Gamecocks host UNF on opening night Monday – University of South Carolina Athletics

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina begins the 2024-25 season Monday night at Colonial Life Arena in North Florida. Meeting time is set for 7:00 p.m. ET, with doors opening one hour prior.

Head coach Lamont Paris, the reigning SEC Coach of the Year, is 2-0 all-time in the season opener at South Carolina.

Expectations are high for the Gamecocks this season as the team is fresh off a record-setting 2023-24 season that culminated with a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. The team welcomes back six letterwinners who were key contributors to last season’s squad.

Second-year forward and preseason All-SEC selection Collin Murray-Boyles leads the returning group as he averaged 10.4 points per game and a season-best 5.7 rebounds per game in the 2023-24 season Team scored. Guards Myles Stute (8.9 ppg), Jacobi Wright (5.9 ppg) and Zachary Davis (5.9 ppg) are also all back for the Gamecocks. Stute and Davis each started 17 games for Carolina last season.

Paris and his staff helped bolster the roster in the offseason with three transfer additions and four-star freshman Cam Scott, a local product coming out of Lexington High School. Scott, a two-time South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, finished his prep career as Lexington’s all-time leading scorer (2,475 career points). In his final season, he averaged 22.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.5 assists per game.

The team also added three transfers: forward Jordan Butler (Missouri), forward Nick Pringle (Alabama) and defenseman Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State). Butler played in 31 games and made 14 starts for Missouri in his first season in 2023-24. The 7-footer is expected to stretch the floor with his ability to shoot from behind the arc. Pringle played two seasons at Alabama and helped the team to its first Final Four in school history last season. He averaged 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Crimson Tide in the 2023-24 season. Pringle had 16 points and 11 rebounds in Alabama’s Elite Eight win over Clemson. In his only season at Norfolk State in 2023-24, Thomas was the MEAC Player of the Year, averaging 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

This year’s South Carolina roster features eight players from the Palmetto State. It is the most players on the roster since Dave Odom’s first season in 2001/02 (also eight). Under head coach Eddie Fogler, the Gamecocks had nine players from the Palmetto State on the roster in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and 10 players from South Carolina on the team in 1998-99.

Season tickets are still available and further information can be found here Here. Single game tickets are now also available and can be purchased Here.

GAME INFORMATION

TIME: 7:00 p.m. (ET), doors open at 6:00 p.m

VENUE: Colonial life arena

TV: SEC Network+

MATCH-BY-MATCH: Dave Weinstein

ANALYST: John Williams

RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network

IN COLOMBIA: 107.5 The Game

MATCH BY MATCH: Derek Scott

ANALYST: Casey Manning

SIRIUSXM: 385 | SXM APP: 975

REGARD: ESPN.com/watch/

LIVE STATS: GamecocksOnline.com

SERIES: SC leads 1-0

in COLOMBIA: SC leads 1-0

SERIES TREND: The Gamecocks have an 86-30 all-time record in season openers and 2-0 under head coach Lamont Paris.

LAST MEETING: 81-56 Gamecock win at CLA in season opener of 2014-15 season. Of the 11 Carolina players participating, six scored eight or more points for the Gamecocks.

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