OPINION: Three Teams That South Carolina MBB Fans Will Want To Pull For Through Next Few Weeks

South Carolina men's basketball fans shouldn't just pull for their Gamecocks over the next few weeks if they want to see their team get a higher seed in March.

In the game of life, three things are guaranteed: death, taxes, and South Carolina men's basketball fans having an unwavering hatred for the NET Rankings. While we could do a whole series diving into what goes into the NET and why it has seemingly looked down upon the Gamecocks since its inception in 2020, that won't be the purpose of this piece. The NET ranking for a team doesn't just change because of Carolina's results, but also the results from the opponents they've played, which can significantly alter how their résumé will look in front of a committee.

With the team's combined Quad 1 and 2 record mattering the most, which three teams should Gamecock fans pull for?

Ole Miss

Let's start with the team freshest on South Carolina fans' minds in the Rebels. Chris Beard's team is currently 76th in the NET ranking, which means that yesterday's win, by the slimmest of margins, counts as a Quad 2 victory for the Gamecocks. Lamont Paris and his team need Ole Miss to stay in the Top 75 in the NET to change the aforementioned result. With two home games remaining against Alabama (6th in NET) and Texas A&M (58th in NET), along with two easier road games against Missouri and Georgia, the Rebels could finish the regular season strong.

Florida

Although South Carolina is set to play the Gators this coming Saturday, this'll be a team fans will have to begrudgingly pull for. The Gators are currently 28th in the NET, and if the Gamecocks can defeat them on Saturday and Todd Golden's squad remains in the Top 30 the rest of the way, that will count as a Quad 1 win. Florida's other three games are against Missouri and Alabama at home and on the road against Vanderbilt, so they could also finish strong even if they fall to Carolina.

Virginia Tech

This team has been on the back burner all season, but now it's officially crunch time for the Hokies. Currently 57th in the NET Rankings, since the Gamecocks defeated Virginia Tech on a neutral floor, they need their feathered friends to finish in the Top 50 for that game to be considered a Quad 1 win. Like the other two aforementioned teams, Mike Young's squad has a chance to finish strong, playing Wake Forest (25th in NET) and Notre Dame at home and Syracuse and Notre Dame on the road.

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