NCAA Basketball: 5 teams undervalued in way-too-early polls for 2020-21

South Carolina Gamecocks

Speaking of teams that belong in the No. 21-25 range, South Carolina is another team that deserves a look.

The Gamecocks struggled early in the season, dropping home games to Boston University and Stetson. Yet, despite those Quadrant 4 losses, they put themselves in the bubble mix thanks to a road victory over Virginia, home win over Kentucky, and a 10-8 mark in SEC play.

South Carolina did all this despite being one of the least experienced teams in the country, ranking 325th in that category. Yet big man Maik Kotsar – the only holdover from their 2017 Final Four team – is expected to be the lone departure from their regular rotation.

AJ Lawson took a small step back as a sophomore but improved greatly as the season went on after Frank Martin stopped using him as a point guard. That role ended up being split between Jermaine Couisnard and Jair Bolden, both of whom flashed real offensive potential. Bolden scored 22 points in that win over Virginia and Couisnard had 26 against Kentucky, including this:

Because of their youth, and because of how difficult Frank Martin’s defense is to learn and master, the Gamecocks weren’t as good defensively as they normally are. That will change with another year of experience, and the improvement of offensive stars like Cousinard and Bolden on that end will keep them on the floor longer, making South Carolina better offensively.

I was expecting a breakout year from the Gamecocks this past season, though that admittedly was a bit early. This roster has the pieces to be Martin’s best offensive team at South Carolina, giving them the potential to be one of the better teams in the SEC.