Gamecocks Face Oklahoma in SEC Tournament Wednesday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – No. 14 seed South Carolina (13-18, 4-14 SEC) faces No. 11 seed Oklahoma (17-14, 7-11 SEC) in its opening game of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night. Tip time at Bridgestone Arena is approximately 9:30 p.m. (ET) with Tom Hart (pxp) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst) on the call for the SEC Network broadcast.

The Gamecocks defeated the Sooners 85-76 earlier this season back on Jan. 20 at Colonial Life Arena. All five starters scored in double-figures for Carolina led by Meechie Johnson (20) and Kobe Knox (18). Carolina was an efficient 9-of-20 (45%) from 3 and held OU to just 18.5% (5-of-27) from behind the arc. The Gamecocks never trailed in the game, leading for 39 minutes and 36 seconds. Elijah Strong started the league contest on an 11-0 run himself the first 2 minutes and 30 seconds forcing an early Sooner timeout.

Johnson has a career-best 12, 20-point games this season, 10 of which have come in SEC action (T-3^rd most in the league). Since 2004-05, Devan Downey (13 in 2010) and Sindarius Thornwell (11 in 2017) are the only other Carolina players to have double-digit, 20-point games in SEC play. The Cleveland, Ohio native and three-year starter for Carolina previously had a career-best 10, 20-point games in the 2023-24 NCAA Tournament season for South Carolina en route to earning Second Team All-SEC honors. He’s had double-figures in 17-straight games with 20-point performances in five of the team’s last seven dating back to Feb. 14. He hit the game-winning, 35-foot 3 with 0.7 seconds left in a 64-61 road win at Ole Miss (March 7) in the regular season finale.

In 18 SEC contests this season, Johnson averaged 19.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. He finished SEC play one of just three players in the conference to rank in the top-10 in scoring and top-five in assists per game in league action. He is also one of just four players in the SEC this season averaging at least 17.0 points, 4.0 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game. Since Carolina joined the SEC in 1991-92, BJ McKie (1998-99) and Downey (2007-08) are the only other players with a similar stat line. Johnson currently sits at 17.3 points per game overall and is seeking to become just the 12^th player (first since Thornwell in 2017) since the Gamecocks entered the SEC to average 17.0 points a game in a season.

Thru 31 games, Carolina is No. 2 in the SEC (No. 16 nationally) at the free throw line, shooting 78.2% (519-of-664) as a team. The Gamecocks are on pace to shatter a 55-year old program record set by the 1970-71 team, a 74.3% (635-of-855) team shooting clip at the foul line. Eli Ellis’ 87.9% (58-of-66) clip at the charity stripe leads the team. The Gamecocks also rank in the top-five in the SEC in turnovers per game (9.9) and 3-point defense (31.4%).

After dropping nine-straight games early in league play, OU is playing its best basketball of the season having won four-straight and 6-of-8 to end the regular season. They have road wins at then No. 15/15 Vanderbilt, at LSU and at Texas in the stretch. It’s been a balanced effort offensively in the six wins for OU as seven players have averaged 9.0 or more points per game. In the six wins, the Sooners shot a combined 53% from the field and 49% (65-for-133) from 3-point range. The Sooners rank No. 2 in the SEC in 3-point percentage (37.2%) and No. 3 in made 3s (9.9) per game.

The backcourt duo of Nigel Pack (16.1) and Xzayvier Brown (15.6) are the team’s two leading scorers. Tae Davis (12.2) and Derrion Reid (11.3) also average double-figures. Mohamed Wague averages 7.1 points and leads the team in rebounds (6.7) and blocks (1.5) per game. Pack ranks No. 1 amongst active players in Division I with 415 career made 3s. His 45.3% shooting clip from behind the arc this season is No. 1 in the SEC and No. 5 nationally.

GAME INFORMATION
TIME: 9:30 p.m. (ET)
VENUE: Bridgestone Arena
TV: SEC Network
    PLAY-BY-PLAY: Tom Hart
    ANALYST: Dane Bradshaw
RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network 
IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game
    PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott
    ANALYST: Casey Manning
SIRIUSXM: 106 or 190 | SXM APP: 960
WATCH: espn.com/watch/
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast  
SERIES: Sooners lead, 5-2
ON NEUTRAL: 0-0
SERIES TREND: Gamecocks snapped a four-game win streak in the series by the Sooners earlier this season that dated back to Dec. 23, 1977.
LAST MEETING: 85-76 Gamecock win at Colonial Life Arena back on Jan. 20. All five starters scored in double-figures led by Meechie Johnson (20) and Kobe Knox (18).

