South-Carolina
Teary Wilson sees No. 22 retired by Gamecocks
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Reigning WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson stood at center court of Colonial Life Arena on Sunday, her hand on her heart and her parents’ arms wrapped around her as they looked up to the rafters, where a lone spotlight shined on her collegiate No. 22 jersey being unveiled and officially retired by South Carolina.
Wilson gently shook as tears rolled down her face.
According to South Carolina athletic department policy, just because a jersey is retired doesn’t mean the number is. Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley, however, made it clear: No one in a South Carolina uniform will ever wear No. 22 again.
“South Carolina shaped me, not just as an athlete but as a person,” Wilson said during the ceremony prior to the Gamecocks’ game against Auburn. “As I look in the rafters and see my jersey, I am reminded how important it is to chase your dreams without fear.”
The résumé Wilson built during her four years at South Carolina is long, and one Staley views as incomparable. The program’s first four-time All-American and the 2018 unanimous national player of the year, Wilson helped lead the Gamecocks to their first national title in 2017, its first Women’s Final Four in 2015, four SEC tournaments and three SEC regular-season titles.
She became the first player in league history to win SEC Player of the Year three times.
Individually, Wilson is the program’s all-time leader with 2,389 points and 363 blocks.
“There is no one more deserving than this weekend with A’ja,” Staley said Saturday. “She legitimized our program. She took it to another level, and we still feel her legacy to this day. Everybody still talks about her contributions to this program. Everyone is always comparing what her impact was when she was a student-athlete here, and that’s what legacy is.”
South Carolina requires a five-year waiting period before an athlete gets their jersey retired, which begins at the conclusion of their final year at the school.
Staley asked if they could shorten that time frame for Wilson. While the answer was no, the university did build a statue of her in 2021 — a plan they announced when Wilson graduated in 2018.
“It was almost a prelude to today,” Staley said. “If we couldn’t retire her jersey, what better way than to put a statue out in front.”
When Wilson’s statue was unveiled, it was still during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fans weren’t allowed to attend. There was no ceremony. Wilson spoke with reporters over Zoom.
For her jersey retirement, there was a sellout crowd. The players wore black warmup shirts with the No. 22 on the back. Wilson danced around the court after the ceremony, posing for photos with fans and the current Gamecocks team.
“I am super blessed to be able to see my jersey being hung from the rafters in my home,” Wilson said Saturday. “To be able to have everyone come in and enjoy the moment, I can share the moment with everyone.”
Added Staley: “I don’t think it could happen at a more appropriate time with her being the best player in the world, with her having the type of success she’s had. She’s given our program another platform.”
The No. 1 overall pick in 2018, Wilson has won two WNBA titles with the Las Vegas Aces and three league MVP awards — her most recent was unanimous. She also won her second gold medal last summer at the Paris Olympics with Team USA.
A native of Hopkins, South Carolina, just outside of Columbia, Wilson was the Gamecocks’ first No. 1 recruit.
Since her time at South Carolina, the Gamecocks’ women’s basketball program has gone on to win two more NCAA titles (2022, ’24), won 43 consecutive games (ended in Nov. 2024) and became just the 10th team in Division I history to complete an undefeated season in 2023-24.
“I never would have imagined this,” Wilson said. “I just came here wanting to win, wanting to be a sponge of it all. So to see the legacy, the longevity of this program and where it’s going, I beam.”
South-Carolina
SEC Tournament – South Carolina vs. Arkansas Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats
The SEC Tournament tips off Wednesday in Nashville with the South Carolina Gamecocks (12-19) taking on the Arkansas Razorbacks (19-12).
Some brackets have John Calipari’s club on the fringe of an NCAA Tournament invite. If so, the Razorbacks need at least a couple wins in the SEC Tournament. They take the court having won their last two games.
It has been a rough season for the Gamecocks. They have won just two conference games all season. One of those wins, however, was March 1 against these Razorbacks, 72-53. The Gamecocks held Arkansas to 14 points in the first half and Collin Murray-Boyles was fantastic that day scoring a career-high 35 points to lead USC to victory.
Lets dive into the matchup and offer some information and possibly a sweat or two.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the how to catch the opening tip, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Game details & how to watch South Carolina vs. Arkansas
- Date: Wednesday, March 12, 2025
- Time: 1:00PM EST
- Site: Bridgestone Arena
- City: Nashville, TN
- Network/Streaming: SEC Network
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest scores and player news. Check out our day-by-day NCAA Basketball Schedule Page that includes live game updates.
Game odds for Gamecocks at Razorbacks
The latest odds as of Tuesday courtesy of BetMGM:
- Odds: South Carolina Gamecocks (+135), Arkansas Razorbacks (-160)
- Spread: Razorbacks -3.5
- Total: 139.5 points
Expert picks & predictions for South Carolina vs. Arkansas
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NCAA calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, injuries, and the schedule.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Gamecocks & Razorbacks game:
- Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
- Spread: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play ATS on Arkansas -3.5.
- Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the OVER on the Game Total of 139.5.
South Carolina vs. Arkansas: Top betting trends and recent stats
- South Carolina is 14-16-1 ATS on the season
- South Carolina is 6-3-1 ATS in their last 10 games against Arkansas
- Arkansas is 13-17-1 ATS this season
- 4 of Arkansas’ last 5 games have gone OVER the Total
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NCAA Basketball Top Trends Tool on NBCSports.com!
