Following a season where South Carolina — the No. 70 squad in KenPom’s ratings from last year — used a little luck to buoy their way to an 11-win conference season, the Gamecocks have become a trendy pick to make the NCAA tournament. But before we jump into the preview, I just want to say this upfront: I really don’t hate this roster.
I couldn’t say that in the past. At times, I’ve thought head coach Frank Martin takes on players who don’t really fit in the SEC. But this is one of his better, deeper rosters. They don't have the top-end talent of the 2017 squad that made a run to the Final Four, but there is more depth— and that matters in this conference.