South Carolina Gamecocks Tickets

South Carolina Gamecocks Mens Basketball

The South Carolina Gamecocks had an above-average season last year, finishing 23-11 overall, fifth in the SEC, and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Even with the success, it still left them wanting more -- the grind of the conference schedule wore them down, and the season they started with a roar finished with a whimper.

Scoring is something the 2004-05 Gamecocks might be short on, so Carlos Powell becomes all the more important. Powell has averaged just over 12 points the last two years, but he'll have to take it up a notch and become the floor leader South Carolina desperately needs. He can score from anywhere on the floor, and the team will need him to. Tre Kelley should be a quality point guard by the end of the season, so the backcourt isn't the problem. They're a little bit small in the middle. Brandon Wallace will see increased minutes in the paint, and he'll have to play bigger.

South Carolina will benefit from tough conference opponents and an tough out-of-conference schedule. If they win the games they're supposed to, they could sneak into the NCAA Tournament, but they should do no worse than an NIT bid.