Busting Brackets
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SEC Basketball: 5 biggest questions going into 2020-21 season

By Caleb Hightower

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 12: A worker takes a cooler off of the court after the announcement of the cancellation of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 12, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The tournament has been cancelled due to the growing concern about the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - MARCH 12: A worker takes a cooler off of the court after the announcement of the cancellation of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 12, 2020 in Nashville, Tennessee. The tournament has been cancelled due to the growing concern about the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 08: Head coach Frank Martin of the South Carolina Gamecocks  (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA – DECEMBER 08: Head coach Frank Martin of the South Carolina Gamecocks  (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

5. Will a reduced non-conference schedule be beneficial to South Carolina?

With the 2020-21 season set to begin on November 25th, and teams only allowed to play 27 regular-season games (which is four games less than last season), high major squads that take care of business during the non-conference part of their schedule, but struggle during conference play, may find that the road to the NCAA tournament will be a little bit tougher this season.

On the contrary, a team like a South Carolina, who plays 18 conference games a year, and is probably more satisfied with their performance in conference play the past two seasons, may see the reduced non-conference schedule as more of a positive than a negative.

Why? Well, this could very well serve as a wake-up call for the Gamecocks, and help them seize every opportunity they have to pick up quality wins, before having to battle in the SEC, in order to stay in the top 6.

Yes, South Carolina’s 11-7 SEC record in 2018-19, and 10-8 SEC record in 2019-20 were solid, but it was their non-conference showings that ultimately held them back. In 2018-19 they finished with a 16-16 overall record, due to a 5-8 non-conference record, and a loss to Auburn in the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament.

Although Covid-19 helped shut down the SEC Tournament, and the NCAA Tournament shortly after, I don’t believe that South Carolina’s 18-13 overall record would have gotten them an at-large bid last season, despite their 10-8 conference record (unless they had been able to win a few games in the SEC Tournament).

This is because the Gamecocks were too inconsistent in non-conference play, finishing 8-5, and managing to take down Virginia on the road but fall to Houston at home in embarrassing fashion.

Assuming that South Carolina will indeed play non-conference games this season, having fewer opportunities could certainly make the Gamecocks understand that it is important to rack up as many non-conference wins as possible so that their resume will stand out to to the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee in March.

In other words, South Carolina should aim to finish 9-0 or 8-1 in non-conference play, as opposed to 5-4 or even 6-3. This way, they will have some serious momentum to ride as they begin SEC play, and won’t feel as though they must win 10 or more conference games, in order to be in the NCAA Tournament conversation.

Who knows, perhaps this will the year that South Carolina will put together a complete season, and comfortably stroll back into the NCAA Tournament.

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