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NCAA mistakenly called South Carolina with tournament invitation
South Carolina was so close to making the NCAA tournament that the team believed for a brief time on Selection Sunday that it was part of the 68-team field.
South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner told WISTV in South Carolina that NCAA officials told the them it was a part of the NCAA tournament at 6:30 p.m.
One problem: the Gamecocks weren't officially part of the tournament.
Oops.
The invitation was a mistake and an official notified South Carolina approximately 10 minutes later to inform the Gamecocks of the error and let the team know it would not be participating. The news of the mistake was first reported by NOLA.com Thursday morning.
"Unfortunately, during the selection show a junior men’s basketball staff member mistakenly sent a text to a member of the University of South Carolina athletics department staff via an app we used for the first time during the 2016 tournament," NCAA vice president Dan Gavitt said in a statement. "The text was supposed to go to all teams, congratulating them for making the tournament. Regrettably, a text meant for another institution went to South Carolina instead.
"While the Gamecocks were given serious consideration, at no time during the selection process was South Carolina voted into the field. Ultimately, they were one of the last four teams left out of the tournament. I take full responsibility for this clerical error and apologize to Coach [Frank] Martin, his staff and team and the entire University of South Carolina community."
While South Carolina didn't get in, one of the final teams in the tournament was fellow SEC member Vanderbilt. The Commodores lost to Wichita State by 20 points in a First Four game and the Shockers went on to upset Arizona in the round of 64. Another USC, the University of Southern California, was also a member of the tournament. Perhaps there was USC confusion on the app.
The mistaken invitation meant an extension of what's now a 12-year absence from the NCAA tournament for South Carolina. The Gamecocks last made the tournament in 2004. That season South Carolina was a No. 10 seed and lost to No. 7 Memphis in the first round. After missing out on the NCAA tournament, South Carolina went to the NIT and lost in the second round to Georgia Tech.
Despite the tournament miss, South Carolina's board of trustees is meeting on Friday and is expected to approve a contract extension for Martin.
Martin has a record of 70-62 in four seasons at South Carolina and has improved the team's SEC record in every season.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
