South Carolina at Kentucky: Three things to watch for, scouting the opponent and injury report

South Carolina basketball is set to go up against a team that, perhaps surprisingly, it has handled in recent meetings. After a close home loss to Texas A&M, the Gamecocks travel to Rupp Arena for a road tilt against Kentucky.

The Gamecocks (10-12, 0-9 SEC) will face No. 14 Kentucky in Lexington on Saturday afternoon. Tip-off is at noon on ESPN2.

Here are three things to watch for, an opponent scouting report on the Wildcats, plus the latest injury report.

Building off a strong second half

After coming off the bench for two games (Mississippi State and Georgia), Jamarii Thomas was reinserted into the starting lineup against the Aggies. Following multiple 13-point deficits, Thomas steadied the offense and got the Gamecocks back in the game.

Most notable of the offensive changes, statistically, was the relative lack of turnovers. Sure, there were some tough mistakes at very crucial points in the game. But as a whole, the offense was giving the ball away at a far lower rate. South Carolina ended up with “just” 12 turnovers. That is still above average nationally, but the Gamecocks distributed 19 assists. That is tied for their highest mark of the season.

South Carolina previously had tallied more turnovers than assists in four of its last five games. Against a Kentucky defense that gives up 77.5 PPG, Thomas and the offense could continue their momentum.

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History playing a factor?

The last time South Carolina came into Rupp, it was still looking for its first SEC win on the season. That was in 2023. And South Carolina won. The Gamecocks shot 11-for-20 (55.0%) from deep en route to a 71-68 victory. Last year, at Colonial Life Arena, South Carolina beat the sixth-ranked Wildcats, 79-62.

Of course, it’s now 2025, but South Carolina is currently searching for an elusive first conference win again. Who’s to say it won’t happen against Kentucky? Lamont Paris has never lost to the Wildcats. Special assistant to the head coach, Carey Rich, has the program’s single-game record for assists against Kentucky. He recorded nine assists against the Wildcats in a 1994 game that saw South Carolina defeat the seventh-ranked Wildcats by a one-point margin, 75-74, in Columbia.

Kentucky is coming off of a loss to Ole Miss on the road. Both of South Carolina’s last two victories over Kentucky have come when the Wildcats have lost their most recent conference road matchup. Getting to 70 points is also paramount for South Carolina against Kentucky, per recent history. In the two teams’ last 22 meetings, South Carolina has hit the 70-point mark eight times. In those eight games, the Gamecocks are 7-1. In the 14 games that South Carolina didn’t hit that mark, they’re 1-13.

Murray-Boyles getting more aggressive on the offensive end

Lamont Paris said after the Texas A&M loss that he had told Murray-Boyles to take more shots. He certainly obliged against the Aggies, tallying 16 attempts. That’s his second-highest mark of the season after the 18 attempts against Auburn.

The sophomore forward is extremely effective when he takes a high volume of shots. Of course, that is a chicken-and-egg scenario. If he’s struggling, he probably won’t take as many attempts from the field. But regardless, in games in which Murray-Boyles takes 10-plus shots from the field, the Gamecocks are 8-6. He’s shooting 60.4% in those games, (that would be tops in the SEC) and averages 18.2 PPG.

The Gamecocks thrive when Murray-Boyles can get the ball and utilize space to get shots off. When he’s bottled up, the offense slows down to a halt. The last time South Carolina beat a Power Five opponent with Murray-Boyles taking less than 10 shots? Over 11 months ago, when South Carolina defeated Florida in March 2024 at Colonial Life Arena.

Off-ball offensive spacing is extremely important for getting Murray-Boyles to that mark. When South Carolina can make their shots from deep, it forces a defense to guard the perimeter with more intent. This, in turn, allows for Murray-Boyles to avoid double-teams and work inside for quick buckets.

Scouting the opponent

For a full look into Kentucky, click here to read Resume Check: Looking ahead to South Carolina basketball’s next opponent, the Kentucky Wildcats.

Injury report

For South Carolina, Myles Stute is OUT (blood clot).

For Kentucky, Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson are QUESTIONABLE. Kerr Kriisa is OUT.

Game details

Who: South Carolina (10-12, 0-9 SEC) vs. No. 14 Kentucky (15-7, 4-5 SEC)

When: Saturday, Feb. 8 at Noon

Where: Rupp Area (23,500)

How to watch/listen: ESPN2/107.5 The Game

ESPN gives South Carolina a 13.6 percent chance to win

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