Ouch. It's what can make the NIT interesting. Some teams on that NCAA Tournament bubble who don't get selected, whether right or wrong, will use that as motivation to prove themselves while others will emotionally check out and go down quietly.
Unfortunately for South Carolina, they chose the latter route. Granted I think they could have gotten in to the NCAA Tourney before Tulsa and Vanderbilt, but they didn't help themselves out slumping down the stretch; and quite a few of those of the bad loss variety.