Tennessee vs. South Carolina injury report and predictions, March 6: Latest on Myles Stute and more

The No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (23-6, 13-3 SEC) visit the No. 17 South Carolina Gamecocks (24-5, 12-4) on Wednesday night with tipoff at 7 p.m. ET. The matchup between two conference opponents will be broadcast live on ESPN2 from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, SC.

The Volunteers enter this contest on a six-game win streak, which includes consecutive victories over No. 13 Auburn and No. 16 Alabama. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks pushed their win streak to three in a row after defeating Florida 82-76 on Saturday.

Tennessee has been able to stay healthy for its late-season push, but South Carolina does have a few players listed on its injury report ahead of tonight's contest. Here is the latest update on the injuries for this game.

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Tennessee vs. South Carolina basketball injuries

Myles Stute, South Carolina

Senior guard Myles Stute is listed as questionable for tonight's contest with a knee sprain during a practice in February. However, it does appear Stute is expected to suit up for this game. After the team's practice on Tuesday, coach Lamont Paris offered this update regarding Stute's status tonight:

"He's going to try to give it a go, I think. Seemed like he was good. Just about 11 seconds ago got the word from (trainer Mark Rodger) that he felt pretty good today. He'll be available, and we'll see what that looks like."

The Gamecocks have managed things without Stute available, going 3-0 during his absence. The transfer from Vanderbilt is averaging 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 23 games and 17 starts this season.

Arden Conyers, South Carolina

Freshman guard Arden Conyers has redshirted his first season due to the team's depth and flexibility at that position. As a lengthy wing player, Conyers will likely see the floor when needed for the Gamecocks next season.

He suffered an Achilles injury and will miss the rest of the 2023-24 season.

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Tennessee vs. South Carolina predictions

According to ESPN BET, the Volunteers enter this contest as 5.5-point favorites over South Carolina. The Gamecocks defeated the Vols 63-59 when these two teams met on Jan. 30. If Myles Stute can log some minutes tonight for South Carolina, that could be huge for the school, as he gave it 13 points off the bench in the last head-to-head matchup.

The main focus for the Gamecocks will need to be on slowing down Tennessee senior guard Dalton Knecht. Knecht has been one of the top players in the country this season, averaging 20.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists. In the previous matchup against South Carolina, Knecht tortured the Gamecocks, logging 31 points and seven boards.

The Volunteers will be on the road for tonight's contest before returning home to close out their regular season against No. 15 Kentucky. Tennessee sits atop the SEC standings, but South Carolina remains just one game behind them, making this a vital outing for both squads.

South Carolina has found success this season largely due to the duo of junior guard Meechie Johnson and senior forward B.J. Mack. Both average double-figure scoring and over four rebounds. Johnson will look for a better performance this time around against the Vols after shooting 1-8 from the field and finishing with just three points in their first meeting this season.

The Gamecocks will play their second straight home game tonight before they finish their regular season on the road against Mississippi State on Saturday. Tonight's game could propel South Carolina to a first-place finish in the SEC standings, with just one game separating them from Tennessee.

If the Gamecocks can contain Dalton Knecht, they'll have a better chance to emerge victorious tonight. However, that task is easier said than done, and Knecht continues to light up the scoreboard in each game. This contest should stay close, but Tennessee will be motivated to get its revenge from the first matchup and widen the gap at the top of the SEC standings.

Prediction: TENN 71, SC 67