South Carolina’s rebuilt men’s basketball roster wasted little time showing what it can do.
In the Gamecocks’ season opener Tuesday at Colonial Life Arena, Juan Fernandez scored 20 points and Cam Heide added 13 in an 81-55 win over Stetson. After a 13-19 season a year ago, Lamont Paris turned over almost the entire roster, and the new faces immediately carried the load.
Fernandez, one of the biggest additions Paris brought in, looked the part. The Argentine-born forward spent the previous two years in Spain’s professional league, and South Carolina kept feeding him inside as he mixed in a range of post moves. Heide, a final-year transfer from Purdue and Texas, brought the energy and athletic pop, finishing with several dunks, including a one-handed fast-break slam.
The Gamecocks were in control early and never let go, taking a 42-25 lead into halftime and building the margin to as many as 33 points.
South Carolina got balanced production across the board, with four players reaching double figures. Duquesne transfer Jakub Nečas scored 11, and Wisconsin transfer Aleksas Bieliauskas finished with 10 to go with Fernandez and Heide.
That kind of spread-out scoring is part of the plan. Paris has said this team could have a different leading scorer on any given night, and Tuesday backed that up.
The size advantage was hard to miss, too. South Carolina started three players listed at 6-foot-10 or taller: Nečas at 6-10, Fernandez at 6-11 and Bieliauskas at 6-11.
That length showed up on the glass and around the rim. USC outrebounded Stetson 33-20, and more than half of South Carolina’s points came in the paint.
Stetson, meanwhile, was playing its second game in two nights after losing 85-72 at Clemson on Monday. The Hatters are in the middle of a brutal opening stretch, with three games in five days against Power 4 opponents. Collin Kuhl led Stetson with 17 points, and the Hatters head to West Virginia on Friday.
South Carolina also got an unexpected boost off the bench from Eli Sparkman. The fifth-year senior knocked down two first-half 3-pointers while Marcus Johnson and Grant Polk were out.
Johnson was sidelined after taking an elbow in practice last week, and Polk is expected to miss time until next month. Sparkman matched his career high with six points, the same total he posted in a 2023 SEC Tournament game against Mississippi State.
He played just 42 minutes last season and also scored six points.
South Carolina now turns to a busy early schedule that continues Nov. 8 against SE Missouri State, followed by St. Peter’s on Nov.
11, Gardner-Webb on Nov. 14, Elon on Nov. 18 and Southern Cal on Nov. 25 in Palm Springs, Calif.
In Other News...
Kendal Briles Is Creating A South Carolina Question Fans Didn't Want
Kendal Briles has given South Carolina exactly the kind of offensive lift the program hoped for, with the Gamecocks putting together strong performances and even turning in a notable showing against Oklahoma. For a team trying to keep momentum rolling, that kind of production has only sharpened the spotlight on Briles and what he has brought to Shane Beamers staff.
Naturally, the success has led to the kind of outside chatter fans would rather not hear this time of year, with other schools potentially taking a look at him for future openings. Briles and Beamer have both tried to keep the focus where it belongs, on the current season and the push to keep winning, with South Carolina still chasing a bowl berth and Briles staying locked into his role for now. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Fans Just Got A Clear CFP Message From The Committee
The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season offered a familiar reminder for South Carolina fans watching the race from the outside: the committee is not simply mirroring the AP poll. Instead, it leaned heavily toward the SEC, elevating teams from the conference even when some of them already had two losses, while undefeated teams from other leagues were left behind.
For a program like South Carolina, that matters because it shows the kind of rsum the committee values most in November. Committee chairman Mack Rhoades pointed to the absence of signature wins for teams such as Notre Dame as a reason they landed lower, which only reinforced the message that quality of schedule and quality of wins can outweigh a spotless record when the bracket starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Fans Need To Know This Before Texas A&M Homecoming
Homecoming at Williams-Brice Stadium will have a different feel this time, with South Carolina set to host Texas A&M in a 3:03 p.m. kickoff. To help smooth out the arrival process after previous delays, gates will open two hours before kickoff, giving fans a little more breathing room before the stadium fills up for one of the seasons marquee weekends.
There will be more than just football on the agenda, too. The game day plan includes additional fan experiences and events, from a Hall of Fame induction to limited-edition merchandise sales, giving the afternoon a fuller Homecoming atmosphere around the matchup. For fans headed in early, the extra time should make it easier to take in everything packed into the day. [Read more 🡒]