As the No. 3-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks prepare for one of the most anticipated matchups of the 2025–26 NCAA season against the No. 6 Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers, a local reporter who once forecasted trouble for Dawn Staley’s squad is now walking it back.

Before the season tipped off, Jared Parker of South Carolina Sideline predicted LSU would hand the Gamecocks their lone SEC loss. But with the showdown now on the horizon, Parker is reconsidering his prediction publicly.

“My honest opinion is I would like to stick with the prediction I made. I don’t like going back on my predictions, but the South Carolina that we saw on Sunday, it’s really, really hard to pick against them,” Parker said on a recent episode of the show.

He further added, “After a 43-point win against Tennessee, where they just were good everywhere, seeing Alicia Tournebize get some confidence, making contested, first of all, if you have a 6’7 center making contested threes, good luck. I don’t know what to do at that point. So watching that team, watching Madina Okot get back in there the past couple of games and own the paint. I can’t pick against South Carolina. I hate that I’m changing it up because I don’t like changing my predictions, but I’m changing it up.”

• His change of heart isn’t rooted in hype or any trend. In their game against the Lady Vols, the Gamecocks didn’t simply beat them. They dismantled Kim Caldwell’s squad with 93–50 at Colonial Life Arena, handing them the largest margin of defeat in their history. Their previous loss record was at 31 points set in 1984.
• That level of dominance is what made this local South Carolina reporter reconsider.

Now, with Mulkey’s Tigers up next, picking against the Gamecocks suddenly feels like a risky bet, even when Dawn Staley is heading into this game with a “Win, lose, or draw, this game doesn’t hurt us” mindset. 

Why Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks Look Dangerous Entering LSU Showdown

As of Feb. 10, 2026, South Carolina currently sits at 24–2 overall and 10–1 in SEC play, ranked No. 3 in the AP Poll. The only setbacks they have faced so far came against No. 4 Texas in November and a surprising road stumble at Oklahoma. But still at Colonial Life Arena, they remain perfect at 14–0. However, for their upcoming game, the Gamecocks will have to enter a hostile environment.

In the ongoing season, the Gamecocks have consistently controlled every game they have played on both ends of the floor. Their blend of elite defense and offensive balance makes them difficult to scheme against. Yet what makes this squad particularly threatening is its versatility.

With size in the paint, shooting that stretches defenses, and a rotation that has tightened at the right time of year, South Carolina has shown how capable they are, as they manage to average 88.1 points per game, while allowing just 55.7.

Though the Tigers are scoring 96.6 points per game, they haven’t faced a defense quite like South Carolina’s.

With the game all set to take place on February 14 at Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, which team are you rooting for? Let us know in the comments.