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

South Carolina (12-18, 2-15 SEC) will finish out the regular season with a road trip to Knoxville to take on No. 4 Tennessee. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. on Saturday on SEC Network.

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

Much different circumstances from the last time these teams played

When South Carolina and Tennessee last met on the hardwood, there was a lot more on the line than there will be on Saturday. The two teams were competing for sole possession of first place in the SEC standings. In a heated battle, the Vols earned a 66-59 win at Colonial Life Arena on March 6, 2024, clinching the SEC regular season title.

Since then, a lot has changed going into this latest matchup. Tennessee is ranked right where it was when it beat the Gamecocks last March. South Carolina has gone from a historic 26-win season to now finishing with the worst record in the conference this year.

If there’s anything the Gamecocks have going for themselves, they’ve played better as of late, winning two of their last four games. They also won a thriller in their last trip to Rocky Top, beating Tennessee 63-59 last season.

Expect to see a fiery Tennessee team

There’s something to be said about Rick Barnes in March. While he’s a great coach, winning over 800 games, he’s also 30-28 in the NCAA Tournament. More times than not, the teams that he’s led to the tournament were eliminated within the first two rounds. It was only last year that he took Tennessee to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history. But no Final Four appearances for the Vols.

Then, on Wednesday, Tennessee suffered a 78-76 loss to unranked Ole Miss in Oxford, the latest in March for Barnes. After the game, he called out his team for being soft and not playing aggressively.

Regardless of what happens on Saturday, the Vols are going to play on into March Madness. But it’s safe to assume they are going to come out trying to beat down South Carolina after what happened against Ole Miss. They’ve only lost consecutive games once this year. So they’ve always been good about bouncing back after a loss.

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Road struggles have been real

Winning on the road in the SEC is tough. It’s still impressive how South Carolina was able to do it last season in Knoxville. But this year, the Gamecocks have been awful in road games, mainly in SEC play.

Their only road win came at Boston College in the SEC/ACC Men’s Basketball Challenge on Dec. 3. Other than that, they’ve gone winless and lost by an average of 19.6 points in SEC road games. Only one loss was particularly close, when they lost by three at Vanderbilt in January. But the other losses have been by double digits, with two games where they lost by at least 30 points.

With one road game left, this doesn’t instill confidence that things will suddenly change on Saturday. The fact of the matter is that South Carolina hasn’t played well away from home. But if a few things can go its way, it may be able to stay in the game.

Tennessee doesn’t lose at home, though, with a 15-1 record at Food City Center. So it’s going to take a lot to see this one going the Gamecocks’ way.

Scouting the opponent

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

Injury report

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

For Tennessee: JP Estrella is OUT.

Game details

Who: South Carolina (12-18, 2-15 SEC) at No. 4 Tennessee (24-6, 11-6 SEC)

When: Saturday, March 8 at 2 p.m.

Where: Thompson–Boling Arena at Food City Center (21,678)

How to watch/listen: SEC Network/107.5 The Game

ESPN gives South Carolina a 6.9 percent chance to win

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