USC MBB debuts new-look roster in win against NC A&T. Three things we learned
South Carolina men’s basketball got its first real opportunity to get a feel for its roster featuring 12 new players Tuesday night against North Carolina A&T. The verdict? So far, so good.
The Gamecocks ran away from the Aggies after a slow start and won their 2025-26 season opener, 91-72.
“I was glad the guys were able to play well overall,” USC coach Lamont Paris said. “Some things we’ve got to clean up for sure, but generally speaking, I was happy with the performance.”
Here’s what we learned from USC’s first official game:
Filling up the basket, moving the rock
Efficiency is everything in basketball, and the Gamecocks were extremely efficient shooting the ball against the Aggies.
South Carolina finished the first half with a 59.3% field goal percentage and went 7-for-14 on 3-pointers. The final percentages were 49.2% and 43.8%, respectively, as five players finished in double figures.
USC finished with 91 points, matching last year’s season high in an overtime win against Clemson.
Nine different Gamecocks made at least one 3-point attempt. Nordin Kapic, a 6-foot-8 transfer from UC San Diego, led the way with three made 3-pointers on five attempts. Redshirt senior guard Meechie Johnson led in overall scoring with 14 points on 38.4% shooting.
Just as impressive as USC’s shooting was its ball movement. The Gamecocks racked up 23 assists in the game, and every player to touch the court recorded at least one. Freshman guard Eli Ellis led the way with five assists.
“I give the guys a lot of credit for that, honestly, because you can encourage sharing the ball. You can practice sharing the ball,” Paris said. “And then when the game happens, I’m standing on the sidelines, and they’re out there deciding whether they’re going to share the ball or not share the ball, and they shared the ball.”
Deep rotation
USC wasted no time testing the waters with its almost entirely new roster. Eleven different Gamecocks played in Tuesday’s game, and nine played 10 minutes or more.
Paris compared this roster’s depth with the 2023-2024 roster after the game. The Gamecocks had 10 players average 10 minutes or more and play in 70% of the games that year.
“I just have always liked a lot of guys [in the rotation],” Paris said. “I think you play harder when you have more guys that can go in. ... I think you can sustain a lot more. I think you have better camaraderie when a lot of guys are going to go in the game.”
The biggest experiment was Paris’ starting five. The Gamecocks put fifth-year guard Myles Stute at the four spot, leaving room for Meechie Johnson and transfers Mike Sharavjamnts and Kobe Knox at the guard positions. Kapic rounded out the lineup at the five.
Interior defense lacking
USC.’s biggest weakness this year might be its size. Only two Gamecocks — Jordan Butler and Providence transfer Christ Essandoko — measure taller than 6-foot-10. This seemed to have an effect on USC’s interior defense against the Aggies.
N.C. A&T scored 28 points in the first half, with 14 points coming inside the paint. The Aggies upped their second half total to 44, and 20 of those points came from the interior. N.C. A&T also finished with 31 total rebounds.
“Maybe we should have emphasized this a little bit more in our shoot around today,” Paris said. “We did some, but it’s not what it’s not what I think we did, it’s what the guys picked up on. So we probably should have done a little bit more with just showing more attention to whoever it was that had the ball that was attacking.”
South Carolina men’s basketball upcoming games
- Sunday: vs. Southern Mississippi, 6:30 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Nov. 12: vs. Presbyterian, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Nov. 18: vs. Radford, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Nov. 21: vs. Butler (at Greenbrier Tip-Off in WVa.), 2 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
- Nov. 23: vs. Northwestern (at Greenbrier Tip-Off in WVa.), 5 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 8:59 PM.
