Last season, South Carolina was able to overcome a February swoon to reach the NCAA Tournament and ultimately advance to the program's first Final Four. This year, the Gamecocks are fading in February again, and this time they might not have what it takes to recover.
South Carolina has lost five in a row and opens back-to-back games against ranked teams Tuesday when it visits No. 18 Tennessee, which is also looking for a bounce-back win.
Tennessee (18-6, 4-8 SEC) won at South Carolina 70-63 in late January behind 25 points by Lamonte Turner. That win ignited a six-game winning streak that included a big victory at Kentucky last week.