Gamecocks kicks off SEC game against Aggies

South Carolina basketball finally starts playing at the conference on Wednesday.

After a long delay, the South Carolina basketball team returned to the court last weekend and won their second victory of the season, a 78-71 defeat against Florida A&M. It was the first home game of the year for Gamecocks, having lost almost a month of action due to COVID problems in the locker room.

Tonight, South Carolina will play a second game in a row at the Colonial Life Arena, starting the SEC part of the calendar against Texas A&M. The Aggies clash 6-2 (1-1), coming out of a 68-66 victory against SEC opponent West Auburn. They opened the conference game with a defeat for LSU.

The opening of the SEC originally scheduled for Gamecocks was supposed to be in Kentucky last week, but it was forced to be postponed. The makeup date has not yet been set, but Frank Martin has been adamant about rescheduling.

Even in Saturday’s victory over the Rattlers, South Carolina had only eight players available, leaving Gamecocks with a very thin bench. However, they received good news this week, as it looks like second year striker Jalyn McCreary will be back against the Aggies. McCreary scored eight points from 60% of the pitches on his last attempt, and should provide Frank Martin’s unit with some depth and experience on the pitch.

On the backcourt, Gamecocks have veteran guards Jermaine Couisnard and AJ Lawson. Lawson scored 25 points in the victory over Florida A&M, and Couisnard added 15. Striker Justin Minaya also added 10 points and 10 rebounds to win his first double-double of the year. He scored 10 points or more in three consecutive games.

Although the sample size is slightly larger for Aggies, both teams score 69 points as a team. The offensive numbers have been almost identical, with both groups shooting about 45% from the ground and 30% from outside the arc. Texas A&M, however, has been a little more solid in defense, where it has managed to hold six of its eight opponents with less than 70 points. Gamecocks will need to remain aggressive, attack the hoop and create open looks to come out with a victory.

Players to watch

Miller is leading the Aggies in scoring and rebounding, and has been the most consistent player on the team in the first eight matches. He scored double digits in every game this year, including three 20-point performances. He scored 16 points from 16 shots, the best of the season, against Auburn last week.

Minaya is the workhorse who does everything on the South Carolina list, playing anywhere in 2-4 positions on the court. He is quick enough to deal with the guards on the defensive side of the ball and long enough to defend the painting, which he will have to do against the best player in the Aggies.

Minaya is coming out of a double-double on his last attempt, and leads the Gamecocks in recovery. He scored double digits in three consecutive competitions.

Key to the game

Turnover limit

The Gamecocks have delivered the ball in nearly a quarter of their possessions so far this year, including a season 24 record in a win over Tulsa. The team hopefully cleared that up a little after recording 11 wrong mistakes in the season last Saturday, but they will have their hands full with an Aggies defense that forces 26% of their possessions, which is in 14th place in the country.

On the other hand, Gamecocks forced 16.3 spins per game, while Aggies averaged 16.8 times per game. The team that best protects the ball is more likely to win.

Series information

This will be the 12th general meeting between the two schools. South Carolina leads the all-time series with a 7-4 lead, including a win in four straight wins over their rival SEC. Gamecocks hold a 4-1 lead in the series at games played in Columbia, with the most recent being a 74-54 victory at the Colonial Life Arena last February.

Game Information

Tune in to ESPNU at 9pm to see Gamecocks kick off the SEC. And be sure to head back to Garnet and Cocky for a complete recap of the game.