South Carolina
Mascot: Gamecocks
Colors: Crimson and Black
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Head Coach: Frank Martin (at SC: 166-143, Career: 283-197)
Series Info:
UK leads 53-13
In Columbia: UK leads 20-9
Last 4: Teams have split winning at home
Schedule/Record
NOVEMBER
9 USC Upstate W, 78-60
12 vs. Princeton L, 66-62
14 vs. Western Kentucky W, 75-64
18 UAB W, 66-63
23 Wofford W, 85-74
28 Rider W, 65-58
DECEMBER
1 at Coastal Carolina L, 80-56
5 Georgetown W, 80-67
12 vs. Florida State W, 66-65
14 Allen W, 110-55
18 at Clemson L, 56-70
22 Army W, 105-75
JANUARY
4 #9/9 Auburn L, 66-81
8 at Vanderbilt W, 72-20
11 #22/23 at Tennessee L, 44-64
15 Florida L, 63-71
18 at Arkansas L, 59-75
22 Georgia W, 83-66
26 Vanderbilt W, 70-61
29 at Texas A&M W, 74-63
FEBRUARY
1 at Mississippi State L, 64-78
5 #22/20 Tennessee L, 57-81
Game Information
Feb 8 #5/4 Kentucky @ South Carolina 7 p.m. EST
TV/Radio: ESPN / UK Sports Network
ESPN Crew:
Play by Play: Karl Ravich
Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
Sideline: Marty Smith
Probable Starters
#23 Devin Carter G 6-3 188 Fr. 8.5pts, 3.3reb, 27.9% from 3
#0 James Reese G 6-4 170 Gr. 10.7pts, 2.7reb, 37.4% from 3
#10 Erik Stevenson G 6-4 209 Sr. 11.3pts, 4.3reb, 2.5ast, 31.5% from 3
#24 Keyshawn Bryant F 6-6 187 Sr. 7.2pts, 2.8reb, 21.7% from 3
#15 Wildens Leveque C 6-10 255 Jr. 7.6pts, 5.2reb, no 3pt threat
Key Reserves
#5 Jermaine Couisnard G 6-4 211 RS Jr. 9.6pts, 2.6reb, 34.7% from 3
#2 Chico Carter G 6-3 189 Jr. 4.8pts, 0.6reb, 39.3% from 3
#1 Jacobi Wright G 6-2 180 Fr. 4.6pts, 1.8reb, 27.5% from 3
#4 Tre-Vaughn Minott C 6-9 270 So 2.2pts, 2.1reb
#12 AJ Wilson F 6-7 234 Grad 4.1pts, 3.6reb, no 3pt threat
#33 Josh Gray 7-0 255 So 3.2reb, 4.0reb (may return vs UK)
Team Statistics
Points per game 70.8
Points allowed 68.4
Scoring margin +2.4
Field goal pct .425
FG% allowed .403
3-point FG pct .321
3pt FG% allowed .323
Free throw pct .651
Rebounds per game 38.6
Rebounds allowed 35.9
Rebounding margin +2.7
Assists per game 13.4
Turnovers per game 15.0
Turnovers forced 15.6
Turnover margin +0.5
Assist/turnover ratio 0.9
Steals per game 8.0
Blocks per game 5.2
KenPom Numbers
Offensive Efficiency: #227 nationally
Defensive Efficiency: #33 nationally
Best Numbers
Block %- 14.2% #22 nationally
2pt FG% Defense: 45.6% #33 nationally
Turnover % Defense: 21.9% #37 nationally
Worst Numbers
Offensive Steals %: 12.1% #352 nationally
FT%: 65% #341 nationally
Turnover %: 21.5% #328 nationally
Effective FG%: 47.2% #288 nationally
Analysis: Kentucky makes the trip to Columbia, SC on Tuesday night at 7 pm EST for an ESPN game to take on Frank Martin and his Gamecocks in Colonial Life Arena and a likely capacity crowd of around 18,000. South Carolina has had a rough season in 2021-22 and comes into this game sporting a 13-9 overall record and a 4-6 record in the SEC. The headliner in this game is Kentucky, which is now ranked #4 in the Coaches Poll and #5 in the AP and is looking to continue its recent road success in Columbia. They’re also looking to break a 2-game losing streak in Columbia, having lost to SC on the road its last 2 times visiting in 2018 and 2020. SC is coming off a pretty embarrassing home loss to Tennessee Saturday night, an 81-57 beatdown, so they’re probably still stinging from that one.
The first thing that jumps out at me for South Carolina is their offense, and not for any positive reason. For a high major and an SEC team, SC’s offense is abysmal and is the primary culprit for their poor record on the season and in the conference. They are ranked #227 in offensive efficiency and a closer look reveals that they have multiple issues, including poor 2pt shooting (#282), poor 3pt shooting (#269), and they turn the ball over more frequently than 327 other teams in D1. They give up steals at an alarming rate- 12.1% of their offensive possessions end in a steal, which is #352 in the nation. So, the question is this: how have these guys won 13 games? The answer is their defense. They are very good defensively. In overall efficiency, they are #33 in the nation. Really, they have to be, because their offense is so bad. They block shots very well. They defend the 2 and the 3 pretty well. They force turnovers and steal the ball pretty well. They aren’t exactly an elite defensive unit, but that keeps them in games.
