South Carolina basketball: NCAA sets season start date

The South Carolina basketball team should start its season in late November.

Frank Martin and the South Carolina basketball team are still gearing up for the 2020-21 college basketball season. Today, they got word of when that will begin.

The NCAA announced Thursday morning that a start date of November 25th has been set for the season’s opening day. The new date represents just a two-week delay from the year’s original start date of November 10th, which means that many of the sport’s early season tournaments should largely remain unaffected.

The Gamecocks are scheduled to participate in the Hall of Fame Classic with Cal, Northwestern, and TCU. The tournament was originally intended to begin on November 22nd, so time will tell whether or not that event is postponed or cancelled altogether.

With the November 25th start, it could provide campuses with a “bubble-like” feel, as many students will be headed home for Thanksgiving and the ensuing holiday breaks.

The Gamecocks are poised to make some noise in the upcoming year. Leading scorer AJ Lawson is back after debating a jump to the professional ranks. So, too, are Jermaine Couisnard, Keyshawn Bryant, and Justin Minaya.

Garnet and Cocky has projected the team to finish in the top half of the SEC for the fifth time in the last six seasons, as they compete with league favorite Kentucky, a consistent LSU team, upstart Tennessee, and a talented Florida group.

South Carolina will look to build upon its 18-win season in 2019, with hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their Final Four run in 2017.