South Carolina basketball drops again in updated NET Rankings ahead of Clemson rivalry matchup

South Carolina basketball is 7-3 on the 2025-2026 season. On the road to that record, the Gamecocks have lost all three of their matchups against power conference opponents but beaten all seven of their lower-level foes.

Two weeks ago, the first NET rankings of the season came out, and Lamont Paris’ team debuted at No. 99. After a 2-1 showing since then, South Carolina has seen its place in the rankings continue to drop. Now coming in at No. 114 overall in the updated NET Rankings, the Gamecocks remain in 15th in the SEC, ahead of only the Mississippi State Bulldogs (No. 132), the only team in the conference without a winning record.

These NET rankings have been updated following last night’s games across the country.

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The NET, for those unfamiliar, is the most important ranking metric used by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. It factors in Team Value Index (essentially a team’s on-court results, location of games, and strength of schedule) and adjusted net efficiency ratings (how well a team plays in those games, adjusted for the quality of opponent and location of games).

At the time of this writing, South Carolina does not have any wins over Quad 1, Quad 2, or Quad 3 opponents. USC is 0-3 against the Quad 1 and Quad 2, losing to Butler (Quad 1) and Northwestern (Quad 2) on a neutral floor and Virginia Tech (Quad 2) at home. Thanks to scheduling shifts, Lamont Paris’ team has played no games against current Quad 3 foes.

The Gamecocks are 7-0 against the Quad 4, with all of those games coming at home.

Part of the problem with USC’s metrics is that they have had some poor performances in victories over outmatched opponents. Lackluster wins over Charleston Southern and The Citadel likely would have been losses against better competition. Coach Paris, in particular, wasn’t happy with his team’s showing against the Bulldogs on Saturday. He told the media that “a multitude” of Gamecocks simply were not ready to play.

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The Gamecocks will play two in-state programs over the next eight days, starting with the rival Clemson Tigers this week.

This year’s rivalry will come in Littlejohn Coliseum on Tuesday, December 16th. With a 7:00 p.m. tip, the contest will broadcast on ESPN2. The ESPN app will also make the non-conference showdown available via streaming.

South Carolina owns the all-time series and won last year’s game in Columbia, 91-88 in overtime. The Gamecocks have not won in Clemson since the 2019-2020 edition of the rivalry.

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