Gamecocks Ranked 20th in New AP/Coaches Poll

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (21-5 overall, 9-4 SEC) moved to No. 20 in both the AP Top-25 and USA Today Coaches Poll on Monday. The Gamecocks are off during the midweek and will return to conference action on the road Saturday afternoon at Ole Miss (19-6, 6-6 SEC).

Carolina dropped a pair of games last week for the first time all season. Prior to that, the team won seven-straight SEC games, the team’s longest win streak in SEC play since starting the conference slate 11-0 during the 1996-97 season.

The win streak featured a pair of top-10 wins over then No. 6/6 Kentucky (Jan. 23) and No. 5/5 Tennessee (Jan. 30). The victories came in a three-game stretch, marking the first time the program recorded top-10 wins in a three-game span since 1968, per Elias Sports Bureau. The Gamecocks 63-59 win in Knoxville was just the fourth true road win this season over a top-five opponent (Arizona, James Madison and Clemson also on the list). It was the first top-five road win by the Gamecocks since defeating No. 3 Kentucky on March 2, 1997 at Rupp Arena.

This year’s squad recorded just the third 21-3 or better start in program history (2015-16, 1969-70 the others).

Carolina is 7-3 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games this season and has four wins against teams currently ranked in the top-60 of the NET Rankings (No. 6 Tennessee, No. 22 Kentucky, No. 38 Mississippi State, No. 48 Grand Canyon).

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