SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Looking to follow up on consecutive seasons qualifying for the national postseason and coming off of the program's first appearance in the College Basketball Invitational, USC Upstate men's basketball begins its new season Monday, opening the season at South Carolina for the second time in three years and third time overall in the Division I era (2007-pres.).
 
Monday's game features tip-off at 7:00 p.m. ET from Colonial Life Arena in the Palmetto State capital and also marks the beginning of not just a new season, but a new partnership for Upstate athletics as the game is the first to be broadcast on the new Flagship Radio home of USC Upstate men's basketball Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3 FM. Ryan Clary serves as the new play-by-play voice for the Spartans and can be heard on all 29 regular season games and Big South Men's Basketball Championship games this season.
 
Monday's Matchup
November 6, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. ET
USC Upstate (0-0; 0-0 Big South) at South Carolina (0-0; 0-0 SEC)
Colonial Life Arena | Columbia, S.C.
 
TV: SECN+ | Via WatchESPN.com or the ESPN App
Radio: Fox Sports Spartanburg 98.3 FM/1400 AM | Also available via the FoxSports Spartanburg or TuneIn App
Weekly Coaches Interviews: Catch head coach Dave Dickerson weekly on Fox Sports Spartanburg every Tuesday at 4:20 p.m. ET.
 
How They Stack Up
Records: USC Upstate (0-0; 0-0 Big South); South Carolina (0-0; 0-0 SEC)
Series: South Carolina leads 6-1
Last Five Meetings: Nov. 25, 2022 (USC 68; UPST 53); Nov. 9, 2021 (USC 78; UPST 60); Nov. 6, 2018 (USC 65; UPST 52); Dec. 19, 2013 (UPST 74; USC 68); Dec. 31, 2011 (USC 72; UPST 66)
 
Players to Watch
USC Upstate: Entering the 2023-24 season, the Spartans feature multiple players honored as Preseason All-Big South selections, just the second time since joining the conference ahead of the 2018-19 season, as redshirt junior guard Trae Broadnax and sophomore guard Justin Bailey earned the nods. The duo represents Upstate's two leading returning scores, each averaging greater than 10.0 points per game, as Broadnax averaged 11.1 points and Bailey 10.6 points per game a season ago. Broadnax also paced the team in assists last season, passing out 99 while Bailey swiped 51 steals, marking the team's returning leader in the category.
 
South Carolina: Averaging 12.7 points per game last season, junior guard Meechie Johnson represents the Gamecocks leading returning scorer and the only of three double-figure scores from a year ago to return. He added 109 assists last season to his scoring total while leading the South Carolina lineup in minutes per game, averaging 33.3 per contest. The Gamecocks also feature multiple transfers seeking to make an impact with graduate forward B.J. Mack (Wofford/South Florida), junior guard Myles Stute (Vanderbilt), and graduate guard Ta'Lon Cooper (Minnesota/Morehead State) primed for the first opportunities.
 
Up Next for the Spartans
Beginning the season on a two-game Southeastern Conference road trip, the Spartans close the opening week of the regular season with a trip to Nashville, Tenn. Upstate faces Vanderbilt for the first time in the program's Division I era (2007-pres.) with tip-off slated for 7:00 p.m. ET on Nov. 10.
 
Connect with the Spartans 
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics 
Twitter | @UpstateMBB | @UpstateSpartans 
Instagram | @UpstateMBB | @UpstateSpartans 
YouTube.com/UpstateSpartans