The South Carolina men’s basketball team has played in eight games between when classes ended on Dec. 5 and Monday, Jan. 12. The team wrapped up its non-conference slate and is now three games into conference play in the SEC.
The Gamecocks had four wins and finished up with a 9-4 record to finish non-conference play.
In December, South Carolina defeated Stetson, The Citadel, South Carolina State and Albany with an average lead of 25 points across these four wins in the month of December.
Redshirt senior Meechie Johnson led the Gamecocks throughout the four-game stretch, scoring in double figures three times. He poured in 19 points against The Citadel to become the 48th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points.
Johnson also added 17 points and five assists against Stetson.
Graduate guard Myles Stute also provided efficient scoring upon returning from injury on Dec. 6. He scored a season-high 15 points with a team-high seven rebounds against South Carolina State. He also added 12 points and three three-pointers against Albany.
On Dec. 16, South Carolina fell to its rival Clemson in a 68-61 final on the road at Littlejohn Coliseum. The shots simply were not falling for South Carolina with a 15.38% figure from deep, as the Tigers shot well beyond the arc with a 35.71% figure from deep.
The 14 turnovers from this game allowed the Tigers to gain easy shooting opportunities and score 16 points from their turnovers.
Freshman guard Eli Ellis was absent on the court due to a left ankle sprain against Clemson. Ellis’ leave left a noticeable gap in the rotation as he has been a consistent contributor for the Gamecocks this season, averaging 28.1 minutes per game.
Head coach Lamont Paris spoke after the game about Ellis’ absence, discussing how it impacted overall team production and on-court balance.
“We have relied on some points from the bench. A lot of that is Eli, not only with what he scores, but he also gets a few assists every game,” Paris said. “Then he generates offense with his penetration and creates shots for others.”
After the loss and a few games later, several players were asked about their mindset heading into the conference league.
“There are several seasons to a season,” freshman forward Hayden Assemian said. “Just getting more prepared every practice, every game.”
Johnson is a strong voice of authority on the team and as a veteran he spoke with confidence going into conference play.
“It is the best conference in the country, I believe,” Johnson said. “So you just got to take it one day at a time and continue to grow off each and every game.”
South Carolina faced No. 11 Vanderbilt to open SEC play on Jan. 3, falling 83–71. Junior forward Elijah Strong had a strong showing off the bench in his first career SEC game. Strong had a 50% shooting percentage and scored a team-high 17 points.
After the tough loss to the Commodores, Strong spoke on how the team needs to enhance its skills.
“We did everything we could,” Strong said. “But there is definitely improvement to be had.”
The Gamecocks then went on the road to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to face LSU and defeated the Tigers 78-68. South Carolina had a first-half lead of 25 points. Strong finished with a career-high 30 points in 25 minutes against the Tigers.
Paris said that Strong was naturally gifted in his way of scoring and the ways he generates that offense.
"He has a good feel for what to do and when,” Paris said. “So that’s where his gifts are."
Johnson and Ellis both scored in double figures for the Gamecocks behind Strong. Johnson hit three 3-pointers, went eight-of-10 from the free-throw line and added a team-high six assists.Ellis also provided a key late boost, hitting a 3-pointer to take the lead against the Tigers.
To round out games over the break period, South Carolina suffered a tough loss to No. 18 Georgia 75-70. The Gamecocks went into halftime with a 6-point lead but fell short to the Bulldogs with poor execution to end the game, making only three field goals in the last six minutes.
"There was a stretch while we weren't scoring while they were," Paris said.
Despite the loss, redshirt senior guard Kobe Knox played well, tallying his first career double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
With conference play now underway, the Gamecocks seem to be finding their footing early in conference competition. Despite facing two tough ranked opponents in the first three games of conference play, the bounce back win at LSU is a comforting sign of resilience with plenty of season left.
What's Next?
The South Carolina men’s basketball team (10-6, 1-2 SEC) will visit the Arkansas Razorbacks (12-4, 2-1 SEC) on Jan. 14. Tipoff is set for 9 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on the SEC Network.