College Basketball Bubble Watch: Wisconsin Badgers already in danger?

LAS VEGAS, NV - MARCH 07: Head coach Randy Bennett of the Saint Mary's Gaels reacts during the championship game of the West Coast Conference Basketball Tournament against the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the Orleans Arena on March 7, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) /

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SPARTANBURG, SC – NOVEMBER 10: Frank Martin head coach University of South Carolina Gamecocks watches from the sideline on opening night at Richardson Indoor Stadium, Friday, November 10, 2017, in Spartanburg, South Carolina. (Photo by David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

South Carolina Gamecocks

The Gamecocks lost a ton of production from last year’s Final Four squad, and find themselves squarely on the bubble in the early going.

With stars Sindarius Thornwell, PJ Dozier and Duane Notice all gone, a young South Carolina team is off to a 5-1 start, albeit against a weak schedule. South Carolina’s best win is against Western Michigan, which ranks No. 145 in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency ratings , and the Gamecocks suffered a setback with a 69-65 loss to Illinois State on Nov. 16 in the first round of the Puerto Rico Tip-off.

Monday’s contest against lowly Florida International got off to a disastrous start before the Gamecocks rallied in the second half for a 17-point win. With the SEC looking like one of the strongest conferences in college basketball, South Carolina can’t afford too many losses in its nonconference slate.

Frank Martin is still figuring out his rotations with a young team, as returning forward Chris Sliva has been the Gamecocks most productive player with 11 points and eight rebounds per contest. Florida Atlantic transfer Frank Booker also looks like a nice pickup, and the Gamecocks have high hopes for freshman forward Justin Minaya.

Thursday night will provide a huge opportunity for the Gamecocks with a game against fellow bubble team Temple at Madison Square Garden. The Gamecocks will then return home on Saturday to face UMass, and cannot afford a loss to the struggling Minutemen.