South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Mark Kingston knows that the SEC is incredibly deep this season. Because of that, he also feels strongly that the conference should get as many teams in the NCAA Tournament as are deserving.
As of now, 11 different SEC teams appear to be in consideration for the NCAA Tournament. That’s a large number but, as Kingston explained, if that’s who is deserving then he believes the selection committee should put those teams in.
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“I was just talking to Lance out there about this,” Mark Kingston said. “I have a couple opinions, I don’t need to give you all my opinions on the matter because we probably have, we’ll get the same question throughout the course of the week. Here’s my opinion: If the SEC deserves 11 teams, give the SEC 11 teams.”
The SEC has six teams that are safe to make the NCAA Tournament. Then, there are five teams that entered the SEC Tournament with 13-17 records in conference play and while they have good metrics, their records have left them on the bubble. That includes South Carolina.
“These players, these coaches, these athletic departments work very hard to become the best they can, and if 11 teams deserve to get in, 11 teams should get in. Because I guarantee you, if there’s a year where the SEC has a down year and only eight or nine teams deserve to get in, eight or nine teams will get in. So, I think you have to look at it both ways. If it’s a down year they get less,” Kingston said.
“If it’s an unbelievable good year, which I would label this, then they deserve more than last year’s record of 10 or whatever — I think the record as it stands is 10. If we deserve 11, give us 11. If we deserve 10, give us 10. That’s my opinion on the matter.”
There are going to be several factors that go into the selection committee’s decision. The number of teams they’re putting in from one conference really isn’t supposed to be one of those factors. However, borderline teams can lose their spot in the NCAA Tournament when teams who wouldn’t have otherwise made the tournament win their conference tournament.
For South Carolina and Kingston, the Gamecocks won their first two SEC Tournament games. That should help solidify their position in the eyes of the selection committee.
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