South Carolina guard Eli Ellis (15) brings the ball up the court during the first half of action of the men’s basketball game against North Carolina A&T at Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.
Special To The State
South Carolina men’s basketball is four games into the 2025-26 season, but it’s still not clear what the Gamecocks’ identity will be. USC’s 4-0 record comes from a team that shot 38% on 3-pointers against North Carolina A&T, a 28% 3-point shooting team against Radford and a 33-point performance from Meechie Johnson in an overtime win against Southern Mississippi.
Which of those teams best represents the Gamecocks’ true identity? The answer could become clearer this weekend when USC travels to the Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, for matchups against top-100 NET teams Butler on Friday and Northwestern on Sunday.
Fourth-year coach Lamont Paris said his team is still in a growing phase, and its identity is still being established.
“There’s a phase of establishing who you are, which involves a lot of growth. Then there’s a stage of living up to what you’ve established. Then there’s a stage toward the end, if you’ve done those two, that you’ve got to defend what you have stood for the entire season,” Paris said. “We’re in that first stage still.”
Do the Gamecocks need to win at the Greenbrier?
Butler and Northwestern had similarly light schedules to USC’s, with positive results. The three teams combine for one top-100 NET matchup — Butler’s 87-85 loss on the road to SMU. It’s also the only loss among the three teams.
While growth is the main focus, Paris said he does put some stock into winning at Greenbrier and what it could mean for South Carolina’s aspirations, but dropping a game wouldn’t ruin the season.
“Certainly, we want to win the games, especially as you start talking about high major teams that are out of conference, as it gets down the NCAA Tournament selection,” Paris said. “It’s not a make-or-break situation by any stretch of the imagination. … Once we go there, just let our hair down and let it rip against some good teams that are really well-coached.”
The doubleheader isn’t make-or-break, but it is one of the few chances USC gets to go against high-major competition before SEC play begins. The other two are against Virginia Tech at home for the ACC/SEC Challenge and on the road against Clemson. It would benefit the Gamecocks not to return from the Greenbrier winless.
Key to the weekend
USC is likely to roll out what’s become its regular four-guard lineup, featuring leading scorer Meechie Johnson, Mike Sharavjamnts, Myles Stute and Kobe Knox. Hayden Assemian and Nordin Kapic have split time in the forward spot. But the key contributors in the Gamecock lineup this weekend might come off the bench.
The Gamecocks average 31.7 bench points per game, and a new offensive tool seems to be discovered every game. Freshman guard Eli Ellis is second on the team with 13.5 points per game, and four other Gamecocks have scored in double figures off the bench this season.
“That’s our strength,” said junior forward Elijah Strong. “We have a lot of players who play basketball really well at a high level.”
Top to bottom, USC’s roster predicted last in SEC preseason polls has a chance to show its true potential this weekend.
“It’s a great test … to be able to go to an event like Greenbrier play against really good teams, and just see what we’re made of against high major teams, and see what we need to work on,” Ellis said. “I think after this weekend, we’re going to show that we belong on this stage.”
South Carolina men’s basketball Greenbrier Tip-Off schedule
- Friday: vs. Butler (at Greenbrier Tip-Off in WVa.), 2 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
- Sunday, Nov. 23: vs. Northwestern (at Greenbrier Tip-Off in WVa.), 5 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
This story was originally published November 19, 2025 at 3:46 PM.
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.
