For the second time in four years, the team that finished fourth in the SEC failed to participate in the NCAA Tournament or NIT.
That became official Sunday night when South Carolina was left out of the NIT’s 32-team field. LSU was dealt the same fate in 2016 — but it came under different circumstances as the Tigers, after a 33-point loss in the SEC Tournament, announced they wouldn’t accept a postseason bid.
That LSU team was 19-14 and likely would have made the field. These Gamecocks were 16-16.
At the end of the day, USC’s overall record was the deciding factor in Frank Martin’s bunch not playing again until November.