Game Day Essentials:
South Carolina (2-1) vs. No. 16 Indiana (2-0)
- Tip Time: 3:00 p.m. Eastern
- Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222)
- Television: Peacock (Paul Burmeister, Robbie Hummel)
- Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
- Stream: Peacock
- Point Spread: Indiana is a 7.5 point favorite
- KenPom Projected Score: Indiana 74 South Carolina 68
- History: Indiana leads the series, 2-1.
- Last Meeting: IU 76, South Carolina 55 on Nov. 8, 1998 in Indianapolis
South Carolina’s Lamont Paris
Lamont Paris is in his third year as head coach of the South Carolina men’s basketball program. He was named the head coach of the Gamecocks in March of 2022.
Paris is one of college basketball’s best up-and-coming head coaches. Paris lead Chattanooga to a notable five year turnaround, capped off by a SoCon regular season and tournament championship in his final season. Chattanooga would appear in the NCAA tournament that season as well.
At South Carolina so far, Paris has also began an impressive turnaround for the program. In Paris’s first season, South Carolina went 11-21, with a 4-14 record in the SEC. However, last season was nothing short of impressive, as the Gamecocks finished 26-8 with a 13-5 record in the conference. The Gamecocks would also earn in a bid to the NCAA Tournament, and Paris would win the 2024 SEC Coach of the Year.
Paris played college basketball for the College of Wooster, and was a two time all-conference selection. After his playing career, Paris spent one season as an assistant at his alma mater. Paris then spent a season as an assistant at DePauw, and then moved to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and served as an assistant there. Paris would have a five-year tenure at Akron as well, before notably serving as an assistant at Wisconsin until 2017. In 2018, Paris got his first head coaching job at Chattanooga.
South Carolina’s results and roster:
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | RESULT |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11/4/2024 | North Florida | Columbia, S.C. | L 71-74 |
| 11/8/2024 | SC State | Columbia, S.C. | W 86-64 |
| 11/12/2024 | Towson | Columbia, S.C. | W 80-54 |
South Carolina retains one of their quality starters from last season with forward Collin Murray-Boyles. Murray-Boyles averaged 10.4 points per game last season, along with a team-leading 5.7 rebounds. Murray-Boyles was tabbed as a preseason All-SEC selection.
The Gamecocks also retain senior guard Jacobi Wright, who spent the majority of last season coming off the bench. Wright has averaged 16 points per game so far this season, and leads the team in assists.
Jamarii Thomas and Nick Pringle are expected to be impactful transfers for South Carolina this season. Thomas, who spent last season at Norfolk State, averaged 16.9 points per game and added on three assists for each contest. He was also tabbed as an MEAC All-Defensive team member. Pringle, who transferred in from Alabama prior to this season, averaged 5.2 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Crimson Tide in two seasons.
Game Notes (per Indiana Athletics):
• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako scored 49 points (24.5 points per game) in the first two
contests of the season for the Hoosiers, the most since James Blackmon Jr. scored 49 in a two-game
stretch at the beginning of the 2016-17 season. His career high of 31 points in the opener against SIUE (Nov.
6) marked the highest point total for a Hoosier season debut since Eric Gordon scored 33 points to open
his collegiate career in 2007.
• Fifth-year senior guard Trey Galloway has handed out 17 helpers in 35 minutes off the bench this season.
He is the NCAA leader in assists per game in a reserve role with 8.5 assists. Dug McDaniel (Kansas State) is
second with 6.0 per game and Kerr Kriisa (Kentucky) stands third at 5.7.
SERIES HISTORY
• The Hoosiers have won the last two matchups with the Gamecocks and hold a 2-1 series advantage. The two sides last met in Bloomington on Dec. 22, 1973, with Indiana prevailing by a count of 84-71.
• That top-15 matchup featured 10 players selected in the NBA Draft, including 1977 first overall pick Kent Benson (Indiana) and eight-time All-Star Alex English (South Carolina). Scott May (2nd overall), Quinn Buckner (7th overall), Bob Wilkerson (11th overall), and Brian Winters (12th overall) all went on to be selected in the first round of their respective draft.
South Carolina Game Notes (per South Carolina Athletics)
FABULOUS FRONTCOURT
- South Carolina held a 38-20 points in the paint edge in an 80-54 rout of Towson on its home floor Tuesday night. Preseason All-SEC selection Collin Murray-Boyles had 27 points and nine rebounds and Alabama grad transfer Nick Pringle had his first game in double-figures at Carolina with 15 points and nine rebounds. The duo scored 43 points and was a combined 15-of-20 (75.0%) from the floor. The Gamecocks shot 50.0 percent (26-of-52) overall as a team in the game to improve to 8-0 under head coach Lamont Paris the last two seasons when shooting above 50.0 percent as a team.
MR. WRIGHT SCORES CAREER-HIGH
- Senior guard Jacobi Wright had the best game of his four-year Gamecock tenure, scoring a career-high 20 points in helping the team to a 86-64 win over SC State (Nov. 8). He went 4-of-7 from downtown. Sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles had his third career double-double (first of the 2024-25 season) with 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. He was 7-of-8 from the floor.
MURRAY-BOYLES PRESEASON ALL-SEC
- Rising sophmore Collin Murray-Boyles was tabbed a Third Team Preseason All-SEC selection by both the media and the league’s head coaches. He’s the first Gamecock to earn preseason All-SEC recognition since AJ Lawson in 2020-21 when he was selected to the second team.
OG’s Pick:
Once again, I’ll keep track of my scoring predictions throughout Indiana’s season for fun.
This is the first pick that is going to be a tough one to call. Indiana hasn’t had the best of starts in their first two games, but South Carolina also dropped a buy game to North Florida at home. Even with that, though, both teams have had their solid moments. It’s challenging to pick a clear-cut winner, but for me, Indiana has an edge over the Gamecocks heading into this one.
PICK: Indiana 75 – South Carolina 67
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