Clemson vs. South Carolina: Rivalry Renewed in a Crucial December Clash
It’s that time of year again - when the calendar feels like it’s sprinting toward the holidays and college basketball quietly slips in a game that means far more than the timing might suggest. In the middle of bowl prep, final exams, and holiday travel plans, the annual Clemson vs. South Carolina men’s basketball showdown arrives with little fanfare, but make no mistake - this one always matters.
Tonight at Littlejohn Coliseum, Clemson (8-3) hosts South Carolina (7-3) in a rivalry that often defies the form book. Both teams come in with flaws to fix and questions to answer, but as history has shown, this matchup has a way of bringing out something extra - regardless of recent struggles.
Two Teams Searching for a Statement
Clemson is fresh off a narrow win over Mercer, a game that followed back-to-back losses to Alabama and BYU - two contests that easily could’ve gone the other way. For Brad Brownell’s squad, those games were opportunities to add to an NCAA Tournament résumé that already includes a couple of quality wins. But they also exposed areas that still need tightening.
On the other side, South Carolina barely got past The Citadel, a performance that left head coach Lamont Paris frustrated with his team’s focus. The Gamecocks are still hunting for a signature non-conference win - the kind the NCAA Tournament selection committee labels as a coveted Quad 1 victory. And with no more chances left on their non-conference slate, this is it.
So while it’s “just” a rivalry game on the calendar, the stakes are very real. Both teams are looking for more than bragging rights - they need a win that moves the needle.
Coaches Owning the Moment
Neither coach is sugarcoating the recent performances.
Paris was blunt after the Citadel game, calling out his team’s lack of readiness and admitting that the meaning of the rivalry might not fully register with a roster full of newcomers.
“I don’t know if it resonates with them as much,” Paris said. “We’ve got a lot of new guys… so we’ll play that up some.”
Still, Paris knows what this game can do for a team’s trajectory. Last season, in the middle of a disappointing 2-16 SEC campaign, South Carolina still managed to beat Clemson in a thriller - a 91-88 overtime win that saw Myles Stute, who struggled much of the year before being sidelined with blood clots, catch fire with five threes and 19 points.
That win made Paris 2-1 against Clemson during his time in Columbia - both victories coming at home, and both during seasons that didn’t end in March Madness. Ironically, it was Clemson who beat his lone NCAA Tournament team.
Brownell, meanwhile, took responsibility for the timing of the Mercer game, which came right after two tough road losses and during exam week - a stretch he admitted was mentally and physically taxing for his players.
Still, he knows what to expect tonight.
“Our games are almost always really close,” Brownell said. “They’re possession games and grinders, and you’ve got to really execute.”
Rivalry Energy Incoming
Clemson guard Dillon Hunter still remembers how last year’s game slipped away - and he’s not alone. The Tigers will have the home crowd behind them this time, and there’s little doubt that memory will fuel the effort.
“It’s always a tough game, the rivalry and stuff behind it,” Hunter said. “Last year we didn’t get it done.”
Expect a physical, emotional battle - the kind where every loose ball, every defensive rotation, and every late-game decision could swing the outcome. Both teams are still figuring out who they are, still working out the kinks. But this rivalry has a way of sharpening focus and turning December basketball into something that feels like March.
For two teams in need of a spark, tonight might be the ignition point.