South Carolina guard Mike Sharavjamts (55) dunks during the Gamecocks’ game against The Citadel at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
Special To The State
As the South Carolina men’s basketball 2025-26 non-conference slate draws near its end, the Gamecocks have one more major test on the schedule before SEC play begins.
USC (7-3) travels to Clemson (8-3) on Tuesday at 7 p.m. to face off against its in-state rival in the latest edition of the Palmetto Series. It’s also the Gamecocks’ first true road game of the season, and the game gives USC a chance to return to Columbia with its first Quadrant 1 win.
“Those are coveted,” Gamecock coach Lamont Paris said. “To go on the road at a place like Clemson, they’re coming off of a really tough loss, they’re going to be full of energy when we play them now, that’s for sure. We’ll have to play well. But I think more than anything, it’s just a great opportunity to go up there.”
Here are three things to keep an eye on in the rivalry matchup:
Rivalry by the numbers
USC and Clemson’s hardwood rivalry goes way back to the pair’s time in the Southern Conference. South Carolina leads the all-time series 93-81 since the inaugural matchup on Feb. 6, 1913, a 39-18 win for the Gamecocks in Columbia.
More recently, the series has been quite competitive. The Gamecocks have split the series 7-7 with the Tigers since 2010, and Clemson leads the series 13-11 since 2000.
Paris holds a 2-1 record in the rivalry, but he’s yet to beat Clemson away from Colonial Life Arena. He coached USC to a 91-88 overtime win against the No. 25 Tigers at home last season.
“Sometimes you have the kind of team that all you’ve got to do is walk in there and put something up on the board or hit the right button, and it’s on. They can’t wait. The game can’t get here quick enough,” Paris said. “And so I don’t know there will be that kind of response that will be solicited by what I say, but certainly we’ll mention it.”
Scouting report: Clemson
This year’s Tigers team, led by 16-year head coach Brad Brownell, is the latest in a stretch of very formidable Clemson rosters Paris has had to face in his time with the Gamecocks.
Clemson is currently ranked No. 30 in the KenPom NET. It’s the third year in a row the Tigers are in the top 30. Prior to the 2023 season, Clemson’s highest NET finish was No. 14 in 2018.
The Tigers’ strength is their offense, with an 119.0 KenPom offensive rating that ranks 35th in the nation. Clemson’s leading scorer, senior forward RJ Godfrey, averages 12.2 points per game, but the Tigers have nine players averaging six or more points. Clemson is shooting 45.4% from the floor and 32.6% on 3-pointers this season.
“It’s gotta be one of our most competitive, toughest games that we come out ready to play in,” USC guard Meechie Johnson said. “You can’t control if the ball is going in from 3 or not, but we’re going to be able to take care of everything else. If we do that right, we’ll be in good position.”
Clemson’s three losses this season have all come away from home, and two were against top-25 ranked teams in No. 10 BYU and No. 12 Alabama. The average margin of defeat is 4.6 points. The Tigers won their most recent matchup 70-63 Saturday against Mercer. Clemson blew a 22-point lead this past week in a loss to BYU.
More Myles magic?
Sixth-year guard Myles Stute, one of USC’s three returners from last season, had his best game of 2024 against the Tigers. He hit five 3s and scored a season-high 19 points against the Tigers. Stute had started every game for USC to that point but shot only 28.9% on 3-pointers for the year going into the game.
Stute’s season ended under a month later due to a blood clot issue in his legs, and he was granted an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA.
His extra year hasn’t gone perfectly. Stute is averaging 6.2 points per game and shooting 22.6% on 3-pointers. He missed three games this season due to a concussion and broken nose. Stute returned Dec. 6 against Stetson wearing a protective facemask, which Paris said he’ll likely wear for the remainder of the season.
Stute returned to USC’s starting lineup against The Citadel on Saturday, finishing with 5 points on 2 for 4 shooting in 18 minutes. Perhaps this year’s rivalry matchup will be another breakout game for Stute.
How to watch South Carolina men’s basketball vs. Clemson
- When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
- Where: Littlejohn Coliseum (Clemson, South Carolina)
- TV: ESPN2
- Radio: Clemson Athletics Network (93.1 FM in Columbia, see affiliates here)
Jackson Castellano
The State
Jackson Castellano is The State’s college sports intern covering South Carolina men’s basketball. A Cape Coral, Florida, native, he is an alum of the University of Florida.
