Head coach Rodney Terry and Texas basketball (16-10, 5-8 SEC) are looking to close out SEC play for the final five regular season games on a strong note in late February and March. Texas battles the last-place South Carolina Gamecocks (10-16, 0-13 SEC) on the road in Columbia on Saturday night to start the final stretch run of this regular season.
Terry and the Longhorns got some good news on the injury front going into this contest against head coach Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks on Feb. 22. Texas is expected to get senior forward Arthur Kaluma back from a lower-body injury after the Longhorns' leading rebounder miss the past two games in SEC play.
Texas is favored by a few points against the Gamecocks after getting the week off this past week since the important four-point win over the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats at the Moody Center on Feb. 15.
The Longhorns are seeking a second straight victory in SEC play to get closer to solidifying its NCAA Tournament resume for the postseason and better seeding for the SEC conference tournament in a few weeks in mid-March.
Per the latest Bracketology bubble projections from ESPN's Joe Lunardi, the Longhorns are one of the last four teams getting a bye to the Round of 64 for March Madness this postseason.
Game predictions for Texas basketball vs. South Carolina
Tip-off between Texas and South Carolina is 7:30 p.m. CT at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC, on Feb. 22. The game will be nationally televised on SEC Network.
Andrew Miller: Texas-76, South Carolina-68
Shane Black: Texas-74, South Carolina-73
Brian Sweet: Texas-78, South Carolina-57
Terry's squad has scored at least 80 points in its past two games in SEC play against the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 15 Kentucky. Texas's improved rebounding success and three-point shooting from distance should receive a big boost tonight with the expected return of Kaluma to the starting five in the frontcourt.
South Carolina ranks last in the SEC in points per game and offensive rating. It has posed tough tests for multiple top-20 ranked teams in SEC play, including a recent overtime loss to a ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs squad.