DAWN STALEY REFUSES TO START TWO BEST PLAYERS!! SOUTH CAROLINA CONTINUES TO STRUGGLE!

South Carolina falls out of No. 1 spot in NET rankings

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley. Katie Dugan | GamecockCentral.com

South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley wasn’t happy on Sunday afternoon. The Gamecocks got smacked around by UConn by a score of 87-58, and Staley gave her team’s effort an “F” grade. The loss pushed Carolina down to No. 6 (from No. 4) in the AP poll on Monday.

South Carolina’s top 25 ranking hasn’t been as high as their standing in the NET rankings this season. For most of this year, the Gamecocks have been No. 1 in the NET.

Because of the lopsided loss to the Huskies, South Carolina has lost its stranglehold on the NET’s top spot. The good news for the Gamecocks, though, is that they didn’t fall far. The NET now ranks USC No. 2. The team that took the No. 1 ranking? The same UConn Huskies that knocked Carolina from the throne.

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).

Despite three losses, the NET still views South Carolina very favorably. The Gamecocks own one of the toughest overall strength of schedule metrics in the country. Because of that, there is an argument to make that USC still has the top resume in the country.

Carolina has the second-most Quad 1 wins in America (behind only Texas, a team that ranks third in the NET) and the most combined Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories. There will be more Quad 1 and Quad 2 opportunities down the stretch for Dawn Staley’s team to improve that resume even more.

South Carolina will look to bounce back this week. Two SEC teams, though, will be in the way of that pursuit. One game will be a Quad 3 contest, while the other will represent a Quad 1 opportunity.

First, the Gamecocks will face off against the Arkansas Razorbacks inside Colonial Life Arena. The home contest represents the second-to-last time South Carolina fans can watch the team at home during this regular season. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. on Thursday night. SEC Network will broadcast the conference tilt, while the ESPN app will stream the proceedings.

Then, South Carolina will hit the road for a showdown in Nashville against the Vanderbilt Commodores. The Sunday afternoon contest starts a two-game road trip. The Gamecocks and Commodores will tip off at 3:00 p.m. at Memorial Gymnasium. The game will not be on television but will stream on SEC Network+.