South Carolina puts NCAA hopes on line in SEC tournament

South Carolina understands what’s at stake this week in the Southeastern Conference tournament.

The Gamecocks (32-24, 13-17 SEC) head into their first-round game Tuesday with Missouri (29-26, 15-15) at Hoover, Alabama, knowing they need a productive week to earn a 16th straight NCAA Tournament bid.

South Carolina isn’t the only SEC team with much at stake.

LSU already likely has sealed one of the eight national seeds in the NCAA Tournament and is chasing its third consecutive SEC tournament crown. Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Florida also are seeking national seeds.

Other teams have joined South Carolina on the NCAA bubble.

Tuesday’s single-elimination games feature Ole Miss facing Alabama, Kentucky meeting Auburn and Arkansas battling Tennessee plus the South Carolina-Missouri matchup. Winners advance to the double-elimination portion of the tournament.