COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina will not be given a chance to extend its season.
The NIT brackets were announced Sunday night and the Gamecocks were not on the list. Among the teams who did get a chance at playing more basketball in March is a Vanderbilt team who not only lost a pair of games to Carolina this season but the Commodores finished the regular season 7-11 in the SEC, two games behind Carolina.
This means South Carolina will end the season with an 18-13 record after Thursday's loss to Misssippi State in the SEC Tournament in Tampa. That game was marked by a cold-shooting second half where the Gamecocks shot just 12.9% and ended up being dealt a 73-51 loss by the Bulldogs.
In 10 seasons in Columbia, Martin has a 171-147 record with just two trips to the post-season. His first post-season team earned an NIT bid in 2016 after seemingly possessing an NCAA Tournemant resume. But in front of fans at a watch party, the Gamecocks were dealt a gut punch and Martin had to come out and speak to the group of supporters, telling them better days were ahead.
The coach was accurate in his prediction as the following season, the Gamecocks advanced to the Final Four, far exceeding previous accomplishments in previous eras.
Martin has had a knack of leading teams to the upper half of the SEC regular season standings which include this year's team which finished 9-9, good enough for a tie for fifth.
The coach hopes he will not only be back for an 11th season but also receive a contract extension. He has applied a full-court press on Ridge View junior GG Jackson who is rated by Rivals as the top power forward prospect for the Class of 2023. The Gamecocks are in play for his services and those of Lexington sophomore shooting guard Cam Scott.
