Aug. 29, 2005

Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina announced its 2005-06 men’s basketball schedule today. Playing eight games at home prior to the SEC slate opening on Jan. 8 against Tennessee, USC will host the SEC Eastern Division teams once and the following SEC Western Division teams as well: Mississippi State, Alabama and LSU. USC will also play in the 2005 Great Alaska Shootout.

“I’m excited about the competitiveness of our schedule. I believe it offers the proper challenges our team needs,” said USC Head Coach Dave Odom who returns four of five starters from last year’s 2005 NIT Championship team. “The Great Alaska Shootout will provide us with an early season opportunity that will test us. We will play some really good teams in Anchorage. Our non-conference schedule has a good mixture of strong home and away opponents with Clemson, Temple, Pittsburgh, Toledo and Detroit-Mercy.

“As always the SEC will emerge as one of the best conferences in the country. It is my hope that our team will use the experience of winning the NIT Championship to catapult itself to compete for SEC honors. It is the right schedule for right now – it will test us.”

South Carolina is scheduled to play 11 of its 16 SEC games on television. South Carolina will host two ESPN games in the Colonial Center (Alabama, Feb. 14) and LSU (Feb. 28). USC was a perfect 5-0 on ESPN last season, including a 73-61 victory over No. 3 Kentucky on Feb. 15.

In addition, USC will host Kentucky in a nationally televised tilt on CBS (Feb. 18). During the SEC schedule eight USC games will be broadcast Jefferson-Pilot and FoxSports South.

At least two of Carolina’s non-conference games will be televised nationally, with additional games on the schedule to be announced at a later date (as televised). ESPN2 will televise the Alaska-Anchorage game on Nov. 24 and Fox Sports South will televise the game at Clemson on Dec. 3.

After an exhibition game on Nov. 10 vs. USC-Aiken, Carolina opens the regular season with a 7 pm match-up at Western Carolina on Nov. 18. The Gamecocks return to open the home schedule with a 5 pm game against Toledo on Nov. 20.

Carolina will then compete in the 2005 Great Alaska Shootout over Thanksgiving weekend in Anchorage. The Gamecocks will tip-off the Shootout with a 10 pm (EST) game with Alaska-Anchorage on ESPN2. Other teams competing in the Great Alaska Shootout include Marquette, SIU-Carbondale, Eastern Washington, Southern California, Oral Roberts and Monmouth.

The Gamecocks non-conference schedule includes a team from the ACC (at Clemson), a team from the Big East (Pittsburgh), a team from the Atlantic 10 (at Temple) and teams from the Horizon League, MAC, Big South, MEAC and Southern Conferences, respectively (Detroit-Mercy, Toledo, Winthrop, SC State and Wofford).

USC will also play two doubleheaders with the USC women (Nov. 20 and Dec. 17) and one with Temple (Dec. 22, Temple women vs. Villanova).

See attached for the complete schedule. Three SEC road games have times to be announced at a later date (at Vanderbilt, Florida and Georgia).

Thursday, Nov. 10 USC-Aiken (Exhibition) 7:30 PM
Friday, Nov. 18 at Western Carolina 7:00 PM
Sunday, Nov. 20 Toledo (DH) 5:00 PM

Great Alaska Shootout (Anchorage, AK)
Thursday, Nov. 24 at Anchorage-Alaska (ESPN 2) 10:00 PM
Friday, Nov. 25 vs. Great Alaska Shootout (Semis: ESPN 2)
Saturday, Nov. 26 vs. Great Alaska Shootout (Finals: ESPN 2)

Wednesday, Nov. 30 vs. UNC-Greensboro 7:30 PM
Saturday, Dec. 3 at Clemson (FSS) 4:00 PM
Wednesday, Dec. 14 vs. Winthrop 7:30 PM
Saturday, Dec. 17 vs. Wofford 7:30 PM
Thursday, Dec. 22 vs. at Temple (DH) 8:00 PM
Wednesday, Dec. 28 vs. Pittsburgh 7:30 PM
Saturday, Dec. 31 vs. Detroit-Mercy 2:00 PM
Tuesday, Jan. 3 vs. South Carolina State 7:30 PM
Sunday, Jan. 8 vs.Tennessee* (JP) 4:00 PM
Wednesday, Jan. 11 at Mississippi* 8:00 PM
Saturday, Jan. 14 vs. Georgia (JP) 3:00 PM
Wednesday, Jan. 18 at Vanderbilt* TBA
Saturday, Jan. 21 at Kentucky* (JP) 3:00 PM
Wednesday, Jan. 25 vs. Florida* (JP) 8:00 PM
Saturday, Jan. 28 at Tennessee* (FSS) 5:00 PM
Saturday, Feb. 4 at Arkansas* (JP) 3:00 PM
Wednesday, Feb. 8 at Florida* TBA
Saturday, Feb. 11 vs. Mississippi State* (FSS) 6:00 PM Coaches vs. Cancer Day
Tuesday, Feb. 14 vs. Alabama* (ESPN) 7:00 PM
Saturday, Feb. 18 vs. Kentucky* (CBS) 1:30 PM
Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Georgia* TBA
Saturday, Feb. 25 vs. Vanderbilt* (JP) 1:00 PM
Tuesday, Feb. 28 vs. LSU* (ESPN) 9:00 PM
Saturday, March 4 at Auburn* 2:00 PM
March 9-12 at SEC Tournament (JP/CBS) Nashville, TN

All Times are EST. DH – Doubleheader with Women’s Basketball
TV: JP – Jefferson Pilot; FSS – Fox Sports South
* – Southeastern Conference Game