Game Info
When | 12:00 p.m. CT
Where | Colonial Life Arena; Columbia, S.C.
TV | SEC Network
Radio | Tiger Radio Network
Twitter | @MizzouHoops
ESPN win probability | 56.1% chance
The Starters
Mizzou (14-6, 4-3 SEC)
G: T.O. Barrett (SO, 7.4 PPG)
G: Jayden Stone (GR, 15.4 PPG)
G: Trent Pierce (JR, 9.0 PPG)
F: Mark Mitchell (SR, 17.5 PPG)
C: Shawn Phillips, Jr. (SR, 7.7 PPG)
Notable Sixth Man:
Anthony Robinson II (JR, 9.3 PPG)South Carolina (11-12, 2-8 SEC)
F: EJ Walker (FR, 3.5 PPG)
F: Mike Sharavjamts (SR, 10.8 PPG)
G: Kobe Knox (SR, 10.0 PPG)
G: Meechie Johnson (SR, 16.5 PPG)
G: Myles Stute
(SR, 7.1 PPG)
Notable Sixth Man: Eli Ellis (FR, 9.9 PPG)
Note: these starting lineups are projected.
Get to know South Carolina: A program still looking to find its footing
I don’t know if there’s a proper way to address the South Carolina Gamecocks other than “It’s been a roller coaster few seasons.”
Over the last three seasons the Gamecocks have finished in dead last in the SEC twice. The 2023 season called for a Hail Mary as South Carolina finished tied for second, but then fell right back down the stairs the following season. So how is this year looking? Not any better.
So maybe a better description than a rollercoaster is Taylor Swift’s “this is me trying” when she sings “I’ve been having a hard time adjusting / I had the shiniest wheels, now they’re rusting.”
So far, the Gamecocks are 2-7 in conference play, collecting one win at LSU (which your Missouri Tigers couldn’t do) and home versus Oklahoma (something the Tigers could do). Currently, the team is on a four game skid with losses to Texas A&M, No. 19 Florida, LSU and Texas. Two losses on the road and two at home.
Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks have been going through it and have fallen out of the top 100 teams in the NET.
How different does this team look from last year though?
The Gamecocks lost its top six scorers at the end of last season and were in desperate need of a strong roster turnover, only having three returners. In the portal, Paris signed five transfers and also picked up six players in the portal.
Now, the starting lineup is made up of one freshman, three transfers and one returner.
E.J. Walker was a three star recruit out of high school. Standing at six-foot-seven, the post has made his way into the starting five while averaging 3.5 points per game. The three transfers are Mike Sharavjamts, hailing from Utah he was a four-star in the portal, Kobe Knox is a wing from South Florida and of course, Meechie Johnson.
Starting with Johnson, he’s had quite the portal journey. The guard started at Ohio State for two years, transferred to South Carolina and earned All-SEC honors, went back to the Buckeyes in the 2024 season, and ultimately transferred again to the Gamecocks this year. Wow. Currently, he’s South Carolina’s leading scorer at 16.5 points per game.
Our own Matthew Gustafson broke his recent production down:
Stats on Meechie Johnson:
Win at LSU: 19 points (2nd on team), 4-of-9, 3-of-6 from three, 8-of-10 from the free throw line, six assists (one TO), three steals
Win against OU: 20 points (led team), 3-of-8, 1-of-3 from three, 13-of-15 from the free throw line, four assists (two TO’s), one steal
Has attempted 10+ free throws in six of the team’s 10 SEC games, shooting .806 from the line this season
When he leads South Carolina, they tend to be successful, plus when he gets to the line an extra dangerous streak could haunt the Tigers
Sharavjamts trails Johnson with 10.8 points per game alongside 5.4 rebounds and over two assists. Knox also reaches double digits at 10 points per game as well as over two assists. The pair of guards also are the only two players on the team currently shooting a plus-48 field goal shooting percentage.
The returner in the lineup is guard Myles Stute. Last year, he started 14 games but dealt with a blood clot in his leg for most of the season and missed 18 games. Alongside his seven points per game he’s able to create space for the Gamecocks on the floor.
Walker is also not the only freshman making an impact on the team. Four-star Eli Ellis sits just shy of averaging ten points per game (he’s at 9.9). His field goal success rate is over 40 percent and 28.3 percent from beyond the arc.
As a team, the Gamecocks sit in 15th place in the SEC in points per game at 77.3. Meanwhile, they allow around 75 points per game. The Gamecocks also trail the Tigers in field goal percentage, rebounds, assists, blocks and steals. However, don’t dismiss the team’s defensive tactics and how they can find ways to exploit a team and they explode.
It will be a rough stretch for South Carolina and they will want to claw their way to a victory this Saturday afternoon. According to ESPN analytics, SC is only predicted to win one more game this season, home against Mississippi State.
3 Keys to the Game
Keep It Going, T.O. Barrett and crew
A star over the most recent games has taken shape in T.O. Barrett.
Against Oklahoma, he dropped a collegiate-high 21 points and then continued his double digit trend with 13 points against Alabama and then 16 against Mississippi State.
In his most recent outing, he collected eight rebounds, dished four assists, while knocking down two three-pointers and 16 points. The guard has continued to see his role grow as he takes more of a lead with the offense.
While Anthony Robinson II has been sidelined form a starting role, he has seemed to find a groove again and carve a new role off the bench.
Heading into Colonial Life Arena, the two will need to work in tandem once again to power the offense to a win.
Limit SC Points in the Paint
Against Texas, the Gamecocks were able to make things interesting by defeating the Longhorns in the paint by scoring 46 points.
Once again, Gustafson has come in clutch with the stats:
From dominate the paint:
Texas A&M: 28 points in the paint (.533 within the arc)USC: 26 points in the paint
Florida: 54 points in the paint (.725 within the arc)
USC: 20 points in the paint
LSU: 42 points in the paint (.579 within the arc)USC: 36 points in the paint
Texas: 30 points in the paint (.459 within the arc)USC: 46 points in the paint
In total: opponents are shooting 57.9% from within the arc over South Carolina’s last four games
As mentioned before, South Carolina’s offense is not the most explosive in the conference but they were able to generate production through rebounding and physicality around the rim.
The Tigers have never been a great rebounding team but they have shown recent improvement. Before Mississippi State, the Tigers had outscored its opponents by at least 20 points inside the paint until the Bulldogs matched them.
A key takeaway as Mizzou prepares for South Carolina is to compete on the glass. If the visitors can control rebounds and prevent SC from establishing themselves in the paint, it could neutralize the Gamecocks good aspect of play and have an easier path to victory.
Fast Start
The Tigers will want to benefit of a fast start against the Gamecocks. Earlier said than done right? However, when Mizzou can establish a style of play early, they’re able to reach that lucky number 73 with a lot more ease. Additionally, when they get stuck in a dry spell rutt, they’re able to pull themselves out if they built a previous lead.
South Carolina loves a good strong lead at home and the Tigers should look to prevent that. That’s how the Gamecocks toppled the purple Tigers earlier this year.
Game Prediction
My prediction: Mizzou 82 – South Carolina 70
Listen, this is honestly a big game. I feel like we’ve been echoing this a lot over the last tweet weeks, but the bubble conversation is booming.
However, Missouri is overall the stronger team heading into this matchup and I don’t see why they can’t get the job done.
