Indiana hosts South Carolina – The Daily Hoosier

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Game Day Essentials:

South Carolina (2-1) vs. no. 16 Indiana (2-0)

  • Tip time: 3:00 PM Eastern
  • Location: Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall (17,222)
  • Television: Peacock (Paul Burmeister, Robbie Hummel)
  • Radio: IU Radio Network (Don Fischer, Errek Suhr, John Herrick)
  • Current: Peacock
  • Point spread: Indiana is a 7.5 point favorite
  • KenPom’s expected result: Indiana 74 South Carolina 68
  • History: Indiana leads the series, 2-1.
  • Last meeting: IU 76, South Carolina 55 on Nov. 8, 1998 at Indianapolis

South Carolina’s Lamont Paris

Lamont Paris is in his third year as the head coach of the South Carolina men’s basketball program. He was named head coach of the Gamecocks in March 2022.

Paris is one of college basketball’s top future head coaches. Paris led Chattanooga to a remarkable five-year turnaround, capped by a SoCon regular season and tournament championship in his final season. Chattanooga would also make an appearance in the NCAA Tournament that season.

At South Carolina so far, Paris has also started an impressive turnaround for the program. In Paris’ first season, South Carolina went 11-21 with a 4-14 record in the SEC. However, last season was nothing short of impressive as the Gamecocks finished 26-8 with a 13-5 conference record. The Gamecocks would also earn an NCAA Tournament bid and Paris would win the 2024 SEC Coach of the Year.

Paris played college basketball for the College of Wooster and was a two-time all-conference selection. After his playing career, Paris spent one season as an assistant at his alma mater. Paris then spent one season as an assistant at DePauw, then transferred to Indiana University of Pennsylvania and served as an assistant there. Paris would also have a five-year tenure in Akron before notably serving as an assistant at Wisconsin until 2017. In 2018, Paris landed his first head coaching job in Chattanooga.

South Carolina results and roster:

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION RESULT
4/11/2024 North Florida Columbia, SC L 71-74
8/11/2024 SC state Columbia, SC W 86-64
12-11-2024 Towson Columbia, SC W 80-54

South Carolina retains one of their quality starters from last season at forward Collin Murray-Boyles. Murray-Boyles averaged 10.4 points per game. game last season along with a team-leading 5.7 rebounds. Murray-Boyles was tabbed as a preseason All-SEC selection.

The Gamecocks also retain the senior guard Jacob Wright, who spent the majority of last season coming off the bench. Wright is averaging 16 points per game so far this season and leads the team in assists.

Jamari Thomas and Nick Pringle expected to have significant transfers for South Carolina this season. Thomas, who spent last season at Norfolk State, averaged 16.9 points per game. game and added three assists in each contest. He was also categorized as a MEAC All-Defensive team member. Pringle, who transferred in from Alabama before this season, averaged 5.2 points and 4.1 rebounds for the Crimson Tide in two seasons.

Game notes (per Indiana Athletics):

• Sophomore forward Mackenzie Mgbako scored 49 points (24.5 ppg) in the first two
season contests for the Hoosiers, most since James Blackmon Jr. scored 49 in a two-match
stretch at the beginning of the 2016–17 season. His career-high 31 points in the opener against SIUE (Nov.
6) marked the most points for a Hoosier in a season debut since Eric Gordon scored 33 points to open
his collegiate career in 2007.

• Fifth year senior guard Trey Galloway has handed out 17 helpers in 35 minutes off the bench this season.
He is the NCAA leader in assists per game in a reserve role with 8.5 assists. Dug McDaniel (Kansas State) is
second with 6.0 per match and Kerr Kriisa (Kentucky) is third with 5.7.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Hoosiers have won the last two matchups with the Gamecocks and hold a 2-1 advantage in the series. The two sides last met in Bloomington on December 22, 1973, with Indiana prevailing 84-71.

• This top-15 matchup featured 10 players selected in the NBA Draft, including 1977 first overall pick Kent Benson (Indiana) and eight-time All-Star Alex English (South Carolina). Scott May (2nd overall), Quinn Buckner (7th overall), Bob Wilkerson (11th overall) and Brian Winters (12th overall) were all taken in the first round of their respective drafts.

South Carolina game notes (per South Carolina Athletics)

FANTASTIC FRONT COURSE

  • South Carolina had 38-20 points in the paint in an 80-54 rout of Towson on its home floor Tuesday night. Preseason All-SEC selection Collin Murray-Boyles had 27 points and nine rebounds and Alabama grad transfer Nick Pringle had his first game in double figures at Carolina with 15 points and nine rebounds. The duo scored 43 points and was a combined 15-of-20 (75.0%) from the floor. The Gamecocks shot a combined 50.0 percent (26-of-52) as a team in the game to improve to 8-0 under head coach Lamont Paris the last two seasons when shooting over 50.0 percent as a team.

MR. WRIGHT MUST CAREER HIGH

  • Older guard Jacob Wright had the best game of his four-year Gamecock tenure, scoring a career-high 20 points to help the team to an 86-64 win over SC State (Nov. 8). He went 4-of-7 from downtown. Sophomore forward Collin Murray-Boyles had his third career double-double (the first of the 2024-25 season) with 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. He was 7-of-8 from the floor.

MURRAY-BOYLE’S PRESEASON ALL-SEC

  • Rising sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles was awarded a third-team Preseason All-SEC selection by both the media and the league’s head coaches. He is the first Gamecock to earn preseason All-SEC recognition since AJ Lawson in 2020-21 when he was named to the second team.

OG’s choice:

Once again, for fun, I’ll keep track of my scoring predictions throughout Indiana’s season.

This is the first choice that will be difficult to call. Indiana hasn’t had the best of starts in their first two games, but South Carolina also dropped a sweep to North Florida at home. Even with that, though, both teams have had their solid moments. It’s challenging to pick a clear winner, but for me, Indiana has the edge over the Gamecocks heading into this one.

PICK: Indiana 75 – South Carolina 67

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