If all conference tournaments ended Friday, South Carolina would be a No. 6 seed in the NIT.
At least that’s the prediction from dratings.com, one of the few outlets that offers “bracketology” for college basketball’s second-tier postseason event.
That wouldn’t be a bad outcome for a Gamecocks team that was 5-7 entering January. USC (12-12, 7-4 SEC) has rallied in conference action and now has a legitimate chance to be playing past the SEC Tournament for a third time in four years.
After Carolina’s 85-73 loss at No. 1 Tennessee on Wednesday, the hard part seems over.