Lamont Paris schedules unique opponent for South Carolina’s exhibition: his alma mater

South Carolina will host an exhibition with The College of Wooster, the alma mater of head coach Lamont Paris, on Oct. 30.

Tip-off will be at 7 p.m. at Colonial Life Arena and admission is free, the school announced Wednesday. The news completes the Gamecocks’ 2024-25 schedule, which was only lacking an exhibition game.

“I’m really excited to bring Wooster to Columbia for an exhibition game,” Paris said in a news release announcing the game. “I hope that this opportunity will not only lay the foundation for an outstanding season, but will also provide an experience that the Wooster players will look back on for years to come. They are coached by my friends and former teammate so it should make for a fun night of basketball.”

Wooster went 18-10 in the 2023-24 season, including 12-4 in conference play. The Fighting Scots finished as the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament runner-ups, falling 75-64 to Wabash in the championship.

Paris played four seasons for the Fighting Scots from 1992-96. Paris, a two-time All-NCAC selection helped Wooster make three trips to the NCAA Tournament (Division III) and win two NCAC Championships.

Although there won’t be a televised broadcast, there will be a live internet radio broadcast of the game. Derek Scott (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (color) will be on the call.

This will be the first chance to see what this iteration of the Gamecocks looks like following their 26-win campaign and NCAA Tournament appearance last season. The season officially starts the following Monday (Nov. 4) at home against North Florida.

The Gamecocks are welcoming transfers Nick Pringle (Alabama), Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State) and Jordan Butler (Missouri), as well as four-star freshman Cam Scott.

USC brought in Scott and walk-ons Weston Coggeshall and Lance Piper in its 2024 recruiting class. There’s also Okku Federiko, who is not listed on the roster as he has not been cleared to play by the NCAA yet.

Returning are: Collin Murray-Boyles, Jacobi Wright, Zachary Davis, Myles Stute, Arden Conyers, Morris Ugusuk, Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk and Austin Herro.

South Carolina Basketball 2024-25 Schedule

Oct. 30 vs. College of Wooster (exhibition)

Nov. 4 vs. North Florida

Nov. 8 vs. SC State

Nov. 12 vs. Towson

Nov. 16 at Indiana

Nov. 21 vs. Mercer

Nov. 25 vs. Xavier – Fort Myers Tip-Off – 8:30 p.m. on FS1

Nov. 27 vs. Michigan/Virginia Tech – Fort Myers Tip-Off 6/8:30 p.m. on FS1

Dec. 3 at Boston College

Dec. 7 vs. East Carolina

Dec. 14 vs. USC Upstate

Dec. 17 vs. Clemson

Dec. 22 vs. Radford

Dec. 30 vs. Presbyterian

Jan. 4 at Mississippi State

Jan. 7 or 8 vs. Alabama

Jan. 11 vs. Auburn

Jan. 14 or 15 at Vanderbilt

Jan. 18 at Oklahoma

Jan. 21 or 22 vs. Florida

Jan. 25 vs. Mississippi State

Jan. 28 or 29 at Georgia

Feb. 1 vs. Texas A&M

Feb. 8 at Kentucky

Feb. 11 or 12 vs. Ole Miss

Feb. 15 at Florida

Feb. 18 or 18 at LSU

Feb. 22 vs. Texas

Feb. 25 at Missouri

March 1 vs. Arkansas

March 4 or 5 vs. Georgia

March 8 at Tennessee