Three Things to Know: No. 14 Mizzou Faces South Carolina

Everything to know about Missouri's second-to-last home matchup against the struggling South Carolina Gamecocks.

Feb 22, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks players celebrate the win over the Texas Longhorns at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images / Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

The No. 14 Missouri Tigers are on the back stretch of their SEC schedule, split even with two home games and two away games. The next is against the South Carolina Gamecocks, a squad that has struggled mightily so far this season.

In some ways, the Gamecocks are in the same position the Tigers were last SEC season. Until February 22 against the Texas Longhorns, the Gamecocks were winless in conference play. An 84-69 victory against Texas turned their fortune around and delivered that first victory, despite still holding onto the worst conference record in the SEC.

Led by sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles, South Carolina has faced consistent issues on both sides of the ball. On most nights, the ball just doesn't go in the hoop for them, for whatever reason. On defense, small lapses and the inability to force turnovers don't help them stay in games.

It's been a disappointing season for the Gamecocks and barring a miracle in the SEC Tournament, they will not be playing in the postseason. It will give them time to reflect and improve the roster for the following season. For now, they have four more conference games and the conference tournament to worry about.

Here are three things to know about the South Carolina Gamecocks, Missouri's upcoming home matchup.

A Hidden Lottery Pick

Buried on South Carolina's struggling roster is sneakily one of the best collegiate NBA draft prospects. Second-year forward Collin Murray-Boyles has emerged as a potential lottery pick in this coming draft cycle, solely based on his versatility and power on both sides of the ball.

Standing at 6-foot-7, 245-pounds, Murray-Boyles is averaging 15.7 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game this season for the Gamecocks. He's shooting 57.2% from the field and 26.9% from the three-point line as well. He's not known as a perimeter shooter but is capable of making them when neccesary. Outside of that, he relies on sheer strength and athleticism to do his scoring at the rim.

The matchup Murray-Boyles is facing won't be an easy test at all. Mark Mitchell is now Missouri's leading scorer and though he might not be as as powerful as Murray-Boyles, they play a similar brand of basketball. Both love to get downhill and are patient around the rim. They also both happen to be left-handed players, though that's not as important.

Struggling Offense

In every single offensive team stat in the conference, South Carolina ranks in the bottom five, outside of free throw shooting. From field goal percentage to three-point attempts per game, South Carolina's offensive output does not statistically stack up against any others in the SEC.

For starters, the Gamecocks have the lowest point-per-game average with 70.1 per game. They have the second-lowest per-game average from the field as well, at 43.2%. It also tracks that they attempt the lowest amount of field goals per game and make the lowest amount of field goals per game.

The three-point shooting isn't much better. They're shooting 32.4% from outside, tied for the fourth-lowest mark in the conference alongside the Georgia Bulldogs. They make and attempt three-point shots at the lowest rate in the conference, as well. Wherever you look, the offensive stats just don't compare to the rest of the SEC.

Familiar SEC Faces

Despite the team's success, there are a plethora of SEC veterans on the team that have aided in big victories in past seasons. The Gamecocks have five players on their roster who have played at least three seasons in the SEC in their careers, four of which have multiple years under their belts in Columbia, South Carolina.

The best of them this season has been forward Nick Pringle. He started his career at Wofford, played two seasons at Alabama then most recently made the move to Columbia to play for the Gamecocks. He's averaging 9.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, providing another physical, big presence down low.

Guards Zachary Davis and Jacobi Wright have been with South Carolina for three and four years, respectively. Both have been productive for the Gamecocks and, at moments, have contributed to winning basketball. Wright leads the team in free throw percentage at 78.3%, making his presence felt there.

Myles Stute and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk round out the group of SEC veterans. Stute started his career with the Vanderbilt Commodores, playing there for three seasons and in Columbia for the last two. Bosmands-Verdonk played his first three seasons with Illinois and the last three with South Carolina, as well. Stute plays a large role in the team and for the most part, Bosmans-Verdonk does not.

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