No. 17 South Carolina hosts No. 4 Tennessee: How to watch, what’s at stake tonight
South Carolina will have to repeat an upset they pulled back in January to take the next step toward a regular season crown. It’s against the only team in the SEC’s current top 6 that USC plays twice: Tennessee.
The final home game of the regular season it set up to be the most important game of the year.
Here’s what you should know ahead of No. 17 South Carolina’s home finale against No. 4 Tennessee.
What channel is the South Carolina game on?
Who: No. 17 South Carolina (24-5, 12-4 SEC) vs. No. 4 Tennessee (23-6, 13-3 SEC)
When: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
Where: Colonial Life Arena (18,000) in Columbia, S.C.
TV Network: ESPN2 (Tom Hart, pxp; Jimmy Dykes, analyst)
Stream: ESPN app and ESPN.com
Radio: 107.5 FM in the Columbia area … See all the radio affiliates around South Carolina here.
Satellite Radio: Sirius XM Channel 84
Series History: Tennessee leads the all-time series, 52-29. South Carolina won the previous meeting between the two programs on Jan. 30, taking down the Vols 63-59 in Knoxville. Tennessee has the all-time lead in Colonial Life Arena as well, currently at 19-17.
Top storylines of the game
- Vying for the crown: Wednesday’s matchup is a true bout for the SEC regular-season title. With the Gamecocks just one game back from current leader Tennessee, a USC victory would guarantee a top four seed in the conference tournament and give the Gamecocks a chance for a share of the regular-season crown. If the Vols win Wednesday, then USC would be two games behind Tennessee with one to play and unable to win the SEC regular season. Following Alabama’s loss to Florida on Tuesday night, Tennessee will win the SEC title by beating USC on Wednesday.
- SEC Co-Players of the Week battle it out: USC guard Meechie Johnson and Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht both received SEC Player of the Week honors heading into this week’s matchup. Knecht is averaging 20.1 points per game, making him the most prolific scorer in the SEC. Johnson’s averaging 14.2 points per game and has back-to-back games scoring 22 or more points.
- Senior night celebrations: This matchup is the final home game of the season, and USC will honor its senior class, including one-year transfers BJ Mack, Ta’Lon Cooper and Stephen Clark.
Point spread for the game
FanDuel lists Tennessee as a 5.5-point favorite over South Carolina.
Next South Carolina games
- Wednesday vs. No. 4 Tennessee, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Saturday at Mississippi State, 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
- March 13-17 at SEC Tournament in Nashville (various channels)
This story was originally published March 6, 2024 at 7:00 AM.
