Gamecocks Host UNF on Opening Night Monday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina begins the 2024-25 season on Monday night at Colonial Life Arena welcoming in North Florida. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. (ET) with doors opening 1 hour prior.

Head coach Lamont Paris, the reigning SEC Coach of the Year, is 2-0 all-time in season openers at South Carolina.

Expectations are high for the Gamecocks this season as the team is fresh off record-setting 2023-24 campaign which culminated with a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. The team welcomes back six letterwinners that were key contributors from last season’s squad.

Sophomore forward and preseason All-SEC selection Collin Murray-Boyles headlines the group of returners as he averaged 10.4 points per game and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per contest in 2023-24. Guards Myles Stute (8.9 ppg), Jacobi Wright (5.9 ppg) and Zachary Davis (5.9 ppg) are also all back for the Gamecocks. Stute and Davis each started 17 games last season for Carolina.

Paris and his staff helped bolster the roster in the offseason with three transfer additions and four-star freshman Cam Scott, a local product who hails from Lexington High School. Scott, a two-time South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, finished his prep career as Lexington’s all-time leading scorer (2,475 career points). He averaged 22.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.5 assists per game his senior season.

The team also added a trio of transfers in forward Jordan Butler (Missouri), forward Nick Pringle (Alabama) and guard Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State). Butler played in 31 games, making 14 starts for Missouri his freshman season in 2023-24. The 7-footer is expected to stretch the floor with his ability to shoot from behind the arc. Pringle played two seasons at Alabama and helped the team reach its first Final Four in school history last season. He averaged 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in 2023-24 for the Crimson Tide. Pringle had 16 points and 11 rebounds in Alabama’s Elite Eight win over Clemson. In his lone season at Norfolk State in 2023-24, Thomas was the MEAC Player of the Year after averaging 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

This year’s South Carolina roster features eight players from the Palmetto State. It’s the most in-state players on the roster since Dave Odom’s first season in 2001-02 (also had eight). Under head coach Eddie Fogler, the Gamecocks had nine players from the Palmetto State on the roster in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and 10 South Carolina natives on the team in 1998-99.

Season tickets remain available and more information can be found here. Single-game tickets are now available as well and can be purchased here.

GAME INFORMATION

TIME: 7 p.m. (ET) with doors opening at 6 p.m.

VENUE: Colonial Life Arena

TV: SEC Network+

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Dave Weinstein

ANALYST: John Williams

RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network  

IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game

  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott

  ANALYST: Casey Manning

SIRIUSXM: 385 | SXM APP: 975

WATCH: ESPN.com/watch/

LIVE STATS: GamecocksOnline.com

SERIES: SC leads, 1-0

in COLUMBIA: SC leads, 1-0

SERIES TREND: The Gamecocks are 86-30 all-time in season openers and 2-0 under head coach Lamont Paris.

LAST MEETING: 81-56 Gamecock win at CLA in season opener for 2014-15 campaign. Of the 11 Carolina players who played, six scored eight or more points for the Gamecocks.

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