COLOMBIA – It was no surprise. Arkansas, in twelfth place, is a much better team than South Carolina, and although the Gamecocks admirably did not give up, repeating a theme of the season, the 101-73 defeat on March 2 was expected.
The other themes of the Gamecocks were very present. They are a deplorable shooting team, especially against an opponent who rises above them. His 3-point defense, a problem during coach Frank Martin’s nine-year tenure, was so flabby that the Razorbacks hit 10 3s in the first half only.
The fiery Pigs won their 10º playing straight while the winning streak in a Gamecocks game was interrupted. USC (6-13, 4-11 SEC) concludes the regular season in Kentucky on March 6.
Then a heavy week begins. The SEC tournament beckons, and as it was on the night of March 2, USC would be the 11thº seed. This is better than in a normal year, since due to Auburn having withdrawn from the postseason, the 11º seed does not have to play on the first day of the tournament and obtains an automatic pass for the second.
Yes, it would take a 6-3 miracle Kevin Joyce beating 6-11 Lee Dedmon to prepare for the Gamecocks 1971 ACC Tournament championship to win next week, but March is where miracles happen regularly. No matter how small the chance that the USC will win four games in four days in Nashville to win the championship and a place in the NCAA tournament, that chance still exists.
That’s what Gamecocks should focus on, because if they lose early next week as expected and the season ends, the storm clouds over Martin will begin to dissipate. His future at USC has not been decided, but with only two years left on his contract, an extension not coming and sparse progress since the Final Four of 2017, he is not sure he will be back for a 10º station.
Martin spoke before the game with Arkansas and repeated himself at the beginning of the season. He always said that due to this extremely strange year, he would not judge himself by victories and defeats. He would only judge himself if his team went through three COVID shutdowns (where he also tested positive, for the second time in seven months) and felt good.
“There is nothing disappointing about what we are trying to deal with this year,” said Martin.
This feeling may not be shared by decision makers. The pandemic will be taken into account when USC administrators meet with Martin after the season, sources said to the Post and Courier, but it will not be a general excuse.
The defense of Gamecocks, a trademark of Martin, never had a chance to get into the rhythm this year due to the breaks and was again burned by the opponent’s top guard on March 2. Moses Moody had 17 points in the first half and finished with 28.
The USC failed to shoot well enough to extend the next 10 minutes and while improving, the final 10 minutes were spent trying to stop Arkansas from scoring 100 and / or winning by 30.
Looking forward
USC starts at midday on March 6 in Kentucky, at the end of the regular season.
Follow David Cloninger on Twitter @DCPandC.