The South Carolina basketball squad (5-6) will battle with the Wofford Terriers (7-5) in the Colonial Life Arena at 7 p.m. in what will be a crucial test for both teams as both are in need of win out-of-conference.

USC is 4-3 at home this year but they face a Wofford team that has a 2-3 road record so the home court advanatage is not as strong for USC in this game.  For the series, USC has won 24 of the last 25 meetings between the two schools.  So USC, based on history, should win this game.

Here is a quick preview:

The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the Southeastern Louisiana Lions by the score of 62-43.  The win moves the Gamecocks to a overall record of 5-6 and now they will have a week off before facing Wofford next week in a home game at the Colonial Life Arena.

So what did we learn from this win?  Here are five things:

The South Carolina basketball team (4-6) will square off against the Southeastern Louisiana Lions (5-4) tonight at the Colonial Life Arena at 7 p.m. 

USC should win this game as the Gamecocks have better overall talent but as seen before that does not mean the win will be handed to them.  The Gamecocks will have to play stronger on the interior and get the outside shots to fall.  SLU has good ball movement so the Gamecocks will have to play solid defense and play as a unit.

This is the first meeting between the two squads.  The Lions are 0-4 on the road and sport a RPI of #323.  The Gamecocks are 3-3 at home and have a RPI ranking of #213.

Gamecocks Key Player
Malik Cooke.  He dropped 21 points in a loss to No. 2 Ohio State.  Over the course of the last five games Malik Cooke is averaging 14.4 points per game and he will need to continue to lead the team.

Lions Key Player
SLU is paced by senior guard Brandon Fortenberry, averaging 17.6 points per game.  USC must limit him around the basket.

Key Stat
- South Carolina ranks first in the SEC in rebounding defense, as Carolina opponents collect just 31.2 rebounds per game. The Gamecocks have out-rebounded seven of 10 opponents this season.

Look for USC to win this game by 10 points.

The South Carolina Gamecocks (4-6) let a halftime lead slip in route to losing to the number two ranked Ohio State Buckeyes (10-1) by the score of 74-66 at the Colonial Life Arena.

Here are video highlights of the game:

The men’s basketball team at the University of South Carolina travels to Clemson, S.C to take on the Tigers on their turf.  USC won last year, 64-60, when the two teams clashed in Columbia but it is safe to say these are two different teams now.

The Gamecocks do lead the all-time series, 87-74, but the Tigers hold a 45-30 advantage over their in-state rival in home games.

The two teams enter going in different directions as the Tigers enter the game with a 4-2 record and defeated Iowa on the road, 71-55, as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Tuesday.  Whereas, the Gamecocks are 2-5 on the season, most recently falling at home to Providence on Thursday in the Big East/SEC Challenge.

Here is a some quick thoughts on the upcoming game:

Will Bruce Ellington resuce the South Carolina Gamecocks basketball team?  The Gamecocks need a boost and should get it when their starting point guard from last year, Bruce Ellington, rejoins the squad. 

Ellington had been a member of the football team since this past summer and now that the football regular season has concluded, he has been given the okay by Coach Steve Spurrier to get back to being a basketball player.  On the gridiron, he had 17 catches for 211 yards and one touchdown.

For the Gamecocks basketball team, this addition is a welcomed sight as they are in need of offensive production.

The South Carolina men's basketball team (1-1) will host Tennessee State (1-2) in Columbia, S.C with a 6 pm tip-off.

Sunday's contest begins Las Vegas Invitational play for the Gamecocks, as Carolina will host Tennessee State on Sunday, Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday and then travel to Las Vegas for Friday's matchup against No. 1 North Carolina. The Gamecocks will conclude Invitational play against either Southern California or UNLV.

The Gamecocks are looking to bounce back after a disappointing loss to Elon and Tennessee State looks like a perfect candidate to get the confidence back with a win.  Yet Tennessee State is not to be overlooked as they return their entire starting lineup from last season, including preseason all-conference selections junior Robert Covington and senior Kenny Moore.

Let's break it down some more:

It has been 24 hours since the Gamecocks basketball team suffered a loss to basketball powerhouse Elon Phoenix by the score of 58-53 to drop USC to 1-1 on the season.

Here is us and most of Gamecock Nation after this defeat:

The South Carolina Gamecocks basketball team opens up the season against the reigning Southern Conference Men's Basketball North Division co-Champion Western Carolina.  Tip is set for just after 7:00 pm at the Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C. and will be televised by SportSouth.

It is the eighth all-time meeting between the Catamounts and Gamecocks with WCU still searching for its first victory over the USC with a 0-7 overall mark.

Let's look at this game further....

The South Carolina basketball team will square off tonight against a pesky set of Panthers.

This is a exhibition game that will feature the Kentucky Wesleyan Panthers (19-10, NCAA Midwest Regional 1st Round, 5th Great Lakes Valley Conference East) vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (14-16, 6th SEC East), Thursday, Nov. 3, 6 p.m. ET, at the Colonial Life Center.

USC won 78-55 at Columbia on Nov. 4, 2010 in their last meeting and hold a 3-0 record against the Panthers in exhibition games.

The Gamecocks were 14-16 last season, 5-11 in the SEC.  They are picked to finish last in the SEC this season.  It will be interesting to see how the 'Cocks do in this game as USC is young.

KWC was chosen preseason No. 15 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). The Panthers were predicted to finish second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference East Division behind defending NCAA Champion Bellarmine by the league coaches.

Malik Cooke is the top returning scorer at 9.4 points per game for USC.  KW is led by Anthony Young, who collected Top 25 All-America recognition by Basketball Times.  He gets about 19 points a game.

I tell myself that USC should win this game but KW is no easy pushover so it will be fun to watch for so many reasons.