No. 4 Texas clashes with unbeaten home favorite No. 2 South Carolina. This heavyweight bout promises suffocating defense versus explosive offense Thursday night.
If you’re looking for a midseason gut check, this is it.
The No. 4 Texas Longhorns head east Thursday night to face the No. 2 South Carolina Gamecocks in Columbia, a clash that feels more like March than mid-January.
Both teams enter with nearly identical records - Texas at 18-1 (4-1 SEC), South Carolina at 17-1 (4-1 SEC) - and neither has shown much interest in blinking so far this season.
South Carolina hasn’t lost at home. Ten games, ten wins, and plenty of opponents leaving Colonial Life Arena shaking their heads, wondering what just happened.
The Gamecocks thrive on physicality and second chances, ranking seventh in the SEC in offensive rebounding.
Madina Okot has been a constant presence on the glass, pulling down rebounds the way your uncle grabs the last rib at a cookout ... no hesitation, no apologies.
Texas, meanwhile, counters with something just as intimidating with a defense that suffocates the joy out of opponents. The Longhorns allow just 53.2 points per game, third-best in the SEC, and hold teams under 37 percent shooting. Every bucket is earned, and every possession feels like work.
That pressure has fueled one of the nation’s most explosive offenses. Texas averages over 90 points per game, nearly 37 more than South Carolina typically allows. It’s strength-on-strength, and neither side is pretending otherwise.
For South Carolina, freshman star Joyce Edwards has been electric, averaging 20.7 points with the kind of confidence that suggests she’s never seen a big stage she didn’t like.
Pair that with Okot’s interior work, and the Gamecocks are as balanced as anyone in the country.
Texas answers with Madison Booker, who does a little bit of everything and then some. Nearly 20 points, over seven rebounds, four assists, and a defensive presence that turns passing lanes into danger zones. If Booker gets downhill early, Texas can dictate tempo, and that’s when things get uncomfortable for opponents.
The recent form only adds to the intrigue. South Carolina has ripped through its last 10 games undefeated, averaging nearly 90 points while shooting over 50 percent. Texas isn’t far behind, winning nine of its last 10 and forcing turnovers at a rate that makes ballhandlers nervous before they even cross half court.
This is the first meeting between the two this season, but it won’t be the last time these teams are mentioned in the same breath. Thursday night is about statements, positioning, and maybe a little bit of SEC swagger.
Bring snacks. Bring nerves. And don’t blink, because this one’s going to move fast.