The excitement for basketball season at the University of South Carolina is at an all-time high.
Not only is the women’s team coming off its first ever national championship, but South Carolina was the only school in the nation with both its teams advancing to the Final Four last season.
The SEC schedules for each team were released on Tuesday and Thursday, and both teams start their conference slates on Dec. 31. Dawn Staley’s squad will host Texas A&M at Colonial Life Arena, while Frank Martin and the Gamecock men will face Ole Miss on the road.
This will be the fourth straight season the women’s team opens the season at home. The Gamecocks begin the new year with back-to-back road games at Ole Miss and Missouri on Jan. 4 and Jan. 7, respectively.
A rematch of the women’s NCAA national title game comes on Feb. 5 at Mississippi State. The Gamecocks went 3-0 against the Bulldogs last season, including one win in the regular season, one win in the SEC Tournament and one win in Dallas for all the marbles.
For the men, the Florida Gators will be looking for a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight game when South Carolina visits Gainesville on Jan. 24. The Gamecocks went 2-1 against the Gators last season, earning a 77-70 victory at Madison Square Garden to make the first men's Final Four appearance in school history. The teams will face off again at Colonial Life Arena on Feb. 10.
According to GamecocksOnline, the seniors on the women’s team, including two-time SEC Player of the Year A’ja Wilson, will be honored in a pair of home games against Kentucky on Feb. 18 and LSU on Feb. 22. The men’s team’s Senior Night will be held on Feb. 28 against LSU.
As for SEC Tournaments, the women’s tournament returns to Nashville's Bridgestone Arena on Feb. 28. The men’s SEC Tournament will be played in St. Louis, Missouri, at the Scottrade Center from March 7-11.
Times and television schedules for all games will be released at a later date.
Men’s basketball SEC schedule:
Sun., December 31 at Ole Miss
Wed., January 3 Missouri
Sat., January 6 Vanderbilt
Tue., January 9 at Alabama
Sat., January 13 at Georgia
Tue., January 16 Kentucky
Sat., January 20 Tennessee
Wed, January 24 at Florida
Wed, January 31 Mississippi State
Sat., February 3 at Texas A&M
Tue., February 6 at Arkansas
Sat., February 10 Florida
Tue., February 13 at Tennessee
Sat., February 17 Auburn
Wed, February 21 Georgia
Sat., February 24 at Mississippi State
Wed, February 28 LSU
Sat., March 3 at Auburn
Women’s basketball SEC schedule:
Sun., Dec. 31, vs. Texas A&M
Thu., Jan. 4, at Ole Miss
Sun., Jan. 7, at Missouri
Thu., Jan. 11, vs. Auburn
Sun., Jan. 14, vs. Tennessee
Thu., Jan. 18, at Vanderbilt
Sun., Jan. 21, at Kentucky
Thu., Jan. 25, vs. Arkansas
Sun., Jan. 28, vs. Missouri
Mon., Feb. 5, at Mississippi State
Thu., Feb. 8, at Alabama
Sun., Feb. 11, vs. Florida
Thu., Feb. 15, at Georgia
Sun., Feb. 18, vs. Kentucky
Thu., Feb. 22, vs. LSU
Sun., Feb. 25 at Tennessee