Gamecocks release full men’s basketball schedule
South Carolina’s basketball schedule is complete.
The SEC released its portion of the men’s basketball schedule on Wednesday, just over a week after the Gamecocks released their non-conference schedule. The Gamecocks will play 12 teams that advanced to the postseason last year, including six that went to the NCAA Tournament.
USC’s permanent home-and-home SEC opponents are Mississippi State, Tennessee and Georgia, which made the NCAAs last year. MSU (Ben Howland) and the Volunteers (Rick Barnes) are in their first seasons under new coaches.
The Gamecocks also get home-and-homes this year against Missouri and another first-year coach in Alabama’s Avery Johnson.
The Gamecocks start their SEC slate on the road for the fourth time in five years, going to Auburn to play Bruce Pearl and the Tigers on Jan. 5. Their Jan. 9 home opener is against Vanderbilt, an NIT team last year that could be picked second in the preseason poll this year.
USC also ends on the road, at Arkansas on March 5. They get Kentucky and LSU at home.
The Gamecocks have improved their SEC win total in each year of Frank Martin’s tenure (four to five to six) and their six conference wins last year were the most since 2009-10. USC has had a mere five .500 or better SEC seasons in 24 years, with the last a 10-6 campaign in 2008-09.
Martin guided an injured and undermanned squad to its first overall winning record (17-16) since 2008-09 last season. He will coach his first recruited group of seniors this year.
The SEC portion of the USC women’s schedule will be released at 7 p.m. on Thursday on SEC Network.
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USC schedule
Date Opponent
Nov. 8 ALLEN (exh.)
Nov. 14 NORFOLK STATE
(Part of Paradise Jam)
Nov. 16 ORAL ROBERTS
Paradise Jam, U.S. Virgin Islands
Nov. 20 vs. DePaul
Nov. 21/22 vs. Florida State/Hofstra
Nov. 22/23 vs. TBA
Nov. 27 LIPSCOMB
Nov. 30 WESTERN CAROLINA
Dec. 5 SOUTH FLORIDA
Dec. 15 DREXEL
Dec. 18 vs. Clemson (at Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville)
Dec. 22 vs. St. John’s (at Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Conn.)
Dec. 30 FRANCIS MARION
Jan. 2 MEMPHIS
Jan. 5 at Auburn 7 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Jan. 9 VANDERBILT 3 p.m. (ESPNU)*
Jan. 13 at Alabama 9 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Jan. 16 MISSOURI 1 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Jan. 19 at Ole Miss 7 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Jan. 23 at Tennessee 12 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Jan. 26 MISSISSIPPI STATE 7 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Jan. 30 ALABAMA 6 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Feb. 2 at Georgia 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPNU/SEC Network)*
Feb. 6 at Texas A&M 4 p.m. (ESPNU)*
Feb. 10 LSU 7 p.m. (ESPN2)*
Feb. 13 KENTUCKY 12 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)*
Feb. 16 at Missouri 7 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Feb. 20 FLORIDA 12 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Feb. 24 TENNESSEE 9 p.m. (SEC Network)*
Feb. 27 at Mississippi State 2:30 p.m. (SEC Network)*
March 3 GEORGIA 7 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN2)*
March 5 at Arkansas 5 p.m. (SEC Network)*
March 9-13 SEC tournament (Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tenn.)
Home games in CAPS
* SEC game
This story was originally published August 19, 2015 at 10:07 PM with the headline "Gamecocks release full men’s basketball schedule."