Horn's reaction
Darrin Horn said he was “obviously disappointed” not to get selected to the NCAA tournament. He invoked seniors Zam Fredrick and Branden Conrad, who won’t have another shot.
“This team has accomplished a whole lot this year, and I think it exceeded a lot of expectations,” Horn said. “The history would tell you that if you’re 10-6 in the SEC and divisional co-champ, there is great possibility that you will play in the tournament. And that just wasn’t the case this year.”
The team watched the selection show together at Horn’s house. Asked if there was a sense of surprise, Horn said it was “hard to say.”
Horn appeared to think that the SEC’s perceived weakness was the biggest factor, pointing to the low seeds for the other league teams: LSU at 8, Tennessee at 9, Mississippi State at 13.
“Those are pretty intriguing numbers,” Horn said.
Along those lines, Horn returned to the theme of the SEC not having a dominant team. He cited Maryland, which received an at-large bid despite being 7-9 in the ACC, but got credit for beating top teams like North Carolina and Wake Forest.
As for his nonconference schedule, Horn said he didn’t think it was a huge factor, but he would still try to beef it up next year. But Horn made it sound like he would’ve done that anyway because it would be his second year, his system would be established, and most of the team is expected back.
As for the NIT, Horn said he “hoped” to host at least one game. He talked about the upshot of this being that the team can still play basketball.
15 Comments to “Horn's reaction”
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State newspaper sports writer Seth Emerson blogs on University of South Carolina basketball and baseball.
Arizona, Michigan, Maryland are among the worst teams in the draw, but they all have name appeal. In the end, that was the difference, IMO.
Frankly, I think that all the Big 10 teams are crap and the ACC is a bit overrated, but we’ll see how it plays out.
Carolina gets to face two of the mighty mites, maybe, that the talking heads said were so much better. I think the Gamecocks will thrash Davidson and St. Mary’s if they are interested at all.
But maybe not, I guess we’ll see.
I think it is sad that a major conference has multiple teams with 10 conference wins left out and I think it is largely an overreaction against teams that defied the status quo.
I don’t think it would have happened to teams with Florida and Kentucky on the front of their jerseys as the same tV interetest would have moved mountians for them as they did with Maryland, Michigan, and Zona.
Quit your whining!
Did you even believe we would have progress this far so soon….I’ll take the NIT just for the experience.
ACC overrated????
WTH? Did we beat the only ACC team we faced this year?
btw that team beat a #2 seeded team and lost to a team under .500…I guess the league is overrated.
Honestly, South Carolina probably didn’t deserve the bid as it had the opportunity to play itself in and did not do it. I mean that, too. If Carolina wins another game down the stretch, it probably makes it, but given how desperately the SEC was downplayed for its weak November, maybe that isn’t the case. who knows for sure?
The only think about it is that this sems to have been the latest triumph of the RPI and the group think that has evolved around it.
The idea that playing a “difficult” schedule, of and by itself, makes a team better than another has come into full ascendancy.
In baseball season, this typically means that the SEC will have stronger RPIs than justified and it will be to Carolina’s advantate.
In basketball season there are conference clusters of RPI. For instance, the Big 10, despite being full of not particularly good at all basketball teams has numerous teams ranked around each other in the RPI, because they all play each other. Similarly so the ACC…
The RPI and the strength of schedule is one that is someone’s assumption or argument that got made into a computer formula and accepted as valid. But logically, you know that the record of one’s opponents has very little to do with the quality of one’s team.
But computer geeks have tried to commit to math a formula to make the old idea that who you beat is more important that how many you win.
And they’ve come up with a verious dubious method of objectifying their dubious argument.
But the NCAA is on board…so I guess that’s all that matters.
This is an opinion I hold independent of Carolina. It is just as stupid when it determines the BCS, though of course since the NCAA tournament is bigger the stakes are much lower for leaving out a team that has no chance of winning the title.
If I thought the ACC was as good as its billing this year, I wouldn’t have a problem admitting it, but unfortunately Wake flattened out, Duke looks merely pretty good and UNC looks to me like it is a step below special.
that’s just a basketball fan’s stomach though. I’m usually one to tout the ACC more than most folks, but when a leonard Hamilton coached teams is one of your best squads…I’m just not into it.
The Big East from what I’ve watched of them this year, ought to have a big tournament. They were deserving of the press they got because they are full of good hard nosed teams.
Now watch the ACC rack up and the big east lay an egg…
VB, I think you touched on my argument in your last paragraph at 11:26. I think. But first, you argue some teams have higher RPIs because they play teams in-conf perceived to be better, while no less than the commish of the SEC said it was his personal goal to reward teams for playing, and doing well, against strong out-of-conf teams on neutral courts or at their place. Anyway, does it make any less sense for middle of the road ACC and Big Ten teams to be invited to the NCAAs than for a very bad USC FB team to go to a very good bowl game because they flailed along in a good conference?
Gamecocks in the NIT? Actually, it’s a chance for USC to win three NIT titles in five years. Sounds good to me.
This is the best thing that could possibly happen to USC, IF, it encourages Downey to stay one more year.
This was an excellent year for our basketball team! Horn said it wasn’t one of his immediate goals for get a bid, heck…he didn’t say it was an immediate goal to co-win the SEC East but there you are! This group of guys has done a lot.
I believe Downey has continually said he’ll be back next year, but you never know, that’s all subject to change!
GO COCKS!
We had our chance to prove we deserved a bid, but faltered. So, we have no one to blame but ourselves. With that said, I’m really encouraged about our BB team with Coach Horn. There is nothing but ‘blue sky’ ahead for the program. Go Gamecocks!
I’ll take this year ANYDAY over Odom’s reign.
Atleast this team knows the steps necessary for next year.
It was a good year for Carolina basketball. Nobody expected them to be in the running for an NCAA spot when the season started. The team is way more exciting than it’s been in years and looks like they can use this season as a stepping stone instead of a peak season. Downey should stay because it won’t hurt his stock at all and can only help his future basketball career.
How can anyone be pleased with this? This is the same level as Odom’s, the NIT and be Happy! Coach Horn never changed his game plan regardless of opponent and it cost us. He needs someone who can coach big men inside.
The basketball team tanked down the stretch, just like the football team did. Maybe the baseball team can bail the Gamecock nation out. But, Tanner looks like he has his hands full this year.
When does women’s volleyball start?
Cockstrong??? Did you get that name from your boyfriend????