South Carolina beats Coker in meaningless game

South Carolina played a meaningless basketball game on Sunday afternoon.  There was a zero percent chance that the game would result in anything other than a USC win, and the game didn't even count for most purposes.

Let's take on that last point first.  This game, in reality, doesn't count.  No one will give the Gamecocks even a bit of more credit when evaluating their season because they won this game.  That includes the RPI.  Despite some fans worrying that this game would kill Carolina in the RPI, it's just the opposite - the RPI doesn't even consider this a game.  Hell, Coker never considered this a real game.

And that's why Coker was on the schedule.  If the Gamecocks scheduled an in-state Division I team like S.C. State, they'd be saddled with the RPI drag that the Bulldogs would put on the Gamecocks' rating.  Instead, by playing an in-state team that doesn't even count, Carolina doesn't take the hit in RPI, and still racks up the easy win, not to mention the revenues, ticket sales, and concessions from the Sunday afternoon game.

So, with that knowledge, Carolina had two goals on Sunday - try to get better, and try not to get hurt.  I'm not sure they accomplished the former, but they did successfully navigate the game without anyone picking up a serious injury.  Mission accomplished, as it were.

South Carolina won their exhibition game over Coker 78-52.