Garnet & Black Madness Kicks Off 2026-27 Season at Colonial Life Arena, With Soulja Boy Closing the Night
South Carolina’s men’s and women’s basketball teams held their annual Garnet and Black Madness on Wednesday night at Colonial Life Arena, an event meant to unofficially kick off the 2026-27 slate. Rapper Soulja Boy capped the evening.
How the night was set up
Doors opened at 6 p.m., with team introductions and all-star style competitions starting at 7 p.m. Soulja Boy took the stage after the team portion to close the night. Women’s head coach Dawn Staley and men’s head coach Lamont Paris were there with their rosters. The teams took part in a 3-point contest, a skills event and a dunk contest.
The headline moments
- Dunk contest: Hayden Assemian impressed the crowd for the second straight year. For his finale he jumped over teammate Aleksas Bieliauskas, Tessa Johnson and Chloe Kitts.
- 3-point contest: Tessa Johnson won the shooting event.
- Soulja Boy: The Atlanta rapper rose to fame with his self-released 2007 debut single “Crank That,” which spent seven non-consecutive weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Women’s players to watch
I couldn’t find a full recap of the skills event, so I can’t say how Jordan Lee, Brooke Quarles-Daniels or Agot Makeer did in the competitions. The only confirmed involvement is Kitts’ part in Assemian’s dunk finale. Here is what’s known about each player heading into the season:
- Chloe Kitts: She is back after missing 2025-26 while recovering from an ACL injury. She was also voted to the SEC preseason second team.
- Jordan Lee: The junior guard is a Texas transfer. ESPN ranked her sixth on its list of the most impactful transfers after she averaged 13.2 points, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game in 2025-26.
- Brooke Quarles-Daniels: She is the Michigan fifth-year transfer whose eligibility was in the news this week. She is expected to run the second unit at point guard.
- Agot Makeer: She returns for her second season after a dominant postseason, ranking second on the team in scoring at the NCAA Tournament and earning a spot on the Regional All-Tournament Team.
The bigger picture
The event comes with both programs at the top of the polls. South Carolina claimed the top spot in both national polls. The women’s team opens its season Nov. 2 against Maryland in Paris.
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