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
· Jay Croucher (@croucherJD)
· Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper)
· Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports)
· Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — A man burned three Tesla chargers in a South Carolina parking lot and also apparently inadvertently set his clothes on fire, police said.
The man spray-painted “long live the Ukraine” and a crude reference to President Donald Trump on the pavement next to the charging stations Friday near an outlet mall in North Charleston, according to a report from the North Charleston Police.
The man then ignited an unidentified material stuffed into beer bottles and began to throw the bottles at the stations, police said. While doing so he caught the clothes on his back on fire, then ran from the parking lot, witnesses told police.
No arrests have been made, North Charleston Police spokesperson Harve Jacobs said Tuesday. The agency turned the investigation over to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Investigators collected the beer bottles while firefighters cut the power to the chargers and put out the blaze.
South-Carolina
Five things that must change for South Carolina basketball to go on an SEC Tournament run
South Carolina basketball finished the 2024-2025 regular season with a 12-19 overall record and a 2-16 mark in SEC play. However, that doesn’t mean that the Gamecocks are done playing basketball just yet. The SEC Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 13th, and USC could advance to the NCAA Tournament with a (miraculous?) championship run in Nashville.
South Carolina received a bit of a favorable draw through the early rounds. Arkansas–a team USC whipped just a week ago–is up first, and then, Ole Miss would be next. As far as hoping for an improbable run, that’s a good start. So, what else needs to change for the Gamecocks to shock the Southeastern Conference?
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Playing Defense
Let’s get this one out of the way. Unlike last season, South Carolina is not a great defensive team this year. However, the Gamecocks have the potential to limit opponents to low scoring outputs thanks to a slower-than-average pace of play and physical play. For Lamont Paris’ team to overcome its league-worst offense and win games, they have to keep the numbers on the scoreboard low.
For that to be possible, Carolina needs starting bigs Collin Murray-Boyles and Nick Pringle to lock down the paint. Murray-Boyles is one of the best overall defenders in the conference, and Pringle has higher potential on that end of the floor than his numbers might indicate. When reserves Jordan Butler and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk play, they have to hold their own, as well.
The most important part of the Gamecocks’ defensive effort, though, might be their 3-point defense. This season, South Carolina ranks 14th in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage allowed. Giving up easy looks from outside can’t happen in Nashville, or it will be a short stay in the Volunteer State.
Valuing the Basketball
On offense, South Carolina struggles. Perhaps the team’s biggest issue on that end of the floor is that they don’t value the basketball. The Gamecocks turn the ball over at the fourth-worst rate per game in the SEC. They also drop too many rebounds at times (not resulting in turnovers but losing a possession, nonetheless) and fumble passes that could have resulted in open shot attempts.
In South Carolina’s two SEC wins this year, the Gamecocks have averaged just 9.5 turnovers. In their 16 losses, that number is over 13 per game. Considering USC lost six SEC games this season by just one or two possessions and nine SEC games by 10 points or fewer, that 3.5-turnover average difference was impactful. Improving ball security should be a major priority this week.
Running the Offense
South Carolina’s point guard play has been a major point of conversation all this season. Neither Jamarii Thomas nor Jacobi Wright are traditional point guards but have been forced into starting duties on the perimeter this year. Whether it is Thomas or Wright stepping up as facilitators or secondary distributors like Collin Murray-Boyles or Zach Davis doing so, the Gamecock playmakers need to do a good job of running their offense and setting up their teammates.
In stark contrast to the Ta’Lon Cooper-led offense of a season ago, this year’s Gamecocks rank 14th in the SEC in total assists and barely have a positive assist-turnover ratio.
Carolina hasn’t won a game this year in which they have had fewer than 12 assists. They also are 7-3 in games in which they’ve dished out at least 15 dimes. That’s an impressive number for a team that has just 12 wins all year. Copying that blueprint will be essential if South Carolina has any shot at making an unexpected run this week.
Earning Confidence
To win five games at the SEC Tournament, South Carolina will have to play with more confidence than they have all year. The Gamecocks could earn some of that needed confidence in the tourney’s early rounds.
A week ago, South Carolina smacked the Arkansas Razorbacks around to the tune of a 72-53 win. The game also wasn’t nearly as close as the score indicated. Perhaps that could serve as a springboard into better play. Plus, if the Gamecocks pick up a pair of wins on Wednesday (Arkansas) and Thursday (Ole Miss), that would be the team’s first two-game winning streak since December.
What might South Carolina be able to accomplish if they consistently play with confidence for the first time in months?
Getting a Little Lucky
Frankly, unless a team is dominant (and South Carolina is not that), tournament runs require a little bit of luck. So far this season, the Gamecocks have not been very lucky.
In fact, according to hoops analytics guru Ken Pomeroy, USC ranks 343rd nationally in luck. That means that only 21 teams in the country have had a worse ratio of positive play to positive results this season. Essentially, Carolina has deserved to win several games this year that they wound up losing.
For an SEC Tournament run to happen for the men in garnet and black, the Gamecocks likely need Lady Luck to be on their side more than she has been.
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South Carolina’s SEC Tournament road starts on Wednesday. The No. 16-seed Gamecocks’ matchup with the No. 9-seed Arkansas Razorbacks will tip at Noon. SEC Network will broadcast the game, while the ESPN app makes it available via streaming.
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