Former Gamecock returns to face USC as Coastal leader
Coastal Carolina (5-4) at South Carolina (7-2)
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
KenPom prediction: South Carolina 80, Coastal Carolina 64
Watch: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in the Columbia area
Series: Tied, 1-1
Last meeting: Dec. 12, 1993 – Coastal Carolina won 88-74 in Conway
COASTAL CAROLINA
Coach: Cliff Ellis (816-480 in 43 seasons overall; 11th season at Coastal Carolina – 204-130)
Projected starters: G Jaylen Shaw (16.0 ppg), G Ajay Sanders (5.0), G Matt Lindsey (7.2), F Zac Cuthbertson (17.8), C Josh Coleman (5.6)
Last game: Beat Hampton 85-81 on Wednesday in Hampton, Virginia
Notes: Shaw spent his freshman season at South Carolina. The senior guard has scored 1,070 points in a Chanticleer uniform. … Coastal and USC share a common opponent. The Chants lost 87-81 to Wofford on Nov. 29. The Gamecocks beat the Terriers by 21 on Nov. 10. … Ellis, a former coach of Clemson (1984-94) and Auburn (1994-04), is 18-10 all-time against the Gamecocks.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (220-130 in 10 seasons overall; Sixth season at USC — 103-76)
Projected starters: G Hassani Gravett (9.1); G Frank Booker (10.6); G/F Justin Minaya (10.6); F Chris Silva (13.6); F Maik Kotsar (10.2)
Last game: Beat Wyoming 80-64 on Wednesday at home
Notes: According to Ken Pomeroy, Silva leads the nation in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (9.5). Silva’s 70 free throw attempts are 41 more than the next closest Gamecock in that category (Gravett). ... In the five games since he scored 11 points against UTEP on Nov. 17, reserve guard Kory Holden has totaled seven points. … Kotsar hasn’t made a free throw since Nov. 17 against UTEP. He’s missed his last 10 attempts.
STORYLINES
1. Atmosphere
Will there be any? Martin hasn’t been shy in calling out the lack of fan support for the Gamecocks in CLA this season. He’s done it after each of the last two home games.
Coastal, like Massachusetts on Dec. 2 and Wyoming on Wednesday, isn’t a sexy opponent. It’s also a noon tip in December. Chances for a Martin-pleasing environment seem slim, but the coach made his case Thursday night.
2. Tired legs?
In an effort to get the Gamecocks back to a level that satisfies Martin, the coach said he’ll continue hard practices.
The Coastal matchup is USC’s second game in four days – and fifth in 10 days. “We got to continue to practice. If it means we lose because we’re tired, it is what it is,” Martin said. “We’re going to learn to play the game the way we worked so hard to play here at South Carolina.”
CCU, at plus-11.3, is 10th nationally in rebounding margin. USC is plus-8 in rebounding margin.
3. Jaylen Shaw’s return
Shaw, a former two-star recruit out of Hartsville, left the Gamecocks in 2014 after averaging three points a game as a freshman. He’s since become a top scorer for the Chanticleers.
USC guards of late have had trouble defending the ball. Shaw, a 6-foot-1, 190-pounder, is shooting 50 percent from the field this season. His 4.8 assists a game place him fifth in the Sun Belt Conference.
This story was originally published December 8, 2017 at 12:36 PM with the headline "Former Gamecock returns to face USC as Coastal leader."