPI, 16th among SEC teams. The BPI’s efficiency metrics don’t paint a pretty picture. The ‘Cocks are 70th in offensive efficiency (3.7 points above average) and 61st in defensive efficiency (5.4 points above average). Those numbers are 16th and 12th in the SEC, respectively. However, many of those numbers are based on projections and predictions, meaning there is still plenty of time to right the ship.
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To beat those predictive odds, South Carolina basketball will need to become more consistent. This year, the Gamecocks have had some really strong performances (especially in a win over a ranked Clemson team), but they have delivered a few clunkers, as well (namely, a season-opening loss to North Florida and a tight game against Presbyterian).
The up-and-down non-conference showing still saw Coach Paris’ team deliver a 10-3 record, including 3-2 against power competition. That means a solid mark in SEC play (maybe even just .500) could put South Carolina in the NCAA Tournament. In the 2023-2024 season, the Gamecocks went 13-5 in SEC play despite being underdogs in over half of those games. The path to the postseason won’t be an easy one, but the path is there.
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South Carolina’s first conference game is a tough one (as they all are). On Saturday, January 4th, the Gamecocks will travel to Starkville to play the Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road. The Bulldogs are 12-1, undefeated at home, and ranked No. 17 nationally. SEC Network will air the contest at 2:00 p.m. The ESPN app also will make it available for streaming. Last year, USC beat MSU twice, including once on the road at Humphrey Coliseum.
