What The Numbers Say About The SEC Wins & Losses For South Carolina MBB Team
With conference play officially over for South Carolina's men's basketball teams, let's look at what the numbers say about their wins and losses in SEC play.
While the South Carolina Gamecocks may no longer be playing in the SEC Tournament, the program will be participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years. That means tomorrow afternoon, a bracket will be formulated with Lamont Paris' squad listed somewhere, which also means that their résumé will suddenly be put under a microscope by those who cover or watch the sport closely, and even some who are filling out a paper bracket at home just for fun.
In 20 games against SEC competition, including their two games in the conference tournament, the Gamecocks went 14-6 overall. I used KenPom's Analytical Ratings to see what kind of teams Carolina succeeded against and which gave them the most trouble. Let's start with the games where Paris' team came out on top:
SEC Teams That South Carolina Defeated
Opponent's Average Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 113 points per 100 possessions (Would rank 70th)
Opponent's Average Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 101.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (Would rank 74th)
Opponent's Average Adjusted Tempo: 68.3 possessions per 40 minutes (Would rank 126th)
The Gamecocks like to play a more methodical game on both ends of the floor, which can lead to fewer possessions and more of a grind-it-out type affair, and these numbers bear that out. Considering the teams that Carolina knocked off in this group, if you want to play their game (Mississippi State and Texas A&M) or try to quicken things up but don't play well on both the offensive and defensive end (Kentucky), you'll likely wind up on the losing side.
SEC Teams That South Carolina Lost To
Opponent's Average Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: 117.3 points allowed per 100 possessions (Would rank 28th)
Opponent's Average Adjusted Defensive Efficiency: 96.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (Would rank 24th)
Opponent's Average Adjusted Tempo: 70 possessions per 40 minutes (Would rank 53rd)
These numbers speak to just how good of a team Lamont Paris has this season. Outside of two clunkers against Georgia and LSU, the conference foes who have beaten them are well-rounded and can push the pace (Auburn and Tennessee). The recurring theme here is that if Carolina can't control the flow of the game, their chances of winning decrease significantly.
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