South Carolina MBB at No. 16 Indiana today: Odds, how to watch, what to know

The South Carolina men’s basketball team play their first game against a ranked opponent when they face No. 16 Indiana on the road Saturday.

Here’s everything you need to know about the contest, including how to watch, top storylines and more:

South Carolina basketball today

Who: South Carolina (2-1) at No. 16 Indiana (2-0)

When: Saturday, 3 p.m.

Where: Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana

Betting line: South Carolina is a 7.5-point underdog

Is the game on TV or streaming?

The game is not on traditional television, but you can stream it on the Peacock app.

You can listen on the radio on 1320 AM (WISW) in the Columbia area, and on sattelite radio on SiriusXM Ch. 994.

TOP STORYLINES FOR THE GAME

▪ First true test

This will be the first tough test for Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks. For a team with NCAA Tournament aspirations, it will serve as the first benchmark to see if this team has the chaps to make it that far.

“It presents a great opportunity for us just to play (1) against a good team early, but (2) in a hostile environment. Your team is going to grow from it. If you can come out there with a win, it really helps later on in the season, as well as what it does for your confidence early on,” Paris said.

▪ Stopping the bigs

Indiana’s frontcourt presents a formidable challenge for South Carolina. The Hoosiers run most of their offense through their forwards and centers, as the starters down low average a combined 56.5 points per game.

Their leading scorer is forward Mackenzie Mgbako, averaging 24.5 on 20-of-27 shooting (74.1%) through their first three games. He’s backed up by Senior All-Big Ten selection and Arizona transfer center Omar Bally, as well as forward Malik Reneau.

▪ Physicality will rule the day

The team that can play more physical on both ends will likely win the game. Paris knows this and he has spent the week preparing his guys in practice for a battle in the trenches.

“We try to simulate what we can. It’s hard to do it one because Colin Murray-Boyles can’t play against himself,” Paris joked. “If he could, I think that’d probably be one of the best ways that we could replicate their guys.”

One of the main things he wants to simulate is Ballo’s massive frame. Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk has been key in practice for them in doing that. Nevertheless, it’ll be hard to simulate a team that plays with that level of physicality but still has the sixth-most efficient offense in the nation.