USC to play in Mexico and Canada next season? Here’s what we know about the schedule
It’s been known for a while that South Carolina will head to Mexico for two men’s basketball games during the 2019-20 season. Apparently, the Gamecocks will head north of the border as well.
NJ Advance Media reported Wednesday that USC will face Rutgers on Nov. 16 in Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena. The game will be sponsored by the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. NJ.com’s James Kratch discovered the game through a Rutgers open records request. (When contacted Wednesday, a USC spokesperson couldn’t confirm the news.)
A trip north would be a homecoming for A.J. Lawson, Carolina’s rising sophomore guard who is currently testing the NBA draft waters. Lawson is a Toronto native who represented Canada during the FIBA U18 Americas Championship last summer.
Rutgers went 14-17 (7-13 Big 10) last season.
The SEC schedule has yet to be released, but here’s what we know about the Gamecocks’ 2019-20 non-conference slate:
Nov. 16 — Rutgers (in Toronto)
Nov. 19 — Boston University
Nov. 22 — Gardner-Webb
Nov. 26 — Wichita State (Cancun Challenge in Mexico)
Nov. 27 — West Virginia or Northern Iowa (Cancun Challenge in Mexico)
Dec. 18 — at Virginia
TBA — at Coastal Carolina
TBA — at Clemson
