This is a pivotal stretch of the offseason for teams with programs across the country putting the final touches on their 2020-21 non-conference schedules.
The Gamecocks are no different than any other program trying to finalize their plans.
Here's a look at how things stand currently with things obviously subject to change as the financial impact of COVID-19 could change the schedule or things could shift before things are finalized.
The Gamecocks have eight games that have been made public over the last few weeks or so (and some that are on the schedule every year) with five having specific dates already attached to them.
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According to D1Docket, the Gamecocks will host Radford on Nov. 12 and Western Carolina No. 19 as part of the Hall of Fame Classic, which they'll participate in this season.
Radford was one of the Big South's best teams, finishing with 21 wins—15 in the conference—and has been one of the league's better teams the last few years under Mike Jones.
Western Carolina won 19 games last year as part of the SoCon and finished No. 136 in college basketball's NET rankings, and made it all the way to the semifinals of the conference tournament this season, losing to eventual champion East Tennessee State.
The Gamecocks are also set to play in the Hall of Fame Classic on-site tournament with three other teams in TCU, California and Northwestern. Matchups haven't been set yet but the tournament is Nov. 23 and 24 in Kansas City, Mo.
They'll play one of those three teams Nov. 23 and, depending on how they do, will play the winner/loser of the other game the following day.
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Of those three teams, TCU was the best last season, finishing 16-16 (7-11 Big 12) and No. 93 in the NET.
Cal is coming off a 14-win season (No. 139 NET) in it's first season under head coach Mark Fox and Northwestern went 8-23 and finished No. 164 in the NET.
They also have a Dec. 14 game scheduled at George Washington in Washington D.C., according to Jon Rothstein, which is an area they recruit heavily and have ties to with assistant Bruce Shingler coaching grassroots basketball in the DMV before getting into college coaching.
This is part of a multi-year deal with the Colonials as well, who finished 12-20 last season in Jamion Christian's first year there and finished No. 219 in the NET.
The Gamecocks have a few games set without dates, including reportedly hosting Army, according to Rothstein, as part of their non-conference schedule.
They'll also have the return trip to Houston as part of the AAC/SEC Challenge and its annual rivalry game against Clemson.
In total so far, there are two games scheduled against teams that finished in the top 100 of the NET last season—Houston (20) and Clemson (81)—with the potential for more if the Gamecocks draw TCU in the Hall of Fame Classic.
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In terms of the SEC schedule, the full schedule hasn't been released yet but they'll obviously play all 13 teams at least once with their standard home-and-home games every year in Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi State.