NUMBERS OF NOTE
16-2 – The Gamecocks have a 16-2 record under Lamont Paris when shooting 50.0% or higher. One of the losses came at Mizzou in Lamont Paris’ first season in 2023 and the other was Tuesday at Texas.
21-2 – The Gamecocks are 21-2 record under Paris when scoring 80 or more points. Both losses came in OT at home this season to Virginia Tech (Dec. 2) and LSU (Jan. 31).
48-10 – The Gamecocks are 48-10 in 4 seasons under Paris when holding teams below 70 points (.828 win %).
29-4 – Carolina is 29-4 under Paris last season when holding its opponents below 40% shooting from the floor. The team was 7-0 last season and is 5-1 this season when accomplishing the defensive feat.
8-0  – The Gamecocks are 8-0 all-time under Paris when the team shoots 50.0% or higher from behind the arc. Carolina shot 57.1% (12-of-21) from 3 in a road win at LSU (Jan. 6). It was the highest 3-pt % for the team in the Paris era.
8-0 – The team is also 8-0 all-time under Paris when dishing out 20 or more assists.  Five of those seven games came in the historic 2023-24 season with a high of 25 helpers in the win at Georgia on Feb. 3, 2024. Carolina dished out 24 assists on 31 made field goals in the 91-72, season-opening win against NC A&T (Nov. 4).
12-0 – The Gamecocks are 12-0 (4-0 this season) under Paris when the team makes 30 or more FGs. Carolina made 34 field goals (team high in the Paris era), shooting 57.6% in an 87-58 victory over Radford on Nov. 18.
4-0 – The Gamecocks are 4-0 this season when the bench scores 40 or more points.
18-3 – Carolina is 18-3 over the last three seasons when Myles Stute scores 10 or more points (only losses at No. 16/16 Indiana last season, vs. No. 11/11 Vanderbilt on Jan. 3 and at Texas A&M on Jan. 24).
11-3 – The Gamecocks are 11-3 over the last three seasons when Stute makes three or more 3s (only losses at No. 16/16 Indiana last season, vs. No. 11/11 Vanderbilt on Jan. 3 and at Texas A&M on Jan. 24).
510 – Meechie Johnson (240) and Stute (270) have combined to make 510 3s in their college careers. Stute’s 270 career 3s are 29th amongst active career leaders in Division I. Johnson’s 240 3s rank T-46th. The Gamecocks are one of 15 teams in NCAA Division I to have multiple players with 200+ career made 3s (Alabama, Cincy. Gonzaga, Incarnate Word, Indiana, Louisville, Minnesota, Miss. State, Oklahoma, Purdue, San Diego, Texas A&M, Vermont & West Virginia the others).
563 – Stute (158), Johnson (147), transfers Mike Sharavjamts (130) and Kobe Knox (128) have combined to play 563 games at the NCAA Division I level bringing a wealth of experience to the Gamecocks’ backcourt. Stute (6th) and Johnson (T-20th) both rank inside the top-25 on the active games played list in Division I.
1,000 – Stute scored his 1,000th career point with a 3-pointer early in the game vs. Radford (Nov. 18).
1,000 – Knox scored his 1,000th career point with a pair of free throws late in the game vs. LSU (Jan. 31).
1,000 – Mike Sharavjamts scored his 1,000th career point on Senior Night vs. #23/25 Tennessee (March 3)
21 – Knox matched his career-high with 21 points at Alabama (Feb. 14). He last scored 21 as a redshirt freshman at Grand Canyon vs. Sam Houston State in the WAC Tournament on March 10, 2023.
48 – Johnson scored his 1,000th career point at South Carolina with his final bucket in a victory over The Citadel (Dec. 13) earlier this season. He became the 48th  Gamecock to join the 1,000-career point club (first since former All-SEC guard AJ Lawson from 2018-21).
25 – Johnson became the 25th different player for South Carolina since the 2004-05 season to record a 30-point game when he had a career-high 33 points vs. Southern Miss on Nov. 9. Johnson, Brenton Williams (2014) and Devan Downey (2009) are the only Gamecocks to have a 30-point game with seven or more made 3s.
58 – Johnson is the 58th player (12th this season) in the SEC to hit seven or more 3s in a game over the last five seasons with his seven made 3s against Southern Miss. Stute is also on that list, making seven 3s twice while at Vanderbilt in games at Temple (11/15/22) and at Texas A&M (1/28/23).
85% – Johnson made a career-high 13 free throws on a career-high 15 attempts in a win over OU (Jan. 20). He became the first Gamecock since Sindarius Thornwell (14-of-15 at UK on 1/21/17) to shoot 85% or better at the line in an SEC game on at least 15 attempts.
100% – Johnson was 10-for-10 (100%) at the line at Texas A&M (Jan. 24). He became the fifth Gamecock since 2004-05 (first since Gregory “GG” Jackson II went 11-for-11 at Miss. St. on 2/28/23) to make 10 or more free throws without a miss in an SEC game.
