Gamecock MBB See A Jump In ESPN's Latest Bracket Projection

South Carolinas men's basketball program has gone from being viewed as a bubble team to a 9-seed after their upset win over #6 Kentucky.

After an impressive win by South Carolina over a previously projected #3 seed in the Kentucky Wildcats, Lamont Paris and company climbed up the latest bracket projections of ESPN's Joe Lunardi. A decent number of media personalities wanted to see Carolina get that résumé-boosting win after tough losses against Clemson and Georgia, and they got that and then some with a 17-point win over a top 10 team.

With the victory Tuesday night, Lunardi now has the Gamecocks sitting as a 9-seed in the NCAA tournament, in the same region as the currently projected No. 1 overall seed, Houston, 8th seed Seton Hall and 16th seed Green Bay.

BJ Mack celebrates hitting a three-pointer vs Kentucky (23rd Jan., 2024) / Jeff Blake | USA Today Network

The most impressive part of the win wasn't just how great an environment CLA was or the big blowout win over a top-10 team, but yet it was how South Carolina once again played great team ball. Their two top scorers, BJ Mack and Meechie Johnson, didn't have their best game by their standards, but others continued to step up in significant ways. This surely does a lot for the mentality of this program moving forward, knowing that their best game is still yet to be played, waiting for all aspects of their game to click.

You Might Also Like:

• Collin Murray-Boyles' Big Night Highlights Progression Of Gamecock Frontcourt
• Game Balls: South Carolina Vs. #6 Kentucky
• Win Over Kentucky Serves As Proof Of Concept For Lamont Paris' Vision

Join the community:

• Follow Andrew Lyon on Twitter: @ALyon_SC
• Follow Joseph Griffin on Twitter: @JosephGriffinJG
• Follow Arvon Bacon on Twitter: @baconnetworkllc
• Follow Locked On Gamecocks on Youtube or wherever you get your podcasts

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to follow us on X at @GamecocksDigest and our page on Facebook!