From a personnel standpoint, Frank Martin always tries to go 10 deep and this season is no exception. The most consistent player on the team is #10 Erik Stevenson, a 6-4 209 Senior guard who is averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He’s not a great shooter, only hitting 31.5% from 3, but he finds other ways to score and he is their best playmaker as well. The best shooter among the starters is #0 James Reese, a 6-4 170 Grad student averaging 10.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and shooting 37.4% from 3. The final member of the backcourt is #23 Devin Carter, a 6-3 188 Freshman averaging 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and shooting only 27.9% from 3. You can see from these numbers why the team’s 3pt shooting is not very good. The frontcourt anchor is #15 Wildens Leveque, a load at 6-10 255. He averages 7.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and leads the team with 19 blocked shots this season. The guy playing the 4 is #24 Keyshawn Bryant, a 6-6 187 Senior who averages 7.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and shooting 21.7% from 3. He gets most of his points around the basket.
From the bench, Martin brings in a bunch of different guys, though the best scorer among them is #5 Jermaine Couisnard, a 6-4 211 RS Junior averaging 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and shoots 34.7% from 3. He’s actually the 3rd leading scorer on the team off the bench. You can look at the other guards above. We will likely see them all. SC does have some beef coming off the bench in #4 Tre-Vaughn Minott, a 6-9 270lb Sophomore. They also have the LSU transfer #33 Josh Gray, a 7-0 255lb Sophomore who is said to be returning against UK.
I fully expect a sell-out crowd for this game tonight. I also expect some kind of give-away or t-shirt night. I fully expect South Carolina to pressure the ball and try to force as many steals as possible, which is their best bet. We will likely see some trapping on that high screen and roll. I expect the Gamecocks to come out playing like their hair is on fire. If they can score early, the place will be raucous and loud, just like every other venue we’ve visited this season. If they are hitting shots better than usual, they may make a game of it. However, in the final analysis, South Carolina’s biggest weakness has become one of UK’s biggest strengths as this season has progressed. They will struggle to put together scoring runs of any kind against UK’s defense, which is now up to #11 nationally in efficiency. So Kentucky's scoring margin will likely widen as the game progresses. If UK comes out hitting shots, the game could be over early. It will take a monumental shooting night for SC to stay in this one. KenPom predicts UK 76 SC 63.
My Prediction: Kentucky 74 SC 58
Mascot: Gamecocks
Colors: Crimson and Black
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Head Coach: Frank Martin (at SC: 166-143, Career: 283-197)
Series Info:
UK leads 53-13
In Columbia: UK leads 20-9
Last 4: Teams have split winning at home
Schedule/Record
NOVEMBER
9 USC Upstate W, 78-60
12 vs. Princeton L, 66-62
14 vs. Western Kentucky W, 75-64
18 UAB W, 66-63
23 Wofford W, 85-74
28 Rider W, 65-58
DECEMBER
1 at Coastal Carolina L, 80-56
5 Georgetown W, 80-67
12 vs. Florida State W, 66-65
14 Allen W, 110-55
18 at Clemson L, 56-70
22 Army W, 105-75
JANUARY
4 #9/9 Auburn L, 66-81
8 at Vanderbilt W, 72-20
11 #22/23 at Tennessee L, 44-64
15 Florida L, 63-71
18 at Arkansas L, 59-75
22 Georgia W, 83-66
26 Vanderbilt W, 70-61
29 at Texas A&M W, 74-63
FEBRUARY
1 at Mississippi State L, 64-78
5 #22/20 Tennessee L, 57-81
Game Information
Feb 8 #5/4 Kentucky @ South Carolina 7 p.m. EST
TV/Radio: ESPN / UK Sports Network
ESPN Crew:
Play by Play: Karl Ravich
Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
Sideline: Marty Smith
Probable Starters
#23 Devin Carter G 6-3 188 Fr. 8.5pts, 3.3reb, 27.9% from 3
#0 James Reese G 6-4 170 Gr. 10.7pts, 2.7reb, 37.4% from 3
#10 Erik Stevenson G 6-4 209 Sr. 11.3pts, 4.3reb, 2.5ast, 31.5% from 3
#24 Keyshawn Bryant F 6-6 187 Sr. 7.2pts, 2.8reb, 21.7% from 3
#15 Wildens Leveque C 6-10 255 Jr. 7.6pts, 5.2reb, no 3pt threat
Key Reserves
#5 Jermaine Couisnard G 6-4 211 RS Jr. 9.6pts, 2.6reb, 34.7% from 3
#2 Chico Carter G 6-3 189 Jr. 4.8pts, 0.6reb, 39.3% from 3
#1 Jacobi Wright G 6-2 180 Fr. 4.6pts, 1.8reb, 27.5% from 3
#4 Tre-Vaughn Minott C 6-9 270 So 2.2pts, 2.1reb
#12 AJ Wilson F 6-7 234 Grad 4.1pts, 3.6reb, no 3pt threat
#33 Josh Gray 7-0 255 So 3.2reb, 4.0reb (may return vs UK)
Team Statistics
Points per game 70.8
Points allowed 68.4
Scoring margin +2.4
Field goal pct .425
FG% allowed .403
3-point FG pct .321
3pt FG% allowed .323
Free throw pct .651
Rebounds per game 38.6
Rebounds allowed 35.9
Rebounding margin +2.7
Assists per game 13.4
Turnovers per game 15.0
Turnovers forced 15.6
Turnover margin +0.5
Assist/turnover ratio 0.9
Steals per game 8.0
Blocks per game 5.2
KenPom Numbers
