South Carolina men’s basketball now has the framework for its 2026-27 SEC slate.
The Southeastern Conference released the dates for Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks’ league schedule on Monday, following an earlier announcement of conference opponents for the upcoming season. South Carolina opens SEC play on Jan. 2 with a road trip to LSU, then gets its first home conference game either Jan. 5 or 6 against Arkansas.
The regular-season finish comes March 6 at Georgia.
South Carolina will see Georgia, Mississippi State and Tennessee both at home and on the road during conference play. Tip times and television assignments will be announced later.
The Gamecocks are entering the season after a 13-19 campaign and a roster reset that has already reshaped the team. Twelve players left through graduation or transfers, and South Carolina brought in 12 newcomers this offseason.
Five of those additions are listed with international hometowns: Jakub Necas from the Czech Republic, Mathias Alessanco from Brazil, Hugo Lopez from Spain, Juan Fernández from Argentina and Aleksas Bieliauskas from Lithuania. The rest of the incoming group includes Davion Hannah of Alabama, Shane Blakeney of Drexel, Camden Heide of Texas and Kory Mincy of George Mason.
South Carolina’s nonconference schedule also includes a handful of notable dates. The Gamecocks will play at the Acrisure Series in Palm Springs, Calif., with that game still listed as TBA. They visit NC State on Dec. 1, face Maryland on Dec. 19 at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore and have a TBA home game against Clemson.
South Carolina Men’s Basketball Schedule
Non-Conference
TBA at Acrisure Series in Palm Springs, Calif.
Dec. 1 at NC State
Dec. 19 vs. Maryland at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore
TBA vs. Clemson
SEC Schedule
Jan. 2 at LSU
Jan. 5 or 6 vs Arkansas
Jan. 9 vs. Texas A&M
Jan. 12 or 13 at Vanderbilt
Jan. 16 at Missouri
Jan. 19 or 20 vs. Alabama
Jan. 23 at Mississippi State
Jan. 26 or 27 vs. Texas
Jan. 30 at Oklahoma
Feb. 2 or 3 at Florida
Feb. 6 vs. Georgia
Feb. 9 or 10 at Kentucky
Feb. 13 vs. Auburn
Feb. 20 vs. Ole Miss
Feb. 23 at Tennessee
Feb. 27 vs. Mississippi State
March 2 or 3 vs. Florida
March 6 at Georgia
In Other News...
Darius Rucker Just Teased A Massive Final Gamecocks Moment
Darius Rucker has never been shy about his South Carolina roots, and the latest reminder came in a July 17 interview when the Hootie & the Blowfish frontman talked about what the next chapter of his career could look like. The University of South Carolina alumnus said he is thinking about retirement in about two years, with a possible final Hootie tour before that, a timeline that immediately put Gamecocks fans on alert.
What makes the idea even more intriguing is the setting. Williams-Brice Stadium is in the middle of a $350 million renovation that is expected to be finished around the same time Rucker might be ready to step away, and he also tossed out a bold prediction that South Carolina will someday win its first football national championship. For a fan base always looking for a reason to dream, the timing alone gives the whole thing a little extra juice. [Read more 🡒]
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What makes the conversation around Harbor interesting is how he sees his own growth. He and teammates discussed his development at SEC Media Days, and the message was less about raw speed than becoming a more complete threat in the offense. South Carolina has long known what he can do on the outside, but the question now is how much more he can add as he settles into a larger role and tries to make his final season feel like the one where everything comes together. [Read more 🡒]