Gamecocks Host Arkansas for Legends Weekend Saturday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (11-17, 1-14 SEC) returns home for the first of its final two games of the season at Colonial Life Arena starting this weekend. The Gamecocks will first face Arkansas (17-11, 6-9 SEC) on Saturday followed by Senior Night against Georgia (17-11, 5-10 SEC) on Tuesday.

Tip against the Razorbacks is 1 p.m. (ET) with Roy Philpott (pxp) and Pat Bradley (analyst) on the call for SEC Network. Arena doors will open 1 hour prior to tip at noon.

It’s Legends Weekend as the team will honor former players, coaches and staff at halftime tomorrow. A private reception at Carolina Coliseum will take place this evening as well as an additional reception postgame in the McGuire Club.

Carolina, who defeated Arkansas twice last season (on the road at Bud Walton Arena and in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville), is seeking its third-straight victory over the Razorbacks, a first in program history.

Preseason All-SEC forward Collin Murray-Boyles looks to build on another solid performance from Tuesday night as he matched his season high with 27 points on 10-of-11 shooting from the floor at No. 14/16 Missouri. It marked his fourth game of the season (sixth career) with double-digit field goals made. The last Gamecock with four games in a season with 10 or more made field goals was Devan Downey, who did it nine times in 2009-10.

It was Murray-Boyles’ second game this season with 10 or more made field goals while shooting above 90.0 percent from the floor. Per Elias, who’s database dates back to the 2001-02 regular season, he is the only player in the SEC to have multiple games with double-digit field goals made while shooting above 90.0 percent. The local product from Columbia is one of just three players in Power Five (ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC) averaging at least 15.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.0 blocks and 1.0 steals per game while shooting above 50.0% from the floor (Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson and Maryland’s Derik Queen the others).

Murray-Boyles leads the SEC (25th nationally) in field goal percentage (min. five made FGs, per game) at 58.5% (172-of-294 FGs). He has a career-best nine 20-point games and eight double-doubles this season.

Arkansas is led by first-year head coach John Calipari, who arrived in Fayetteville this past offseason after 15 seasons as the head coach at Kentucky (2009-24). He is the winningest active coach in men’s college basketball with an overall record of 855-262 (.765). The Gamecocks beat the Calipari led Wildcats in each of Lamont Paris’ first two seasons as head coach at South Carolina in 2023 and 2024.

Kentucky transfer Adou Thiero is the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, averaging 15.6 points and 6.0 rebounds, per game. FAU transfer Johnell Davis (10.7 ppg) and Kentucky transfer D.J. Wagner (10.7 ppg) also average double-figures for the Razorbacks. Arkansas has won two-straight (both at home) in league play with a 92-85 win over No. 15/16 Missouri last Saturday and an 86-81 overtime victory over Texas on Wednesday night. The Razorbacks are 3-5 in true road games this season with wins at Miami (Dec. 3), Kentucky (Feb. 1) and Texas (Feb. 5).

GAME INFORMATION

TIME: 1 p.m. (ET)

VENUE: Colonial Life Arena

TV: SEC Network

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Roy Philpott

ANALYST: Pat Bradley

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: Razorbacks lead, 23-17

IN COLUMBIA: tied, 8-8

SERIES TREND: Gamecocks beat Arkansas 2x last season, but the Hogs have won 3-of-4 at Colonial Life Arena dating back to March 5, 2015.

LAST MEETING: 80-66 Gamecock win in R2 of the SEC Tournament on March 14, 2024.

UP NEXT

Carolina remains home for its final game of the season at Colonial Life Arena, a Senior Night matchup with Georgia (17-11, 5-10 SEC). Tip is set for 6 p.m. (ET) on SEC Network with Richard Cross (pxp) and Brandon Johnson (analyst) on the call.

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