Three things to know about the South Carolina Gamecocks

Here is what Kentucky fans need to know about South Carolina ahead of Tuesday's game.

Feb 17, 2026; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Meechie Johnson (5) gestures while Florida Gators guard Xaivian Lee (1) defends during the first half at Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats are in desperate need of a bounce back game and after losing their last three games, two of which to struggling bubble teams, they are faced with the most important "must win" game of the entire season coming up on Tuesday against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

It really is a must-win, and it's a game that Kentucky should have no problem with on paper. South Carolina has struggled mightily all season, but they would love nothing more than to spoil Kentucky's season and damage their NCAA Tournament hopes. Kentucky needs to make sure they take care of business on Tuesday night.

Here are three things to know about the South Carolina Gamecocks before the must-win game for Kentucky gets underway in Columbia.

One of the worst teams in the SEC

It's no secret that the South Carolina Gamecocks have struggled badly this season. The major struggles have them in sole position in 14th place among the SEC, as they boast an abysmal 3-11 record in the conference. They are coming off of a much-needed win, though, which was against Mississippi State by a margin of eight, 97-89. It wasn't necessarily a resume-boosting win for them, given the Bulldogs being 12th in the SEC, but it was one they really needed after going on a seven-game losing streak, with notable losses to LSU, Texas and Missouri. The Gamecocks also own, statistically speaking, own the worst offense in the conference through 14 games, along with the 15th-ranked defense.

There are plenty of flaws on offense for South Carolina, including shooting an SEC-worst 30 percent from three in conference play and are last in two-point percentage, too, going just 48.7 percent from inside. Not only that, but they are last on the offensive glass as well as second-to-last on the defensive end there. Mississippi State allowed just four offensive rebounds in their game against South Carolina. peaking of defensively, it's two-point defense that has been killing them. The Gamecocks are 15th in the SEC in conference play there, letting teams shoot 57.2 percent from inside, including opponents averaging 54.5 percent shooting overall, which also ranks second-to-last in the conference.

Great at free-throw shooting

South Carolina is not a good team overall, but there is one area in particular that they are actually excellent in, and that is free-throw shooting. On the season, the Gamecocks are 7th in free-throw percentage in the entire country, along with being 2nd among the SEC in conference play. They are shooting 79.0 percent from the line on the season, along with 78.5 percent in their 14 SEC games. Against Mississippi State, it was a big part of their offense, as they went 23-27 from the line. Out of all of their major offensive flaws, free-throw shooting is an important strength for them. Personnel wise, guard Meechie Johnson is the star of the show and he is effective at getting to the line. He is actually 2nd in the SEC in fouls drawn per game. Last time out, he went 9-10 there on his way to 21 points. He is also 3rd in possessions used and first in assist rate. The offense almost literally goes through him every time.

Terrific at taking care of the ball

This is the second area that the Gamecocks have been terrific in this season. South Carolina may let other things beat them, including letting teams score efficiently on them and grab rebounds essentially at will, but they do not let opponents take the ball away from them. On the season, the Gamecocks are ranked 25th in turnover percentage on offense. Although ranked 6th in the conference, that percentage has actually gone down in SEC play, as they are just committing turnovers 13 percent of the time. South Carolina is also 12th nationally on the season in turnovers coming off of steals. It's an area where they have been very conistent and in a good way during a season with plenty of losses.

Overall, this is a game where Kentucky needs to just win. On paper, they have no business losing this one, but they are in a position now where they really cannot afford to lose after dropping two games to teams on the outside looking in as far as the NCAA Tournament goes. Just win, Cats.