South Carolina-Tennessee basketball: How, what to watch as USC eyes more road success
Game info
Who: South Carolina (8-6, 0-1 SEC) at Tennessee (9-5, 1-1)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tennessee
TV channel: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
Series: Tennessee leads, 46-27
Last meeting: Feb. 13, 2019 — Tennessee 85, South Carolina 73
KenPom prediction: Tennessee 71, South Carolina 62
USC-TENNESSEE STORYLINES
1. No place like the road?
Perhaps the Gamecocks just need to get away.
The loss to Florida on Tuesday was USC’s third straight at home — its longest skid in two seasons — but it enters Saturday on a three-game road win steak, its best stretch in three seasons.
After conquering UMass, Clemson and Virginia on their home floors, Carolina comes to Knoxville, where it’s 1-3 over its last four trips.
A win would get the Gamecocks off to a 4-0 road start for the first time since 1996-97. They haven’t won four straight road games, period, since 1997-98.
2. Spotlight on guards
Tennessee lost its point guard (Lamonte Turner) last month to a season-ending injury. South Carolina, meanwhile, its waiting for its point guard to emerge.
Frank Martin isn’t happy with his guard play, particularly the lead position. Jair Bolden started there the first 10 games and then switched backcourt spots with A.J. Lawson for the last four. While it led to early success — see results against Clemson and Virginia — there’s been setbacks the last couple games. Beyond Bolden and Lawson, Martin’s guard options include Jermaine Couisnard (injured for Florida, but expected back Saturday), T.J. Moss (shooting 25% from the field) and Trae Hannibal (has nice flashes, but Martin hasn’t trusted him yet to play major minutes).
The Vols are 1-2 in Turner’s absence. All three of their starting guards — Santiago Vescovi, Jordan Bowden and Charleston’s Josiah-Jordan James — scored in double figures in their Tuesday win at Missouri.
3. Finding offense
The Volunteers enter second in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just under 60 points per game. USC, of course, has better proof than most teams nationally when it comes to success against a stingy unit.
The Gamecocks remain the only Virginia opponent this season to reach 70 points against the Cavaliers. That all came in USC’s 11-point win in Charlottesville on Dec. 22. For that kind of performance to repeat itself in Knoxville, Carolina will need at least a couple things: more transition opportunities (the 16 fast break points at UVa has yet to be matched since) and better shooting (it’s shot below 40% in the two games since making 55.4% of its attempts at UVa).
TENNESSEE
Coach: Rick Barnes (701-369 in 33 seasons overall; fifth season at Tennessee — 97-55)
Projected starters: G Santiago Vescovi (15.0 ppg), G Jordan Bowden (12.2), G Josiah-Jordan James (7.9), F Yves Pons (11.6), F John Fulkerson (11.1)
Last game: Beat Missouri 69-59 on Tuesday in Columbia, Missouri
KenPom ranking: 48 (No. 77 in offense efficiency, No. 37 in defense efficiency)
NET: 68
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (254-166 in 13 seasons overall; eighth season at USC — 137-112)
Projected starters: G A.J. Lawson (15.2), G Jair Bolden (9.6), F Keyshawn Bryant (8.7), F Justin Minaya (6.9), C Maik Kotsar (10.3)
Last game: Lost to Florida 81-68 on Tuesday at home
KenPom ranking: 110 (No. 158 in offense efficiency, No. 92 in defense efficiency)
NET: 128
