South Carolina women's basketball: Non-conference schedule analysis

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Defending champion South Carolina announced its full 2022-23 schedule Friday morning. The conference schedule was announced earlier this month, but most of the non-conference schedule remained unknown. Tipoff times and television information will be released later. 

This season’s schedule lacks some of the firepower of last season’s gauntlet, but still features 13 teams coming off NCAA Tournament appearances. Most unusual for South Carolina is the lack of a multi-team event. South Carolina had competed in a multi-team event each of the last eight seasons and nine of the last ten. 

Also missing from the schedule is a game against Oregon. A home and home with the Ducks was confirmed by Dawn Staley in the offseason, just as it was following the 2020 season. And just like that season, the game never materialized.

South Carolina hosts Benedict in an exhibition game on Halloween night. The Gamecocks beat the Tigers 98-41 in the exhibition last season.

After beginning last season on the road, South Carolina opens this season at home against BYU. BYU made the NCAA tournament last season and was a top 20 team for much of the season, and the Cougars return leading scorer Shaylee Gonzales. 

A four-game road swing follows the opener, including the two marquee non-conference games. South Carolina visits Maryland on November 11. The Gamecocks have won three of the last four against the Terrapins, and the early-season matchup has been something of a measuring stick for South Carolina.

The Gamecocks return to the Palmetto State for a game at Clemson and then embark on a west coast swing. They play a return game at Stanford on November 20, and then complete the trip with a game at Cal Poly. South Carolina probably was hoping to pair a power conference opponent with the Stanford game but had to settle for the Mustangs. There is a connection between South Carolina and Cal Poly: first-year coach Shanele Stires played in the ABL for the Columbus Quest, where her teammate was Nikki McCray. The Quest beat Staley’s Richmond Rage for the first ABL championship. 

The road trip is followed by a four-game home stand. The highlight of the homestand is a visit from UCLA. The Bruins are coming off a subpar season where they were plagued by injuries, but bring in the nation’s top-ranked recruiting class. The Gamecocks and Bruins also played a home-and-home in 2015-16, and I had UCLA pegged as a potential companion game for the Stanford trip. UCLA gives South Carolina a marquee non-conference home game. 

Aside from the traditional February game at UConn, the rest of the non-conference schedule features guarantee games. There is a game at the Sanford Pentagon, where the Gamecocks played the last two seasons. This year they face South Dakota State (instead of South Dakota). The rest – Hampton, Memphis, Liberty, Charleston Southern, and Coastal Carolina – are at home.

***After announcing the full schedule, South Carolina later canceled the home-and-home series with BYU. A replacement opponent will be found for November 7.

Full Schedule:

• Mon., Oct. 31               Benedict (Exh.)
• Mon., Nov. 7                TBA
• Fri., Nov. 11                     at Maryland
• Thu., Nov. 17                   at Clemson
• Sun., Nov. 20                  at Stanford
• Tue., Nov. 22                   at Cal Poly
• Sun., Nov. 27              Hampton
• Tue., Nov. 29              UCLA
• Sat., Dec. 3                  Memphis
• Sun., Dec. 11               Liberty
• Thu., Dec 15                    vs. South Dakota State (Sioux Falls, S.D.)
• Sun., Dec. 18              Charleston Southern
• Wed., Dec. 21             Coastal Carolina
• Thu., Dec. 29             Texas A&M*
• Mon., Jan. 2                   at Georgia*
• Thu., Jan. 5                Auburn*
• Sun., Jan. 8                    at Mississippi State*
• Thu., Jan. 12                  at Kentucky*
• Sun., Jan. 15              Missouri*
• Thu., Jan. 19                  at Vanderbilt*
• Sun., Jan. 22             Arkansas*
• Thu., Jan. 29                 at Alabama*
• Thu., Feb. 2               Kentucky*
• Sun., Feb. 5                   at UConn
• Thu., Feb. 9                  at Auburn*
• Sun., Feb. 12            LSU*
• Thu., Feb. 16            Florida*
• Sun., Feb. 19                 at Ole Miss*
• Thu., Feb. 23                at Tennessee*
• Sun., Feb. 26           Georgia*
• Mar. 1-5                        SEC Tournament (Greenville, S.C.)

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