South Carolina-Texas A&M basketball: How, what to watch for as USC goes for sweep
South Carolina (13-9, 5-4 SEC) hosts Texas A&M (11-10, 5-4) on Saturday at Colonial Life Arena. Tip-off is 1 p.m., broadcast on the SEC Network.
USC-TEXAS A&M STORYLINES
1. A fifth place battle
Two games separate second and fifth place in the SEC. South Carolina and Texas A&M are part of the four-way tie for fifth, a game up on ninth-place Arkansas and Alabama.
It’s a bunched-up middle and any significant losing streak can cause a team to plummet quickly. For the Gamecocks, they’ve got to take care of business at every winnable opportunity. This is one of them. USC lost Wednesday at previously 1-7 Ole Miss, but now it comes home to take on an Aggies team that is 3-6 away from College Station this season.
2. A chance to sweep
Since USC’s win over the Aggies on Jan. 18, Buzz Williams’ team is 3-2 and staying in contention for a top-4 seed in the SEC tournament.
With a win Saturday, the Gamecocks sweep Texas A&M for a second straight season. How they won in College Station was the result of a historic shooting performance. USC tied a school-record by making 16 3-pointers. The Aggies haven’t allowed more than 10 3s in a game since. Carolina hasn’t made more than 10 3s in a game since.
3. Game 2 without Minaya
Justin Minaya was the best player on the floor the last time these teams met. South Carolina’s versatile swingman played all 40 minutes, scored 18 points, grabbed eight rebounds and handed out five assists.
Minaya won’t be available Saturday as he recovers from thumb surgery. He wasn’t in Oxford on Wednesday and the Gamecocks allowed a season-high for points and never once led the Rebels.
“Justin had a relentless approach to everything he did on the court,” Frank Martin during his call-in show Thursday on the Gamecock Sports Network. “Blocking shots, rebounding both on offense and defense, the ferocity with which he cut, his willingness to run the court. Those are all things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, those are things that help you win games.
“We got to figure out a way to solve the riddle without him out there.”
TEXAS A&M
Coach: Buzz Williams (706-374 in 32 seasons overall; fifth season at Tennessee — 101-57)
Projected starters: G Santiago Vescovi (11.6 ppg), G Jordan Bowden (13.2), G Jalen Johnson (3.4), F Yves Pons (11.2), F John Fulkerson (12.3)
Last game: Beat Missouri 68-51 on Tuesday at home
KenPom ranking: 156 (No. 269 in offense efficiency, No. 70 in defense efficiency)
NET: 129
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (259-169 in 32 seasons overall; eighth season at USC — 142-115)
Projected starters: G A.J. Lawson (13.5), G Jermaine Couisnard (11.4), F Wildens Leveque (2.4), F Keyshawn Bryant (7.4), C Maik Kotsar (10.2)
Last game: Lost to Ole Miss 84-70 on Wednesday in Oxford
KenPom ranking: 88 (No. 118 in offense efficiency, No. 72 in defense efficiency)
NET: 80
Game info
Who: Texas A&M (11-10, 5-4) at South Carolina (13-9, 5-4)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV channel: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 FM in Columbia area
Series: South Carolina leads 6-4
Last meeting: Jan. 18, 2020 — South Carolina 81, Texas A&M 67
KenPom prediction: South Carolina 70, Texas A&M 61
This story was originally published February 7, 2020 at 11:55 AM.
