What we know about Gamecocks’ NIT aspirations, why USC didn’t receive bid
The South Carolina men’s basketball team did not hear its name called in Sunday night’s National Invitation Tournament bracket reveal, which came as a surprise after most projections had the Gamecocks in the 32-team field.
A team spokesperson confirmed Monday that the Gamecocks did not decline a bid to the NIT. The team submitted a bid and was not selected.
The snub follows a one-and-done showing for the Gamecocks (18-13, 9-9 SEC) in the SEC tournament in Tampa, where USC competed as a No. 7 seed — ahead of NIT-bound teams Texas A&M, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Florida. The Gamecocks defeated NIT No. 1 seed Texas A&M in College Station and defeated NIT No. 4 seed Vanderbilt twice.
Among the five teams that tied for 9-9 in the SEC this season, only South Carolina missed the postseason. The Gamecocks haven’t played in a postseason tournament since the team’s Final Four run in 2017, although an NIT bid appeared likely before COVID-19 canceled the 2020 tournament.
Ultimately, what held USC back this season is its No. 93 NET ranking. Among the SEC teams that made the postseason, Vanderbilt ranks the lowest in the NET at No. 66.
Adopted before the 2018-19 season as the NCAA’s “primary sorting tool” for evaluating teams, the NET is a complex algorithm that includes weighted winning percentages, strength of schedule, offensive and defensive efficiency and scoring margin.
USC head coach Frank Martin was critical of the NET at season’s end.
“I’ve been in the Big 12 where teams finished .500, and they were celebrated,” Martin said. “For whatever reason here we always have to apologize for being .500 in the No. 1 league in the country. That doesn’t make sense to me. I think (Kentucky coach John) Calipari said it best the other day ... all these teams that have finished 9-9, this league’s got no bottom and it’s really, really hard.”
Now the Gamecocks will move into the offseason, and questions could arise about Martin’s future with the program. Martin signed a two-year contract extension after lengthy negotiations last offseason — a contract that takes him through the 2024-25 season. But he also agreed to a lowered buyout following this season, from $3.3 million down to $3 million.
Martin’s contract does not include a buyout after the 2022-23 season and beyond.
247Sports’ Kansas State site reported, citing a source, that Martin had floated his name to the Wildcats for their head coach opening created by Bruce Weber’s departure. But Monday morning, Stadium’s Bruce Feldman reported that “Three guys in the mix for the Kansas State opening are USF’s Todd Golden, New Mexico State’s Chris Jans and Baylor assistant Jerome Tang.”
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 11:45 AM.
