How, what to watch for as Tevin Mack and an ‘NCAA Tournament team’ come to face USC
Game info
Who: Alabama (16-11, 7-7 SEC) at South Carolina (14-13, 9-5 SEC)
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 107.5 FM The Game in Columbia area
Series: Alabama leads 29-16
Last meeting: Jan. 9, 2018, in Tuscaloosa— Alabama 76, South Carolina 62
Streak: Alabama’s won three straight
KenPom prediction: South Carolina 76, Alabama 74
STORYLINES
1. The CLA advantage
South Carolina’s only home loss since Christmas came to then-No. 1 Tennessee on Jan. 29. They’ve won seven of eight at Colonial Life Arena.
The Gamecocks remain in a fight for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and taking care of business in Columbia only helps that cause. Alabama, another Big Dance hopeful, enters 2-5 on the road in SEC play. But Avery Johnson’s program has also taken the last three games over USC.
“Playing at home, everyone’s used to the gym already, used to the crowd,” said freshman guard A.J. Lawson. “Everyone’s cheering for you when you’re at home. And sometimes when you’re at home, you get better calls.”
2. Another local product comes home
The first two in-state stars to face Carolina this SEC season have lost to the Gamecocks.
Charleston’s Aaron Nesmith scored 23 points for Vanderbilt on Jan. 16, but it was South Carolina that rallied for a 74-71 win. Irmo’s Devontae Shuler scored six points for Ole Miss last Tuesday in a 79-64 Gamecock win.
Next up is Alabama’s Tevin Mack. The Columbia native and Dreher alumnus is in his first season with the Crimson Tide after transferring from Texas. The 6-foot-6 swingman, once a heavy Gamecock target, is averaging 9 points a game.
“Tevin’s a real competitor, real good player,” said USC coach Frank Martin. “A big key is defending him and trying to control Alabama. You can’t lose him because he’s too good a shooter. And he’s a big shooter.”
3. Which Tide team shows up?
Alabama’s record isn’t overly intimidating, but it’s worth noting the Tide is one of two SEC teams to beat Kentucky this season. It also has wins over then-ranked Ole Miss and Mississippi State. It came up four points short of upsetting Tennessee in Knoxville.
Johnson’s team is plenty capable of winning Tuesday.
“Alabama is a (NCAA) tournament team,” Martin said. “If the season ended today, that is a team that can win games in the NCAA Tournament. We create locally in our media markets, which is then piggybacked by the national media, that teams that are 7-7 in our league, it’s because they’re not playing well.
“They’re really good! We’re gonna have to play our rear ends off to figure out a way to win.”
ALABAMA
Coach: Avery Johnson (73-57 in four seasons at Alabama)
Projected starters: G John Petty (10.6 points per game), G Dazon Ingram (7.7), G Kira Lewis (14.2), F Tevin Mack (9.1), F Donta Hall (10.9)
Last game: Beat Vanderbilt, 68-61, on Saturday at home
KenPom ranking: 57 (No. 57 in offense efficiency, No. 73 in defense efficiency)
NET: 53
Notes: Jerry Palm’s Monday morning bracket update on CBSSports.com has the Tide as a No. 12 seed, playing a “First Four” game against Utah State. ... The win over Vandy snapped Alabama’s three-game losing streak. ... Alabama is 1-8 when it fails to hit the 70-point mark, but is 15-3 when scoring 70 or more points.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (244-157 in 12 seasons overall; seventh season at USC — 127-103)
Projected starters: G Tre Campbell (7.0), G A.J. Lawson (14.0), F Keyshawn Bryant (8.6), F Chris Silva (14.0), F Maik Kotsar (7.4)
Last game: Lost to Mississippi State, 76-61, on Saturday in Starkville
KenPom ranking: 84 (No. 89 in offense efficiency, No. 106 in defense efficiency)
NET: 81
Notes: Since scoring 17 points in the Feb. 9 win over Arkansas, Bryant has totaled 17 points in the four games since. ... In conference games only, USC is next-to-last in the SEC in free throw percentage (64.3). ... Lawson is 76 points shy of topping Sindarius Thornwell and becoming the highest-scoring freshman of the Martin era.
