South Carolina MBB falls to Butler in Greenbrier opener. What we learned
After a 4-0 start to the 2025-26 season, South Carolina men’s basketball took a trip up to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, for the Gamecocks’ first real tests of the year: two top-100 NET matchups, starting with Friday’s opener against Butler.
USC (4-1) fell 79-72 to the Bulldogs (4-1) and showed some weaknesses that ultimately led to the loss. Here are three things we learned from the game:
Slow start shooting
It’s no secret USC has no plans to shy away from 3-point shooting this season. The Gamecocks average 31.3 3-point attempts per game so far this season, and shoot 36% from long range. The problem arises when USC goes through shooting droughts, which is what happened to start the game against Butler.
Shooting was a challenge for both teams in a Greenbrier court with a low ceiling and tight rims.
“These rims are tight … but you have to know that going into the game,” Gamecock head coach Lamont Paris told 107.5 The Game’s Derek Scott in his postgame radio interview. “I didn’t look, but probably it’s one of the worst 3-point field goal days of the year.”
The Gamecocks came out 0 for 6 before Meechie Johnson hit a deep shot late in a first-half possession for the team’s first 3-point make of the game. Grant Polk and Mike Sharavjamts knocked down one each, but that was it. USC finished the first half 3 for 11 on 3-pointers.
Those struggles continued in the second half. The Gamecocks started 1 for 5 on 3-pointers and finished with 21 points on 26 total attempts from behind the line. USC hit three straight field goals to cause some late-game panic, but ultimately fell short of the win.
Johnson led the Gamecocks with 24 points on 42.1% shooting. Eli Ellis scored 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting.
Weak inside
USC plays on the perimeter and is sized for the perimeter. But the Bulldogs’ first-half dominance of the interior was beyond size and game plan limitations — it was about effort.
“If there was no such thing as offensive rebounding … we would’ve won 62-56,” Paris said. “We could not get rebounds. What else is there to say? We just could not get a rebound.”
Butler out-rebounded the Gamecocks 27-15 (11-4 on offensive rebounds) and outscored USC 20-12 in the paint and 17-5 on second-chance points in the first half. USC closed the gap in the second half (Butler led 21-14 in rebounding), but the first-half paint dominance created a Butler lead the Gamecocks were never able to overcome.
Foul trouble
Both teams were playing against an active whistle in the first half, combining for 19 fouls and 18-of-28 free-throw shooting, but USC took it to the next level in the second half.
The Gamecocks committed seven team fouls in the second half before Butler committed one, and the Bulldogs finished the game with 20 points on 34 free-throw attempts. Each of USC’s 12 players was called for at least one foul in the game. Butler eventually put the game on ice at the free-throw line.
Sharavjamnts and Kobe Knox were called for the most USC fouls, with four each.
“We have just not had consistency, consistent performances,” Paris said. “We had some failures in this last game. We’ve got to respond appropriately.”
South Carolina men’s basketball schedule
- Sunday: vs. Northwestern (at Greenbrier Tip-Off in WVa.), 5 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
- Nov. 28: vs. Charleston Southern, 4 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Dec. 2: vs. Virginia Tech (ACC/SEC Challenge), 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
- Dec. 6: vs. Stetson, 2 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published November 21, 2025 at 4:18 PM.
