The 23-6 (13-3) Vols can clinch the outright SEC regular season title tonight with a win in Columbia over the surprise of the SEC, the 24-5 (12-4) South Carolina Gamecocks. The Vols are also in strong contention for a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time in program history and a victory over the Gamecocks keeps the Vols on that path. The Vols last loss in Columbia was in the 2019-2020 season. The Vols have won the last two meetings on the Gamecocks home floor, 81-57 in 2022, and 85-42 last year. This is an entirely different team in year two for Lamont Paris, the current favorite for SEC Coach of the Year. Tennessee is a 5.5 point favorite.