South Carolina vs. Illinois State: How to watch, what to watch for
Game info
Who: Illinois State (0-1) vs. South Carolina (2-0)
What: Quarterfinal round of the relocated Puerto Rico Tip-Off tournament
When: 11:30 a.m. Thursday
Where: HTC Center in Conway
Line: South Carolina by 6
KenPom prediction: South Carolina 73, Illinois State 66
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Series: First meeting
ILLINOIS STATE
Coach: Dan Muller (104-66 in six seasons at Illinois State)
Projected starters: G Keyshawn Evans (28.0 ppg), G William Tinsley (3.0), G Madison Williams (5.0), F Phil Fayne (24.0), F Milik Yarbrough (8.0)
Notes: Illinois State fell 98-87 at Florida Gulf Coast on Saturday in its season opener. … The Redbirds, NIT participants and winners of 28 games last season, were picked to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll. ... ISU lost what would have been its top two returning scorers to transfer last offseason. Deontae Hawkins (14 points per game) landed at Boston College. MiKyle McIntosh (12.5) landed at Oregon.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (215-128 in 10 seasons overall; Sixth season at USC — 98-74)
Projected starters: G Hassani Gravett (10.0); G Frank Booker (13.0); G/F Justin Minaya (5.5); F Chris Silva (9.5); C Maik Kotsar (11.5)
Notes: South Carolina went 9-4 in neutral site games the last two seasons. ... Silva had 10 rebounds in each of USC’s first two games. This marks the first time in the junior’s career he’s hit double figures in boards in consecutive games. ... Booker had 12 points in Carolina’s opener against Wofford and followed with 14 in the Western Michigan win. It’s just the third time in the senior’s career he’s gone for double figures in consecutive games.
STORYLINES
1. Defending identity
As much as Frank Martin likes the offensive potential of his team, Carolina’s identity still rests on defense. The Gamecocks enter Thursday 11th in Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted defensive efficiency ratings (USC is giving up 90.7 points per 100 possessions).
Illinois State scored 87 points in its opener. It hit 14 of 29 3-pointers, including seven from Keyshawn Evans.
2. Minutes management
This is the second of a four-game week for the Gamecocks. How Martin manages a rotation of mostly new players will be intriguing.
A player to watch might be Kory Holden. The Delaware transfer guard, still rusty from offseason knee surgery, has yet to go beyond 12 minutes in a game. He flashed his potential Monday when he scored six points in nine first-half minutes. Perhaps the junior can spell Hassani Gravett more often at point guard.
3. Morning tip
The rare pre-noon tip-off means an adjustment for both teams. The HTC Center isn’t likely to be near capacity when the Gamecocks and Redbirds go at it. How each side generates its own energy could be key.
Both USC and WMU practiced Wednesday morning in Conway to simulate the experience.
This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 1:53 PM with the headline "South Carolina vs. Illinois State: How to watch, what to watch for."