USC basketball releases non-conference schedule, confirms challenging slate
The non-conference portion of South Carolina’s 2018-19 basketball schedule is officially set.
USC released the final details Tuesday, confirming an intriguing slate that has the Gamecocks taking on Frank Martin’s son as well as four 2018 NCAA Tournament participants – Providence, Michigan, Virginia and Clemson – outside of SEC play.
Throw in the league opponents and Carolina faces 12 Big Dance teams from last year, including Texas A&M, Tennessee and Missouri twice. There’s a chance, too, that USC could get Michigan, national runners-up in 2018, twice before Christmas as both the Gamecocks and Wolverines are entered in the Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament in Connecticut. USC beat Michigan in November 2016, the last matchup between the two programs.
Previous Martin teams never faced more than seven opponents in the regular season that appeared in the Big Dance the year before.
“Based on our successful run, we have been able to attract big-time non-conference opponents to our schedule,” Martin said. “Playing at Michigan is going to be an incredible challenge, as will playing against Providence at the Mohegan Sun event (in Connecticut) and traveling to Wyoming. When you also include home games against Clemson and Virginia, the SEC/Big 12 Challenge contest at Oklahoma State in January, along with our other matchups, it is probably the most challenging non-conference schedule that we have put together in my time at South Carolina. This will prepare us like no other year for conference play.”
The Gamecocks open the season Nov. 6 at home against USC Upstate. Upstate features freshman Brandon Martin, Frank Martin’s son. They begin a home-and-home series with Virginia, last year’s No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, on Dec. 19. They host archrival Clemson three days later.
USC’s annual participation in the Big 12/SEC Challenge takes it to Oklahoma State on Jan. 26.
Though opponents are known, times and dates for South Carolina’s SEC schedule have yet to be released.
South Carolina 2018-19 basketball schedule
Oct. 26 – Augusta University (exhibition)
Nov. 6 – USC Upstate
Nov. 9 – Stony Brook (Hall of Fame Tip-Off)
Nov. 13 – Norfolk State (Hall of Fame Tip-Off)
Nov. 17 – vs. Providence ( Hall of Fame Tip-Off in Connecticut)
Nov. 18 –vs. Michigan OR George Washington ( Hall of Fame Tip-Off in Connecticut)
Nov. 26 – Wofford
Nov. 30 – Coastal Carolina
Dec. 5 – at Wyoming
Dec. 8 – at Michigan
Dec. 19 – Virginia
Dec. 22 – Clemson
Dec. 31 – North Greenville
Jan. 26 – at Oklahoma State
TBA – Georgia
TBA – Mississippi State
TBA – Tennessee
TBA – Missouri
TBA – Texas A&M
TBA – Alabama
TBA – Arkansas
TBA – Auburn
TBA – Ole Miss
TBA – at Georgia
TBA – at Mississippi State
TBA – at Tennessee
TBA – at Missouri
TBA – at Texas A&M
TBA – at Florida
TBA – at Kentucky
TBA – at LSU
TBA – at Vanderbilt
This story was originally published August 14, 2018 at 11:13 AM.