South Carolina Beats Wake Forest in Exhibition

The Gamecocks secured a 78-69 victory in a preseason contest held at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center.

Updated on Oct. 16, 2026 in Basketball

South Carolina Beats Wake Forest in Exhibition

South Carolina claimed a 78-69 win over Wake Forest in an exhibition basketball game. The Gamecocks maintained a lead that reached as many as 17 points during the match.

Why it matters

The game provided a key test for a South Carolina roster that features 12 new players. The team utilized a rotation of nine players to evaluate their performance before the upcoming season.

Jakub Necas led the scoring with 22 points, while teammates Cam Heide, Marcus Johnson, and Juan Fernandez contributed 14, 13, and 10 points respectively. Fernandez also pulled down eight rebounds for the Gamecocks.

The players

Jakub Necas

He is a basketball player who paced the Gamecocks offense with a game-high 22 points.

Marcus Johnson

He is a member of the South Carolina basketball team who recorded 13 points in the exhibition.

Cam Heide

He is a South Carolina player who contributed 14 points to the team's victory.

Juan Fernandez

He is a Gamecocks player who added 10 points and eight rebounds to the winning effort.

The details

South Carolina deployed a starting lineup consisting of four transfers and one freshman in their win against Wake Forest. Shane Blakeney and Nasir Hines sat out the exhibition due to injuries.

October 10, 2026: South Carolina held a closed scrimmage against Davidson.
October 15, 2026: South Carolina played the exhibition game against Wake Forest.
October 21, 2026: Garnet and Black Madness event at Colonial Life Arena.
October 25, 2026: South Carolina hosts Campbell in an exhibition game.
November 3, 2026: South Carolina plays the season opener against Stetson.

Season Trajectory

This exhibition serves as a critical test for a significantly overhauled South Carolina roster aiming to build chemistry before conference play begins. The rotation choices made now provide early insight into how the coaching staff plans to manage the depth chart for the regular season.

Shane Blakeney is expected to return to the active rotation for the upcoming exhibition against Campbell. Fantasy managers and fans should monitor the minutes distribution among the 12 new players as the coaching staff solidifies the team hierarchy.

The takeaway

Preseason exhibitions are essential for integrating new talent, as evidenced by South Carolina utilizing four transfers in their opening lineup. Monitoring early performance metrics helps fans understand the potential ceiling for a heavily reconstructed roster.

What happens next

South Carolina will continue its preseason schedule with an exhibition game against Campbell on October 25, 2026, followed by the regular season opener against Stetson on November 3, 2026.