Gamecocks’ schedule taking shape, with men’s basketball adding Asheville tournament
The South Carolina men’s basketball schedule is rounding into form, with the team announcing Wednesday that it will play in the inaugural Asheville Championship in November.
The four-team tournament includes the Gamecocks, Princeton, Minnesota and Western Kentucky and will be played at Harrah’s Cherokee Center-Asheville in North Carolina on Nov. 12 and 14. Frank Martin’s team will open play against Princeton and will face either Minnesota or Western Kentucky in its second game.
“I’m extremely excited for our team to be a part of the inaugural Asheville Championship,” Martin said in the school’s official release. “The event’s proximity to our state and campus will allow our great fans the opportunity to come and support us.”
The brand new Asheville Championship is inspired by last year’s Maui Jim Maui Invitational, which was played in Asheville instead of Hawaii due to the COVID-19 pandemic. KemperLesnik operates both tournaments.
Though dates and times have yet to trickle in, the rest of the Gamecocks’ schedule has been revealed through bits and pieces in recent weeks. Most recently, the SEC announced conference opponents for next season. Among the highlights, USC will host Kentucky and Florida and will travel to Arkansas and Alabama.
In the non-conference portion of the season, USC will host Georgetown on Dec. 5, and CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein reported this offseason that the Gamecocks have agreed to home-and-home series with Rider, UAB and Western Kentucky.
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 10:15 AM with the headline "Gamecocks’ schedule taking shape, with men’s basketball adding Asheville tournament."
