Tom Crean on South Carolina: ‘Zero question that that’s an NCAA Tournament team’
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The South Carolina Gamecocks clinched the No. 4 seed in the SEC Tournament with a win over Georgia on Saturday to close the regular season.
That’s somewhat surprising, as they are only 16-15 overall. However, the Gamecocks turned their season around in conference play, going an impressive 11-7 against SEC foes.
They aren’t really close to the NCAA Tournament bubble, though, and barring a deep run in next week’s SEC Tournament, they may find themselves heading to the NIT. After South Carolina beat Georgia 66-46 on Saturday, Georgia coach Tom Crean came to the Gamecocks’ defense.
In his postgame press conference, Crean said there’s no doubt in his mind that South Carolina belongs in the field of 68:
Tom Crean on the #Gamecocks: "Zero question that that’s an NCAA Tournament team."
— Andrew Ramspacher (@ARamspacher) March 9, 2019
Regardless of what Crean says, the Gamecocks likely won’t be dancing this year. Still, crazier things have happened, and with the drama surrounding the LSU program right now, a run to the SEC Tournament title game isn’t out of the question for Frank Martin’s squad.
Would a runner-up finish be enough to get into the Big Dance? Or will the Gamecocks have to pull off an upset and clinch an automatic bid? We’ll find out soon, as Selection Sunday is only eight days away.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
