Undefeated Vanderbilt Faces South Carolina to Open SEC Play

COLUMBIA, S.C. (Interstat) — The unbeaten and Vanderbilt Commodores put their perfect record on the line Saturday when they visit the South Carolina Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena to open Southeastern Conference play.

Vanderbilt (13-0) is one of just three remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, riding a wave of dominant non-conference victories. The Commodores’ resume includes road wins at Memphis and Wake Forest, and they are coming off a 96-53 rout of New Haven on Monday.

South Carolina (9-4) has won three straight, including a 96-67 victory over Albany on Tuesday, but faces a significant step up in competition. The Gamecocks are 8-1 at home this season, with the lone loss an overtime defeat to Virginia Tech.

The matchup features a compelling duel at guard. Vanderbilt is led by dynamic sophomore Tyler Tanner, who is averaging 17.8 points and 6.3 assists over his last four games. He scored 23 points with 7 assists in the win over New Haven.

South Carolina will counter with veteran guard Meechie Johnson, who leads the team in scoring. Johnson had 15 points and 4 assists against Albany and scored 19 in a win over The Citadel earlier in December.

Vanderbilt’s high-powered offense, averaging 89.2 points per game, will test a South Carolina defense that has held opponents to 66.2 points per contest at home. The Commodores have shown balance, with Jalen Washington (21 points) and Tyler Harris (16 points) also starring in the last outing.

For South Carolina, forward Hayden Assemian provides an interior presence, coming off a 13-point performance, while transfer Mike Sharavjamts adds playmaking, dishing 7 assists against Albany.

This game marks the conference opener for both teams. Vanderbilt begins a brutal SEC slate, while South Carolina looks to build momentum before a difficult road trip to LSU next Tuesday.

Saturday’s tipoff is set for 6 p.m. EST. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.