Lamont Paris schedules unique opponent for South Carolina’s exhibition: his alma mater
South Carolina will host an exhibition with The College of Wooster, the alma mater of head coach Lamont Paris, on Oct. 30.
Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena and admission is free, the school announced Wednesday. The news completes the Gamecocks’ 2024-25 schedule, which was only lacking an exhibition game.
“I’m really excited to bring Wooster to Columbia for an exhibition game,” Paris said in a news release announcing the game. “I hope that this opportunity will not only lay the foundation for an outstanding season, but will also provide an experience that the Wooster players will look back on for years to come. They are coached by my friends and former teammate so it should make for a fun night of basketball.”
Wooster went 18-10 in the 2023-24 season, including 12-4 in conference play. The Fighting Scots finished as the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament runner-ups, falling 75-64 to Wabash in the championship.
Paris played four seasons for the Fighting Scots from 1992-96. Paris, a two-time All-NCAC selection helped Wooster make three trips to the NCAA Tournament (Division III) and win two NCAC Championships.
Although there won’t be a televised broadcast, there will be a live internet radio broadcast of the game. Derek Scott (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (color) will be on the call.
This will be the first chance to see what this iteration of the Gamecocks looks like following their 26-win campaign and NCAA Tournament appearance last season. The season officially starts the following Monday (Nov. 4) at home against North Florida.
The Gamecocks are welcoming transfers Nick Pringle (Alabama), Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State) and Jordan Butler (Missouri), as well as four-star freshman Cam Scott.
USC brought in Scott and walk-ons Weston Coggeshall and Lance Piper in its 2024 recruiting class. There’s also Okku Federiko, who is not listed on the roster as he has not been cleared to play by the NCAA yet.
Returning are: Collin Murray-Boyles, Jacobi Wright, Zachary Davis, Myles Stute, Arden Conyers, Morris Ugusuk, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk and Austin Herro.
South Carolina Basketball 2024-25 Schedule
Oct. 30 vs. College of Wooster (exhibition), 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 vs. North Florida, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Nov. 8 vs. SC State, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Nov. 12 vs. Towson, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Nov. 16 at Indiana, 3 p.m. (Peacock/streaming only)
Nov. 21 vs. Mercer, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
Nov. 25 vs. Xavier – Fort Myers Tip-Off – 8:30 p.m. on FS1
Nov. 27 vs. Michigan/Virginia Tech – Fort Myers Tip-Off 6/8:30 p.m. on FS1
Dec. 3 at Boston College, 7 p.m. (ACC Network)
Dec. 7 vs. East Carolina, TBD (SEC Network Plus)
Dec. 14 vs. USC Upstate, TBD (SEC Network Plus)
Dec. 17 vs. Clemson, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Dec. 22 vs. Radford, TBD (SEC Network)
Dec. 30 vs. Presbyterian, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 4 at Mississippi State, 2 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 8 vs. Alabama, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 11 vs. Auburn, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 15 at Vanderbilt, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 18 at Oklahoma, TBD (ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
Jan. 22 vs. Florida, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 25 vs. Mississippi State, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
Jan. 28 at Georgia, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 1 vs. Texas A&M, 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 8 at Kentucky, noon (ESPN/ESPN2)
Feb. 12 vs. Ole Miss, 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 15 at Florida, 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 18 at LSU, 9 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 22 vs. Texas, 8:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
Feb. 25 at Missouri, 9 p.m. (ESPN2/U)
March 1 vs. Arkansas, 1 p.m. (SEC Network)
March 4 vs. Georgia, 6 p.m. (SEC Network)
March 8 at Tennessee, 2 p.m. (SEC Network)
This story was originally published October 9, 2024 at 11:53 AM.
