South Carolina-Kentucky basketball: How to watch, what to watch for
Who: No. 18 Kentucky (14-3, 4-1 SEC) at South Carolina (11-6, 2-3)
When: 9 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
KenPom prediction: Kentucky 71, South Carolina 68
TV: ESPN
Radio: 107.5 The Game
Series: Kentucky leads, 51-11
Streak: Kentucky’s won four in a row
Last meeting: Jan. 21, 2017 – Kentucky won 85-69 in Lexington
KENTUCKY
Coach: John Calipari (666-194 in 26 seasons overall; ninth season at Kentucky – 263-56). Calipari is 10-2 against South Carolina.
Projected starters: G Hamidou Diallo (13.8 ppg), G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (12.4), F Kevin Knox (14.2), F Nick Richards (6.8), F P.J. Washington (11.0)
RPI: 10
Last game: Beat Vanderbilt 74-67 on Saturday in Nashville
Notes: The average age of a Kentucky player this season is 19.43 years old. This roster is considered to be the youngest college basketball team since Ken Pomeroy started experience rankings in 2007. … The Wildcats are the only team in the country to feature six freshmen among their top six leading scorers . … UK, picked in the preseason to win its 49th SEC championship, has lost to Kansas, UCLA and Tennessee.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (224-134 in 11 seasons overall; sixth season at USC — 107-80). Martin is 1-5 against Kentucky.
Projected starters: G Wes Myers (6.8); G Evan Hinson (3.4); F Justin Minaya (8.2); F Chris Silva (14.2); F Maik Kotsar (8.4)
RPI: 55
Last game: Beat Georgia 64-57 on Saturday in Athens
Notes: Hassani Gravett, playing his second game since returning from an ankle injury, came off the bench to give the Gamecocks 11 points at Georgia. It marked the point guard’s first double-digit scoring effort since scoring 14 points Dec. 2 against UMass. ... Freshmen Minaya, David Beatty and Felipe Haase have combined to make just 25 of 90 field goal attempts in SEC play (27.8 percent). … The Gamecocks rank last in the SEC in scoring and next to last in field goal percentage. Defensively, though, USC is up to No. 18 in the country, allowing 94.4 points per 100 possessions.
STORYLINES
1. HIGH STAKES
Since upsetting the Wildcats at Colonial Life Arena in 2014, the Gamecocks have lost four straight to UK by an average of 23 points.
This Kentucky team isn’t the world-beating kind of the recent past, but there were still be a large talent gap when both teams get on the floor Tuesday. This will be UK’s fourth true road game of the season.
“I think they do have go-to guys,” Martin said of the Cats. “You don’t beat Louisville by 30 if you don’t have go-to guys.”
2. LINEUP WATCH
Kentucky will again start five freshmen Tuesday while USC will keep with the mix it’s led with for the past three games.
Gravett and Frank Booker, starters for the season’s first two months, came off the bench for 28 points at Georgia.
3. SPRINGBOARD
Despite the magnitude that always comes with Kentucky as an opponent, South Carolina’s Tuesday game is just one of four in 11 days against a team ranked among KenPom’s top 32 in the nation.
The stretch ahead could easily define USC’s season.
This story was originally published January 15, 2018 at 1:29 PM with the headline "South Carolina-Kentucky basketball: How to watch, what to watch for."