The 3-2-1: Three positives, two negatives, and one lingering question from South Carolina's win over Presbyterian
In the 3-2-1, we identify three positives, two negatives, and one lingering question following South Carolina basketball’s latest time out on the court. Let’s dive into the Gamecocks’ lopsided win over Presbyterian from Wednesday night.
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Three Positives
- Never in Doubt
South Carolina made things much too difficult last time out against Southern Miss, winning in overtime. Wednesday’s matchup with Presbyterian was never in doubt.
The Gamecocks got out to an early lead and then held on to it. Despite calling off the dogs late, South Carolina outscored Presbyterian in both halves. The drama-free affair was nice for USC after the stressful contest on Sunday.
Contributions came in from upperclassmen and freshmen, from returners and transfer portal additions. Nine different Gamecocks scored in the 20-point blowout. With 81 points, Lamont Paris moved to 15-0 at South Carolina when his team reaches the 80-point threshold. - Not just jumpers
Through the first two games of the season, it felt like South Carolina’s only source of offense was shooting the basketball. The Gamecocks made 14 3-pointers against North Carolina A&T and 16 against Southern Miss. They combined to make 32 free throws in the two games, too. 122 of their 174 points (about 70%) came from the 3-point line or free throw line.
Against Presbyterian, Lamont Paris’ team showed a little more. While they still made a really impressive 25 free throws, they knocked in just eight 3-pointers (which is still a decent number), meaning that 49 of their 83 total points came via long jumpers or foul shots. That is right around 60%.
The Gamecocks scored 28 points in the paint, including 26 on layups or dunks. Though it won’t be a feature of the offense, they made a handful of mid-range shots, too. After Paris lamented his team’s lack of pump fakes against close-outs following the Southern Miss game, Carolina used the ball fakes with more frequency against Presbyterian. - Flashes from the bench
Hayden Assemian picked up his first start, which is worth noting, and he and Mike Sharavjamts had solid performances, but South Carolina got some nice contributions off the bench against PC.
Grant Polk finished second on the team with 12 points after going a perfect 4-for-4 from the 3-point line. Eli Ellis had a nice game as a distributor, especially when he got into the paint off the dribble. His five assists led the team. Jordan Butler was up-and-down, but he was aggressive. He scored a career-high 11 points and pulled down seven rebounds before fouling out.
Butler, Ellis, and Elijah Strong combined to go 10-for-11 from the free throw line.
In total, South Carolina’s bench outscored Presbyterian’s bench, 36-19.
Two Negatives
- Post defense still isn’t there
Hayden Assemian and Jordan Butler had a few nice moments (and three blocks), but overall, the South Carolina post defense still struggled on Wednesday night.
The Blue Hose’s primary bigs, Jonah Pierce and Jaylen Peterson, combined for 20 rebounds, nine coming on the offensive end. Pierce had six made layups and dunks.
By the time the game ended, Presbyterian had 44 points in the paint, including 17 successful dunks and layups. The Gamecocks gave up 14 offensive rebounds and 12 second-chance points. USC and PC tied with 37 overall rebounds on the night.
There were far too many instances in this game in which a Carolina post player was out of position defensively, resulting in an easy bucket, a foul, or both.
There’s very little chance the Gamecocks will be a good defensive unit down low this season. However, if they are to be a good team, they have to get significantly better. - Roster numbers
South Carolina will be a bit shorthanded this season compared to most other teams. The Gamecocks are planning to redshirt three, as sophomore Cam Scott and freshmen Abu Yarmah and EJ Walker will sit this season. Plus, one of the remaining scholarship players is former walk-on Eli Sparkman, who, while a fan favorite, won’t see much significant action.
Against Presbyterian, the numbers were worse.
Christ Essandoko didn’t play at all. The big man has played through a thumb/hand injury but couldn’t go on Wednesday. Nordin Kapic, a starter in the first two games, didn’t start and played just four minutes; on the broadcast, the SEC Network+ crew revealed he was dealing with a thigh injury.
With likely four non-contributors on the roster, South Carolina simply can’t afford to have injuries.
One Lingering Question and What’s Next
What will the rotation be?
From the preseason exhibition against NC State through three regular-season games, South Carolina has utilized three different starting lineups.
Meechie Johnson and Mike Sharavjamts have started each game on the perimeter. Myles Stute has started each game but has been at the three and the four. Kobe Knox has started on the wing in the games that Stute has been deployed as a small-ball four. Jordan Butler has a start down low, Nordin Kapic has three, and Hayden Assemian has one.
The starting lineup and rotation have shifted a lot in the early goings of the 2025-2026 season. Can Lamont Paris find a lineup and rotation that he likes soon enough to ramp up for conference play?
What’s Next?
South Carolina basketball will take the floor again on Tuesday, November 18th. The Gamecocks will host the Radford Highlanders at Colonial Life Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. The game will not be on traditional television, but the SEC Network+ will make the action available via streaming.