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Even with the No. 1 basketball team in the country coming to town, the most daunting foe South Carolina must face this week is itself.
USC will play host to coach John Calipari and his band of former five-star recruits on Saturday as top-ranked Kentucky comes to Colonial Life Arena, no doubt seeking revenge for the Gamecocks' 72-67 upset of them last March in Columbia.
The Wildcats' credentials are staggering. They are 18-0 overall and 5-0 in SEC play, and a list of their notable victims includes No. 10 Louisville, No. 11 Kansas, No. 15 North Carolina, No. 17 Texas and Ole Miss.
They have two 7-footers and four more players who are taller than 6-foot-7. Kentucky is also arguably the deepest team in the country, with 11 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game and none averaging 26 minutes or more.
Still, the Gamecocks, losers of four of their last five games, have bigger problems.
"I've tried to stay positive, but we've been no good since we got back from New York," said coach Frank Martin after the Gamecocks' loss to Auburn on Tuesday.
Selfish play and lack of focus, leadership and energy have plagued the Gamecocks since they beat No. 9 Iowa State in Brooklyn to close out nonconference play in December, Martin said.
He lamented that his players seem to spend less time working on their own in the gym, offering that as an example of how USC's hasn't handled early-season success well.
The result? USC's shooting percentage has dipped as the Gamecocks have sandwiched a win between two-game losing streaks.
"Right now, we're a bunch of guys driving their own car in different lanes," Martin said. "Unless we decide to get back in that van we were driving when we were all in that van together in the same lane, we're not going to be able to overcome these teams in league play. They're too good."
Sophomore guard Sindarius Thornwell said Tuesday night that the Gamecocks would do some soul-searching before the challenge ahead on Saturday at noon.
"I think we have to go back to the drawing board and see what we have to do to get ourselves back to where we were before conference play," Thornwell said. "As far as Saturday, we're not really thinking about it. We're trying to find ourselves right now.
Martin wasn't sure Tuesday night whether the players would be able to handle their problems for themselves or if he would have to step in and make things considerably less fun in practice. Whatever happens, he said, something needs to change in a hurry.
"Whether we're playing the No. 1 team in the country, which we actually do, or a junior varsity high school team on Saturday," Martin said, "we have no chance to win unless we fix our problems."
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USC will play host to coach John Calipari and his band of former five-star recruits on Saturday as top-ranked Kentucky comes to Colonial Life Arena, no doubt seeking revenge for the Gamecocks' 72-67 upset of them last March in Columbia.
The Wildcats' credentials are staggering. They are 18-0 overall and 5-0 in SEC play, and a list of their notable victims includes No. 10 Louisville, No. 11 Kansas, No. 15 North Carolina, No. 17 Texas and Ole Miss.
They have two 7-footers and four more players who are taller than 6-foot-7. Kentucky is also arguably the deepest team in the country, with 11 players averaging more than 10 minutes per game and none averaging 26 minutes or more.
Still, the Gamecocks, losers of four of their last five games, have bigger problems.
"I've tried to stay positive, but we've been no good since we got back from New York," said coach Frank Martin after the Gamecocks' loss to Auburn on Tuesday.
Selfish play and lack of focus, leadership and energy have plagued the Gamecocks since they beat No. 9 Iowa State in Brooklyn to close out nonconference play in December, Martin said.
He lamented that his players seem to spend less time working on their own in the gym, offering that as an example of how USC's hasn't handled early-season success well.
The result? USC's shooting percentage has dipped as the Gamecocks have sandwiched a win between two-game losing streaks.
"Right now, we're a bunch of guys driving their own car in different lanes," Martin said. "Unless we decide to get back in that van we were driving when we were all in that van together in the same lane, we're not going to be able to overcome these teams in league play. They're too good."
Sophomore guard Sindarius Thornwell said Tuesday night that the Gamecocks would do some soul-searching before the challenge ahead on Saturday at noon.
"I think we have to go back to the drawing board and see what we have to do to get ourselves back to where we were before conference play," Thornwell said. "As far as Saturday, we're not really thinking about it. We're trying to find ourselves right now.
Martin wasn't sure Tuesday night whether the players would be able to handle their problems for themselves or if he would have to step in and make things considerably less fun in practice. Whatever happens, he said, something needs to change in a hurry.
"Whether we're playing the No. 1 team in the country, which we actually do, or a junior varsity high school team on Saturday," Martin said, "we have no chance to win unless we fix our problems."
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