South Carolina basketball fans have had a really nice start to the season. Both Lamont Paris’ men’s squad and Dawn Staley’s women’s team are undefeated at 7-0. Coach Staley’s group might be the best team in the entire country, and the Fighting Quarter Zips are showing they might be a good team for the first time in several years.
Even without their preseason top player (4-star freshman Collin Murray-Boyles who made his season debut in garbage time against George Washington), the Gamecocks are impressing the college basketball world.
Transfers BJ Mack, Ta’Lon Cooper, and Myles Stute have paired nicely with returning players like Meechie Johnson and Jacobi Wright, and the 2023-2024 South Carolina basketball team will be even better when Murray-Boyles gets up to speed.
On Monday, the season’s first NET rankings were released, and the Gamecocks came in at #29. For those unfamiliar, the NET is the “new RPI” and is a major determiner in which teams make the NCAA Tournament field at the end of the season.
USC’s 29th ranking is 4th-best in the SEC and shows that South Carolina basketball could be in real contention for a postseason spot.
The team’s biggest test of the young season is coming up this week as the Gamecocks’ biggest rival is also undefeated and waiting on Paris and the Gamecocks to visit on Wednesday.
South Carolina basketball will take on the fellow undefeated Clemson Tigers on Wednesday night. The game will be played at 8:00 on the ACCNetwork and ESPN app.
The winner of the game will have a great opportunity to be ranked heading into next week, barring a win on Saturday (South Carolina will play on the road against East Carolina, while Clemson will host TCU). As it stands, Clemson is ranked 24th, and the Gamecocks received votes in this week’s AP poll.