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South Carolina drops in NET rankings following SEC opening loss

by: Kevin Miller01/07/25kevinbmiller52
South Carolina basketball freshman Cam Scott (Photo by: Katie Dugan | GamecockCentral)
South Carolina basketball freshman Cam Scott (Photo by: Katie Dugan | GamecockCentral)

Following a 1-1 week in which South Carolina basketball won a tight one against Presbyterian and lost in lopsided fashion in the SEC opener to Mississippi State, the Gamecocks have dropped in the latest NET rankings. As of Monday evening, USC is No. 93 in the NET.

The NET, for those unfamiliar, is the most important ranking metric used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. It factors in Team Value Index (essentially a team’s on-court results, location of games, and strength of schedule) and adjusted net efficient ratings (how well a team plays in those games, adjusted for the quality of opponent and location of games).

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Every team in the SEC, including the Gamecocks, will boast impressive strength of schedule numbers. In fact, Lamont Paris’ team owns the toughest strength of schedule in the country during the 2025 portion of the 2024-2025 season.

Because of the SEC’s strength this season, South Carolina will have plenty of opportunities to improve its place in the NET. Each game left on the schedule represents a Quad 1 or Quad 2 opportunity for the Gamecocks.

As things stand, the Gamecocks are last among SEC teams in the NET rankings. However, every team is inside the top 100, making it the only conference that can make that claim. Upward mobility is possible if South Carolina can win its share of SEC contests.

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Next up for South Carolina is a tough week that pits the Palmetto State’s flagship institution against two teams from the Yellow Hammer State. Both opponents this week are ranked inside the AP poll’s top 5.

First, the No. 5 Alabama Crimson Tide come to Columbia for a Wednesday night throwdown. The 7:00 p.m. contest will be on SEC Network and streamed on the ESPN app.

Then, the No. 2 Auburn Tigers come to town for a game on Saturday. SEC Network and the ESPN app again will cover the game, which tips at 1:00 p.m.

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