Busting Brackets
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SEC Basketball: Preseason power rankings for 2019-20 season

By Matthew Travis

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 17: The Auburn Tigers hold the winner's trophy after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 17: The Auburn Tigers hold the winner's trophy after the 84-64 win against the Tennessee Volunteers during the final of the SEC Basketball Championships at Bridgestone Arena on March 17, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – FEBRUARY 13: Frank Martin the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks gives instructions to his team against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 13, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE – FEBRUARY 13: Frank Martin the head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks gives instructions to his team against the Tennessee Volunteers at Thompson-Boling Arena on February 13, 2019 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

Gamecocks . 12. team. 533. . .

South Carolina is one of the most unpredictable teams in the SEC and they could potentially be one of the worst teams when all is said and done. The Gamecocks will be without 2018-19 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and leading scorer, Chris Silva going into the 2019-20 season.

Silva, who averaged 15.2 points per game last season graduated and with that, the Gamecocks will be without their best player going into 2019-20. The good news however is that A.J. Lawson, USC’s second-leading scorer, will be back in Columbia for his sophomore season.

Lawson averaged 13.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game last season and he will undoubtedly be a leader and one of the best players for the Gamecocks next season. Going into his sophomore season Lawson will have a lot on his shoulders.

South Carolina made it to the Final Four only three seasons ago in 2017 and they have been fighting to get back into the tournament ever since then. Unfortunately since their Final Four appearance back in 2017 South Carolina is only one game over .500.

Anything above that would be an improvement as the Gamecocks went 17-16 in 2017-18 and 16-16 in 2018-19. That being said, not a whole lot of expectations will be placed upon Frank Martin’s squad this season especially without their best player, Chris Silva.

The question is, how will incoming freshmen Trey Anderson, Jalyn McCreary, Trae Hannibal, Wildens Leveque, Mike Green and redshirt freshman Jermaine Couisnard be used and how will they help out this Gamecock team that looks as if it will struggle?

None of these six players appeared in ESPN’s Top-100 so it makes you wonder how much these guys can really contribute.

In 2019-20 South Carolina will tumble a bit from their .500 mark of 16-16 from last season as they will finish this year with a record of 8-5 in non-conference play and 7-11 in SEC play for a total record of 15-16.

The Gamecocks start out the season with several easy non-conference games before playing multiple very tough games against Houston, Clemson and Virginia, plus matchups with Wichita State and either West Virginia or Rhode Island in Cancun, Mexico.

That being said, Frank Martin and company have a chance to either get several statement wins and be in a good position heading into SEC play, or they can get caught behind and not be in nearly as good of a position. Unfortunately for those of you who go to USC, I think it will be the latter of the two.

The best player on this year’s South Carolina team is destined to be Lawson. As mentioned earlier, Lawson was a big part of last year’s team and was a major reason why they finished with an 11-7 record against SEC opponents.

If Lawson can manage to put up similar numbers, or maybe even a bit better then he will put the Gamecocks in a very good position to surprise a lot of people.

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