9/20/2023 basketball Edit

Mizzou Basketball opponent preview: South Carolina

Drew King • PowerMizzou

Basketball Writer

In this series, we’ll look ahead at Mizzou’s opponents in the upcoming 2023-24 season. We’ll continue by previewing the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Date & Location: Jan. 13 at Mizzou Arena and Jan. 27 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.

2022-23 Record: 11-21 overall (4-14 SEC)

NCAA Tournament Finish: N/A

KEY LOSSES

Hayden Brown (graduated), Chico Carter (transferred), Ford Cooper Jr. (transferred), Daniel Hankins-Sanford (transferred), G.G. Jackson II (drafted)

KEY RETURNERS

Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, Zachary Davis, Ebrima Dibba, Josh Gray, Meechie Johnson, Eli Sparkman, Jacobi Wright

KEY INCOMING TRANSFERS

Stephen Clark (The Citadel, 16.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.8 apg), Ta’Lon Cooper (Minnesota, 9.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 6.3 apg), B.J. Mack (Wofford, 16.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.4 apg), Myles Stute (Vanderbilt, 8.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 0.6 apg)

KEY INCOMING FRESHMEN (rankings from Rivals.com)

Collin Murray-Boyles (No. 126), Arden Conyers (N/A), Morris Ugusuk (N/A)

OUTLOOK

The G.G. Jackson II experiment didn’t work out all that well. In their first season without former head coach Frank Martin at the helm, the Gamecocks had hoped that by adding the reclassified five-star forward they’d manage to stay above the bottom of the SEC standings. It wasn’t enough — after defeating Kentucky on the road in the third game of league play, South Carolina lost eight consecutive games, finished 12th in the standings and got bounced in the first round of the conference tournament. Jackson, who was ranked as the No. 1 player in the Class of 2023 before reclassifying, fell to the Charlotte Hornets in the second round of the NBA Draft.

Head coach Lamont Paris steps into his second year without a five-star freshman but perhaps a little more depth across the roster. South Carolina had a handful of glaring issues all last season: The Gamecocks as a team had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio. Over 40% of their field goal attempts came from beyond the arc despite the team shooting a below-average 32.3% from the 3-point line. Their best bet to score was often to collect an offensive rebound and put it back in the hoop. The team rarely forced turnovers and allowed opponents to shoot 53.7% on 2-pointers.

Paris seemingly addressed an issue with every newcomer he brought in, though, and despite the program’s struggles managed to retain the majority of last year’s rotation, which should help build continuity.

The addition of Minnesota transfer Ta’Lon Cooper should significantly bolster South Carolina’s backcourt. The 6-foot-4 guard ranked seventh in the nation handing out 6.3 assists per game last season and will give the Gamecocks a distributor they sorely needed. Cooper’s arrival should also allow returning junior Meechie Johnson to slide to a more natural fit off the ball as a score-first guard. Returning junior Jacobi Wright will figure to be one of the first players off the bench after making 15 starts last year and shooting 35.0% from deep. Ebrima Dibba missed all of last year with an Achilles tendon injury after transferring from Coastal Carolina and could make an impact this year. Returning sophomore Eli Sparkman and freshman Morris Ugusuk from Helsinki, Finland, will compete for whatever minutes remain.

Myles Stute played an important role for Vanderbilt last year, helping the Commodores go on an 8-1 run to end SEC play and upset Kentucky to reach the conference semifinals. As a career 37.9% shooter from outside, he’ll provide a surmisable amount for the Gamecocks on the wing. Returning sophomore Zachary Davis might take on more minutes after averaging 13.9 across 30 appearances last season. Paris could also test out three-star freshman Arden Conyers off the bench.

Returning senior Josh Gray and Wofford graduate B.J. Mack will give South Carolina two different looks at the center spot, Gray being more of a physically imposing big man and Mack being capable of stepping out and knocking down long-range shots as a career 35.9% shooter from 3. Returning senior Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk figures to retain his role as the first post off the bench. Stephen Clark, a high-scoring transfer from The Citadel, was one of the country’s top shot blockers a year ago, averaging 1.8 rejections per game, and will likely claim the other staring forward spot. Four-star freshman Collin Murray-Boyles could be a factor as well.

Missouri will take on the Gamecocks twice this season after defeating them 83-74 last year. The Tigers could be in for another pair of close games.