Michigan basketball set to open season vs. No. 1 South Carolina in Vegas

ANN ARBOR — Michigan, with a revamped roster that could include three freshmen starters, faces the ultimate test to open the season.

The Wolverines play No. 1 South Carolina, the defending national champions, on Monday night in Las Vegas (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT).

“At the end of last (season) I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe we agreed to this,’” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said recently. “And then I called (freshmen) Syla (Swords) and Olivia (Olson) and they’re like, ‘Let’s go, Coach. This is awesome.’ We want to play against the best and test ourselves against the best that there is.”

South Carolina certainly qualifies. The Gamecocks went 38-0 last season, outscoring opponents by an average of 29 points per game. That included a 12-point win over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the national championship, their second title in three years.

South Carolina lost star center Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA but returns 87 percent of its minutes and 84 percent of its scoring from last season. In the preseason AP poll, South Carolina garnered 27 of 30 first-place votes.

“It will be great competition for sure,” Barnes Arico said, “and a great measuring stick early in the season.”

Michigan has faced No. 1 just once before, losing 89-54 to Iowa on Feb. 7, 1988.

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On her radio show last week, Barnes Arico highlighted South Carolina’s size, toughness, and athleticism. MiLaysia Fulwiley (a sophomore who plays like Russell Westbrook in his prime) and Te-Hina Papao form one of the country’s best backcourts.

Frontcourt starters Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin are among the seven Gamecocks who stand at least 6-foot-2 (including two who are 6-5). Freshman Joyce Edwards is the No. 3 recruit in the country, per ESPN, one of three five-star prospects to join the program this season.

Barnes Arico knows South Carolina coach Dawn Staley well. They’re the same age; Staley was in Philadelphia at Temple while Barnes Arico was at St. John’s in New York. Barnes Arico was an assistant on Staley’s staff with USA basketball in 2014 and 2015, as the United States won a pair of gold medals at FIBA youth events.

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“She’s one of the best coaches in the business,” Barnes Arico said. “But I’m even more impressed with how she has used her platform and voice to fight for opportunities for women in this game. I think she’s really made a difference.” Barnes Arico’s daughter, Cece Arico, a top-20 player in the 2027 class, holds a scholarship offer from South Carolina.

Michigan traveled west on Saturday to get acclimated to the three-hour time difference, with the plan to practice at the Aces’ practice facility on Saturday and T-Mobile Arena on Sunday. Monday’s game is part of the Hall of Fame series, a doubleheader that includes a men’s game between Ohio State and Texas at 10 p.m. ET.

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