South Carolina Basketball Preview: Gamecocks Travel to Take on the Florida Gators

South Carolina will attempt to snap a six game losing streak on Tuesday evening as they travel to take on the Florida Gators.

Jan 28, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Kobe Knox (4) attempts to drives around Florida Gators center Rueben Chinyelu (9) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Lamont Paris' squad is back on the hard wood tonight as the Gamecocks travel to take on the 12th ranked Florida Gators in Gainesville. Tip-off is set for 7:00 pm (ET) from the O'Connell Center.

This is the second time this season the two conference rivals will link up on the court. Florida came away victorious in the first matchup by a score of 95-48. The Gators dominated that game from the opening tip. Five Gators scored in double digits on Wednesday evening and outrebounded the Gamecocks 45 to 24. As a team , Florida shot over 62 percent from the field, over 42 percent from three, and over 71 percent from the free throw line.

South Carolina's 48 points throughout the game matched Florida's total in the first half alone. As a team they shot 25.86 percent from the inside the arc, 15 percent from three, and over 88.24 percent from the free throw line. It was the worst offensive performance of the season for South Carolina

Preview

Feb 7, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Meechie Johnson (5) shoots over Missouri Tigers guard T.O. Barrett (5) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

South Carolina comes into tonight's matchup looking to put a stop to a six game losing streak. Guard Meechie Johnson continues to play well as shown by his 19.7 points, 4.8 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game averages this year. If the Gamecocks want to come away with the win, they will need a big night from their veteran guard.

Florida on the other hand has been rolling as of late. Winners of five consecutive games and 10 of their last 11, Mike White's Gators have been great on both ends of the court. Sporting one of the best frontcourts in the nation, leading the country in rebounds (46.0) and offensive rebounds (16.4) per game, they have been able to dominate the boards in recent weeks which has helped lead to their success. Florida's defense is holding opponents to 40.5 percent shooting (second in the SEC).

Fans can listen into the game's radio live stream on the Gamecock Radio Network. For those in Columbia, 107.5 The Game will also be streaming tonight's action with Derek Scott and Casey Manning on the call.

Looking for more:

• South Carolina Women's Basketball HC Dawn Staley Reaches Historic Career Milestone
• Former Gamecocks QB Luke Doty Joins South Carolina's Coaching Staff
• South Carolina's Shane Beamer Talks 2026 Recruiting Class, Coaching Additions, and More
• South Carolina Football: Recapping the Gamecocks Roster and Staff Additions
• South Carolina Defensive Lineman Arrested During a Traffic Stop; Here's What Happened
• South Carolina Looking to Enforce a Buyout On a Transfer Player Per Report
• Biggest Questions for South Carolina Football Entering the 2026 Offseason
• South Carolina Picks Up Missouri State OL Ebubedike Nnabugwu in the Transfer Portal
• UCF Wideout DJ Black Returns to South Carolina for Final Year of Eligibility

Join the community:

• Follow Alex Joyce on Twitter: @AlexJoyceSI
• Follow Joey Walraven on Twitter: @thejoeywalraven

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to follow us on X at @GamecocksDigest and on Facebook!