South Carolina didn't walk out of Sin City with the trophy, but they absolutely walked out with pride. The No. 2 Gamecocks took the No. 4 Texas to the wire on Thanksgiving in the Players Era Championship title game, falling 66-64 after a last second shot. Texas left Las Vegas 2-0 with wins over No. 3 UCLA and No. 2 South Carolina despite being shorthanded. But the Gamecocks gained something valuable in November: proof that this group is built to contend deep into March.
Madina Okot made a statement on the court...again. The 6-foot-6 center has recorded four straight double-doubles, including a career-high 23 points and 13 rebounds in South Carolina’s 83-66 victory over Duke.