South Carolina's NIT Hopes Proof of How Historic SEC Basketball is This Season

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a chance to make the NIT tournament and it's proof of how dominant the SEC is.

Mar 12, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Lamont Paris talks with guard Jacobi Wright (1) during a break in action during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The South Carolina Gamecocks have a chance to make the NIT tournament and it's proof of how dominant the SEC is.

The South Carolina Gamecocks potentially had their season come to an earlier in the week as they lost in the first round of the SEC tournament. However, there is a chance that the Gamecocks will make the NIT tournament, and that is proof of just how dominant and deep the SEC is this season.

New rules established last offseason state the SEC and ACC now receive two automatic bids to the NIT. However, the SEC could potentially land 14 teams in the NCAA tournament this year (an NCAA record), leaving just two teams from the conference (LSU and South Carolina) as the two teams to get an NIT bid.

The Gamecocks finished dead last in the conference during the regular season and the Tigers finished right ahead of them. The fact that they still have a chance to make a postseason tournament is a testament to just how deep and talented the SEC is this season in men's basketball.

While the South Carolina Gamecocks didn't have a season to remember, it very easily could have gone another direction. The Gamecocks lost seven games during conference play that were within two possesions or less. Had a couple of bounces gone their way this season, their season outlook would have looked completely different.

Even if the Gamecocks do make the NIT tournament, there is no guarantee that they accept the invitation. It does put into perspective though of just how dominant the conference has been this season and that it has truly been a historic season for the SEC.

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