Offensive Efficiency: #227 nationally
Defensive Efficiency: #33 nationally
Best Numbers
Block %- 14.2% #22 nationally
2pt FG% Defense: 45.6% #33 nationally
Turnover % Defense: 21.9% #37 nationally
Worst Numbers
Offensive Steals %: 12.1% #352 nationally
FT%: 65% #341 nationally
Turnover %: 21.5% #328 nationally
Effective FG%: 47.2% #288 nationally
Analysis: Kentucky makes the trip to Columbia, SC on Tuesday night at 7 pm EST for an ESPN game to take on Frank Martin and his Gamecocks in Colonial Life Arena and a likely capacity crowd of around 18,000. South Carolina has had a rough season in 2021-22 and comes into this game sporting a 13-9 overall record and a 4-6 record in the SEC. The headliner in this game is Kentucky, which is now ranked #4 in the Coaches Poll and #5 in the AP and is looking to continue its recent road success in Columbia. They’re also looking to break a 2-game losing streak in Columbia, having lost to SC on the road its last 2 times visiting in 2018 and 2020. SC is coming off a pretty embarrassing home loss to Tennessee Saturday night, an 81-57 beatdown, so they’re probably still stinging from that one.
The first thing that jumps out at me for South Carolina is their offense, and not for any positive reason. For a high major and an SEC team, SC’s offense is abysmal and is the primary culprit for their poor record on the season and in the conference. They are ranked #227 in offensive efficiency and a closer look reveals that they have multiple issues, including poor 2pt shooting (#282), poor 3pt shooting (#269), and they turn the ball over more frequently than 327 other teams in D1. They give up steals at an alarming rate- 12.1% of their offensive possessions end in a steal, which is #352 in the nation. So, the question is this: how have these guys won 13 games? The answer is their defense. They are very good defensively. In overall efficiency, they are #33 in the nation. Really, they have to be, because their offense is so bad. They block shots very well. They defend the 2 and the 3 pretty well. They force turnovers and steal the ball pretty well. They aren’t exactly an elite defensive unit, but that keeps them in games.
From a personnel standpoint, Frank Martin always tries to go 10 deep and this season is no exception. The most consistent player on the team is #10 Erik Stevenson, a 6-4 209 Senior guard who is averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He’s not a great shooter, only hitting 31.5% from 3, but he finds other ways to score and he is their best playmaker as well. The best shooter among the starters is #0 James Reese, a 6-4 170 Grad student averaging 10.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and shooting 37.4% from 3. The final member of the backcourt is #23 Devin Carter, a 6-3 188 Freshman averaging 8.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and shooting only 27.9% from 3. You can see from these numbers why the team’s 3pt shooting is not very good. The frontcourt anchor is #15 Wildens Leveque, a load at 6-10 255. He averages 7.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and leads the team with 19 blocked shots this season. The guy playing the 4 is #24 Keyshawn Bryant, a 6-6 187 Senior who averages 7.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and shooting 21.7% from 3. He gets most of his points around the basket.
From the bench, Martin brings in a bunch of different guys, though the best scorer among them is #5 Jermaine Couisnard, a 6-4 211 RS Junior averaging 9.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and shoots 34.7% from 3. He’s actually the 3rd leading scorer on the team off the bench. You can look at the other guards above. We will likely see them all. SC does have some beef coming off the bench in #4 Tre-Vaughn Minott, a 6-9 270lb Sophomore. They also have the LSU transfer #33 Josh Gray, a 7-0 255lb Sophomore who is said to be returning against UK.
I fully expect a sell-out crowd for this game tonight. I also expect some kind of give-away or t-shirt night. I fully expect South Carolina to pressure the ball and try to force as many steals as possible, which is their best bet. We will likely see some trapping on that high screen and roll. I expect the Gamecocks to come out playing like their hair is on fire. If they can score early, the place will be raucous and loud, just like every other venue we’ve visited this season. If they are hitting shots better than usual, they may make a game of it. However, in the final analysis, South Carolina’s biggest weakness has become one of UK’s biggest strengths as this season has progressed. They will struggle to put together scoring runs of any kind against UK’s defense, which is now up to #11 nationally in efficiency. So Kentucky's scoring margin will likely widen as the game progresses. If UK comes out hitting shots, the game could be over early. It will take a monumental shooting night for SC to stay in this one. KenPom predicts UK 76 SC 63.
My Prediction: Kentucky 74 SC 58
