South Carolina Gamecocks
SEC (22-10, 12-6)
South Carolina nearly made the NCAA Tournament in 2016. They had to settle for another trip to the NIT instead of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2004. Coach Frank Martin did come into this season with some big holes to fill, but he is starting to build a winning culture in Columbia.
Big Wins: 11/23 Michigan (61-46), 1/4 at Georgia (67-61), 1/18 Florida (57-53)
Bad Losses: 12/21 Clemson (60-62), 12/30 at Memphis (54-70), 2/7 Alabama (86-90)
Coach: Frank Martin
Why They Can Surprise:
The winning mentality comes from aggressive, physical defense. This season the Gamecocks allow just 64.5 points per game. The opposition shoots just 39.6 percent from the floor and a dismal 29.2 percent from beyond the arc. Those are some impressive numbers, but the South Carolina defense is not just about forcing the opposition to take bad shots; it is also about not allowing them to get a shot off in the first place. Only a few teams in the country force more turnovers than South Carolina. Sindarius Thornwell is the team’s top defender, but the 6-5 guard does everything else too. On top of his team high 2.2 steals per game, Thornwell also averages 21.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
Why They Can Disappoint:
PJ Dozier and Duane Notice join Thornwell in the backcourt and form a very good trio. All three are at least threats to shoot the long ball and are not afraid to attack the basket as well. Yet, this offense can be stagnant at times and the Gamecocks often have to rely on their defense to create easy offense. The team also takes a big step back when forward Chris Silva is not on the floor. Silva, a 6-9 sophomore, is the team’s most dangerous interior scorer and a solid shot blocker as well. However, he runs into a lot of foul trouble and the Gamecocks are a very different team when he is not on the floor. When the opposition attacks Silva and he is forced to the bench, South Carolina could be in trouble.
Probable Starters:
PJ Dozier, Sophomore, Guard, 13.6 ppg, 2.9 apg, 4.8 rpg
Duane Notice, Senior, Guard, 10.1 ppg, 2.3 apg
Sindarius Thornwell, Senior, Guard, 21.0 ppg, 2.8 apg, 7.2 rpg, 2.2 spg
Chris Silva, Sophomore, Forward, 9.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 1.3 bpg
Maik Kotsar, Freshman, Forward, 5.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Key Role Players:
Sedee Keita, Freshman, Forward, 1.3 ppg, 2.2 rpg
Justin McKie, Senior, Guard, 4.3 ppg, 1.3 apg
Rakym Felder, Freshman, Guard, 5.4 ppg, 1.3 apg
Hassani Gravett, Sophomore, Guard, 3.6 ppg, 1.5 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 72.7 (188th in nation, 9th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 64.5 (31, 1)
Field-Goal Percentage: 69.4 (196, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.6 (18, 1)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.8 (223, 7)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.1 (222, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.4 (196, 8)
Rebound Margin: 1.4 (142, 7)
Assists Per Game: 12.8 (225, 9)
Turnovers Per Game: 13.5 (224, 9)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2016 NIT First Round win over High Point
2016 NIT Second Round loss to Georgia Tech
2009 NIT First Round loss to Davidson
2006 NIT First Round win over Western Kentucky
2006 NIT Second Round win over Florida State
2006 NIT Quarterfinal win over Cincinnati
2006 NIT Semifinal win over Louisville
2006 NIT Final win over Michigan
2005 NIT First Round win over Miami
2005 NIT Second Round win over UNLV
2005 NIT Quarterfinal win over Georgetown
2005 NIT Semifinal win over Maryland
2005 NIT Final win over St. Joseph's
2004 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Memphis
2002 NIT First Round win over Virginia
2002 NIT Second Round win over UNLV
2002 NIT Quarterfinal win over Ball State
2002 NIT Semifinal win over Syracuse
2002 NIT Final loss to Memphis
*all team stats through 3/5
