What we learned from South Carolina’s upset win over No. 10 Auburn
In a regular season that’s included six consecutive losses for the first time in four years, South Carolina now has three wins over ranked SEC opponents for the first time since 2006.
The unpredictably rolled along Saturday as USC upset No. 10 Auburn, 84-75, before 14,995 at Colonial Life Arena. Frank Booker scored 19 points, Chris Silva added 14 and Wes Myers had 13 for the Gamecocks (14-13, 5-9 SEC).
Carolina was previously victorious Jan. 24 at then 20th-ranked Florida. NCAA Tournament buzz grew out of that result. Real potential existed for the 2017 Final Four participants to make it back to the Big Dance.
Saturday was a reminder of those times.
“I don’t want to dwell on the past,” Booker said, “but as you can see, we can be a really good team. That was a really good team we just played in Auburn. We just played really hard and got after them.
“Like I said, I don’t look at the past. We finally got off that little slump we had and now we’re back into it. Now we have more energy and we get ready for the next one.”
South Carolina next hosts Georgia (15-11, 6-8) on Wednesday. Here’s what we learned about the Gamecocks on Saturday:
USC has the ability to close games
Of USC’s 10 losses since SEC play began Dec. 31, half have come by seven points or fewer. It consistency was outplayed in crunch time, a sign of a team that lacked a true closer.
No Sindarius Thornwell-like individual stood out Saturday, but the Gamecocks collectively held it together when it mattered most. After the Tigers cut the lead to six with 5:50 left, Carolina responded with a 6-0 run. It made its final nine free throw attempts.
Frank Martin, often critical of Hassani Gravett, applauded the point guard’s awareness at the 50-second mark to find a single covered Silva in the post. Silva collected Gravett’s bounce pass and scored on Desean Murray while getting fouled.
The three-point play put Carolina up nine.
“It’s about learning the plays that need to be made through the identity of your team,” Martin said. “And Chris is our identity.”
Perhaps Saturday’s finish was an extension of Tuesday’s effort. Despite a close loss to No. 18 Tennessee, the Gamecocks outscored the Volunteers 20-9 over the final 10 minutes.
A season-long Carolina weakness became a strength
Martin hasn’t been shy in assessing one of his team’s most pressing defensive issues this season. A lack of on-ball defending has long been a topic of conversation for a coach who prides himself on developing relentless Duane Notice-like bulldogs on the perimeter.
The matchup with Auburn looked deadly on paper. Between Bryce Brown, Jared Harper and Mustapaha Heron, the Tigers had the highest-scoring backcourt in the SEC.
The trio combined to make eight of 36 shots. Brown, an SEC Player of the Year candidate, was held to his second-worst field goal percentage of the season – 19 percent.
“Our on-ball defense today was probably the best it’s been in a long time,” Martin said, “across the board, not just point guards. But I thought Wes and Hassani did as good a job as they’ve done in a long time at attacking the point guard at the half-court line and not retreating. Like, ‘We’re here and we’re gonna stay here.’
“That allows the defense behind them to get aggressive.”
There’s a future for Jason Cudd
Ignore his four fouls in five minutes and realize the Gamecocks outscored the Tigers by 10 points Saturday when Jason Cudd was on the floor.
The 7-foot freshman was the first USC player off the bench Saturday. He hit back-to-back short jumpers within two minutes of entering. He finished with a career-high six points. This comes after he logged 14 important minutes Tuesday in Knoxville.
Cudd’s lift was crucial as Carolina again lost Maik Kotsar to early foul trouble.
“He’s going to be a real good player,” Martin said of Cudd. “He’s got pride, he lets you coach him. He’s just trying to adapt to the speed of college basketball.”
This story was originally published February 18, 2018 at 12:18 PM with the headline "What we learned from South Carolina’s upset win over No. 10 Auburn."