2017 – Johnson had a career-high 35 points at Texas on Feb. 3. He was an efficient 12-of-21 (57.1%) from the floor. Johnson became the first Gamecock since Sindarius Thornwell in 2017 to have multiple 30-point games in the same season. It’s the 27th time (22nd in SEC action) a Gamecock has had a 30-point game since 2004-25.
12 – Johnson has a career-best 12, 20-point games this season (10 in SEC play which is T-3rd most in the league with Auburn’s Keyshawn Hall). He’s scored 20+ 26 times in college, all at South Carolina. He had a previous career-best 10, 20-point games in 2023-24 in the team’s NCAA Tournament season.
30 – Elijah Strong became the 26th different player (21st in SEC action) for SC since 2004-05 to have a 30-burger when he scored 30 points (18 in the first half) in just 25 minutes in a road win at LSU on Jan. 6. Strong was 10-for-15 (66.7%) from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 from 3 and 6-of-6 at the free throw line.
9 & 5 – Strong became just the 9th player in D1 this season to have a 30-point game in 25 minutes or less (5 of those 8 previous 30-burgers were against non-D1 opponents). He also became just the 5th player since 2004-05 to do it in an SEC game. Alabama’s Brandon Miller was the last player to do it when he had 31 pts in 24 min vs. LSU on Jan. 14, 2023.
12 – South Carolina shared the sugar opening night with 24 assists in a win over NC A&T. All 12 players who played in the game recorded a helper. Per Stathead (database dates back to 2004-05 season), the Gamecocks are the 37th team in Division I to have a game where 12 or more players had an assist.
80 – South Carolina scored 80 or more points in its first four games of the season for the first time since 1970-71, a team led by Hall of Fame head coach Frank McGuire.
95+ – The Gamecocks scored 95+ points in consecutive games to end non-con for the first time since the 1970-71 season when Carolina beat Duke, 98-78, on 12/12/70 and Maryland, 96-70, on 12/16/70.
97 – South Carolina scored 97 points in a win vs. Mississippi Sate on Feb. 21. It was the most points in the Paris era over the last four seasons and the fourth-most ever for the program in an SEC game (have scored 90+ 18 times since joining SEC in 1991-92).
30 – The Gamecocks’ 31-point win over Stetson (Dec. 6) was the team’s first victory by 30 or more points since defeating Florida A&M, 94-62, on Dec. 30, 2023 in the non-conference finale.
10 – Paris has been a part of 10 NCAA Tournament teams as a Division I assistant/head coach with his first appearance at South Carolina coming last season.
18 – He has been a part of 18, 20-win seasons as a college head and assistant coach.
.696 – In his 17 seasons as a collegiate assistant coach, teams associated with Paris were 497-217 (.696) with five conference titles and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, reaching two Final Fours.
274 – The Gamecocks made 274 3s during the 2023-24 campaign, a new single-season program record.
344 – The team had just 344 turnovers in the 2023-24 season, the third-fewest all-time for a single season at Carolina.
8-3 – The Gamecocks were 8-3 in true road games during the 2023-24 season. The team won seven SEC games on the road, tying the 1996-97 SEC Champion squad for the most league road wins in program history since joining the SEC in 1991-92.
25 – Carolina held 25 opponents to less than 70 points in 2023-24, which T-4th nationally and led the SEC.
8-0 – The Gamecocks were 8-0 in 2023-24 when shooting 50.0% or better from the floor.
1998 – The team finished the 2023-24 season ranked No. 25 in the final AP Poll, marking the first time the Gamecocks were ranked in the final top-25 poll since being slotted No. 14 in the final AP Poll of 1998.
1997 – The Gamecocks picked up the program’s first top-five road win since 1997 on Jan. 30, 2024 with a 63-59 victory over No. 5/5 Tennessee. The previous top-five road win was a 72-66 win at No. 3 Kentucky on March 2, 1997. The 59 points scored by Tennessee were a season-low for the Vols. It was also the first home loss of the season for UT, snapping a 13-game home winning streak by the Vols at Thompson-Boling Arena.

UP NEXT
With a win Wednesday night, the Gamecocks would face No. 6 seed Texas A&M with a trip to the quarterfinals on the line. Tip time remains approximately 9:30 p.m. (ET) for Carolina’s round two game with Tom Hart (pxp) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst) on the call for the SEC Network broadcast.

###