Coming off the winningest season in program history, the South Carolina men’s basketball team enters the 2016-17 season with high expectations, yet a tougher field of competition on their schedule.
The Gamecocks were a controversial snub by the NCAA Tournament Committee in March, missing out on the tournament largely in part to their weak non-conference schedule. To ensure this problem doesn’t occur again, this season’s non-conference schedule is filled with marquee matchups.
The November schedule for South Carolina is perhaps one of the most challenging in all of college basketball. Holy Cross and Monmouth make up two of the first three games. The Crusaders got hot late last season to win the Patriot League tournament, while Monmouth won 27 games before barely missing the NCAA Tournament.
Late November is headlined by matchups with Michigan and Syracuse, both of whom made the NCAA Tournament last season.
The remainder of the non-conference slate includes a home game against Clemson and a road matchup against Memphis. The Gamecocks were able to defeat both Tiger teams a year ago.
Frank Martin’s Gamecocks will also travel to New York for a neutral site battle against Seton Hall at Madison Square Garden in December.
Conference play opens up on Jan. 4 with an all-too-familiar opponent in the Georgia Bulldogs. The schedule only increases in difficulty from there, as South Carolina hosts Texas A&M in a nationally televised game by CBS on Jan. 7.
The remainder of conference play includes crucial home-and-home series with Florida, Georgia, Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Tennessee. Add to that a road matchup against Kentucky, and the conference slate presents an arduous task for the Gamecocks.
The road to March will be a grueling one for South Carolina. Let’s take a look at the Gamecocks' five biggest games for the upcoming 2016-17 season.
5. Jan. 7 vs. Texas A&M
South Carolina scored a huge win in College Station last season. That should be enough for Texas A&M to circle this date on the calendar, as the Aggies will be eyeing revenge. Center Tyler Davis gained preseason first team All-SEC honors and will likely make a run at SEC Player of the Year in his sophomore season. The loss of key leaders Alex Caruso, Danuel House and Jalen Jones leaves the Aggies with a scoring void to fill. Forward DJ Hogg will need to step up on the perimeter, and the Aggies need other players to help carry the load with only one starter returning. This early January game is essential to the Gamecocks starting off conference play on the right foot.
4. Feb. 4 vs. Georgia
Georgia gave South Carolina fits last season, beating the Gamecocks three times. Two of those losses came by two points or less but proved to be costly in the Gamecocks’ efforts to make the NCAA Tournament. This will be the second matchup between the two teams on the season and will be crucial regardless of the outcome of the first. J.J. Frazier, the SEC’s leading returning scorer, averaging 16.9 points per game a season ago, returns for Mark Fox’s Bulldogs. Yante Maten also returns for the Bulldogs, who lose guards Kenny Gaines and Charles Mann from last year’s team. South Carolina can’t afford to drop both games against Georgia again this season and would enjoy a sweep of their border rivals, making the final matchup between the two in Columbia even more important.
3. Feb. 18 at Vanderbilt
Despite having a head-to-head victory over Vanderbilt, South Carolina was passed over in favor of the Commodores for the NCAA Tournament field. Vanderbilt’s 7-foot-1 center Luke Kornet was a preseason second-team All-SEC selection, and his size could present a lot of problems for the Gamecocks. Kornet will be a large help in making up for the loss of Damian Jones. His defensive presence will be felt anytime he’s on the court, as he averaged an SEC-best three blocks per game last season. Guard Matthew Fisher-Davis and forward Jeff Roberson were excellent from 3-point range last season and should be able to stretch opposing defenses. Vanderbilt should be right in the thick of the SEC race when the Commodores host South Carolina. The Gamecocks need a win against Vanderbilt to help separate themselves from the pack come late February.
2. Nov. 26 vs. Syracuse (Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY)
The Orange made an unlikely run to the Final Four last season. Jim Boeheim’s team must replace several key leaders from a year ago as Michael Gbinije, Malachi Richardson and Trevor Cooney, the team’s three leading scorers, all departed over the offseason. Despite the scoring void, the Orange have possibly the most depth of any team in the ACC. Forward Tyler Lydon will be able to play more at the small forward position this season with the arrival of ESPN 100 recruit Taurean Thompson. Syracuse’s depth will challenge the young Gamecocks, and this neutral site matchup will be an early test of how good South Carolina can be this season.
1. Jan. 21 at Kentucky
Kentucky was once again deemed the favorite to win the conference during SEC media days and is stacked with talent as usual. John Calipari’s Wildcats reloaded after losing Tyler Ulis, Skal Labissiere and Jamal Murray to the NBA Draft, as four players were named to preseason All-SEC teams. Guard De’Aaron Fox is extremely athletic and will use his speed to break opposing defenses and spark fast-break opportunities. Alongside Fox is guard Isaiah Briscoe, who decided to remain in Lexington for his sophomore season. Briscoe’s experience leaves him as a leader of this young Wildcat team. Kentucky’s strength will likely be its defense, as the Wildcats led the SEC in blocks per game last season and are poised to do the same this year. The Gamecocks lost at home in a blowout to Kentucky last season and hope to avenge that loss with a road victory in January. If South Carolina can win this game, consider them serious contenders for the SEC regular season title.