South Carolina-Kentucky basketball: How, what to watch as Gamecocks seek an SEC win
Kentucky comes to Colonial Life Arena to face South Carolina at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.
USC-KENTUCKY STORYLINES
1. Hagans vs. who?
While South Carolina is still experimenting with point guard options, Kentucky enters each game with a firm sense of who’s running its show.
Ashton Hagans, a Georgia native once recruited by Frank Martin, is among the best at his position in the country. The sophomore is averaging 13.1 points per game and leads the SEC in assists (7.3 per game) and is third in steals (2.2).
He becomes a difficult matchup for whoever among A.J. Lawson, Jair Bolden, Jermaine Couisnard, T.J. Moss or Trae Hannibal.
“He disrupts your point of entry on offense,” Martin said. “That’s something that we haven’t been good against this year. When we play teams that are defensively aggressive, that disrupt point of entry, we’ve struggled to be able to make three passes and get a good shot.
“So all those things taken into consideration, that’s going to be a big matchup in the game on Wednesday. We have to offset that intangible that Ashton brings. He brings this aggression that all good teams and all good players have.”
2. Free throw contest favors UK
South Carolina is coming off its first loss of the Martin era in which it held its opponent under 30% shooting. The Gamecocks were 15-0 when doing this over the last seven-plus seasons — until Tennessee beat them at 25.9 FG%.
Free throws again haunted USC as the Vols made nine more in a 56-55 game.
The last time the Wildcats and Gamecocks got together in Columbia, South Carolina won a 2018 game that featured 74 free throw attempts. Should something similar happen again Wednesday, give a significant edge to UK. John Calipari’s teams leads the SEC in FT percentage (77.5) and Martin’s is last at 61.4.
3. Big Blue, big game
South Carolina gets its most storied league rival in an effort to try to break an odd trend.
The Gamecocks have lost three straight home games — its worst skid in two seasons — and now hosts the 51-time SEC champs. Kentucky, which suffered a head-scratching loss to Evansville in November, comes to Colonial Life Arena on a four-game win streak.
“Cal does a great job managing his team as the year goes on,” Martin said, “because he’s got so many first-year guys. I think he’s a got better feel (this season) because he’s got guys that have been with him for a couple years now.”
UK starts just two freshmen.
USC is seeking to avoid its first 0-3 start to SEC play since 2013-14.
KENTUCKY
Coach: John Calipari (762-214 in 28 seasons overall; 11th season at Kentucky — 317-74)
Projected starters: G Ashton Hagans (13.1 ppg), G Tyrese Maxey (13.9), F Nick Richards (13.0), F Keion Brooks (5.6), F E.J. Montgomery (7.3)
Last game: Beat Alabama 76-67 on Saturday at home
KenPom ranking: 20 (No. 32 in offensive efficiency, No. 28 in defensive efficiency)
NET: 26
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (254-167 in 13 seasons overall; eighth season at USC — 137-113)
Projected starters: G A.J. Lawson (14.5), G Jair Bolden (9.1), F Keyshawn Bryant (8.6), F Justin Minaya (6.5), C Maik Kotsar (10.7)
Last game: Lost to Tennessee 56-55 on Saturday in Knoxville
KenPom ranking: 106 (No. 186 in offense efficiency, No. 69 in defense efficiency)
NET: 125
Game info
Who: No. 10 Kentucky (12-3, 3-0 SEC) at South Carolina (8-7, 0-2 SEC)
When: 6:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV channel: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
Series: Kentucky leads, 52-12
Last meeting: Feb. 5, 2019 — Kentucky 76, South Carolina 48
KenPom prediction: Kentucky 72, South Carolina 66
This story was originally published January 14, 2020 at 1:53 PM.
