USC men seek to extend winning streak in Starkville. How to watch, what to know
The mood around the South Carolina men’s basketball team is much lighter than it was two weeks ago.
After opening SEC play with four losses in five games, Frank Martin’s Gamecocks are suddenly riding a three-game winning streak and are coming off an impressive 74-63 win over a quality Texas A&M team in College Station.
On Tuesday at 7 p.m., South Carolina’s road trip will continue against a Mississippi State team (13-7, 4-3 SEC) that sits near USC in the middle of the SEC standings. The Gamecocks (13-7, 4-4) head into the matchup feeling good about themselves.
“Winning cures everything,” veteran guard Erik Stevenson said. “And winning makes traveling a lot better. Winning makes everything a lot better. Practices have been upbeat, film sessions have been good, the camaraderie with the team has been good, the vibes in general have been good.”
The Gamecocks still have plenty of work to do, tied with three other teams at 4-4 in the crowded SEC standings. Five teams, including Mississippi State, rank ahead of that cluster. And the Gamecocks will have home matchups awaiting against Tennessee (14-6, 5-3) and Kentucky (17-4, 6-2) once they return from Starkville. This could be a crucial stretch of the season for USC’s NCAA tournament hopes.
“We are a lot better today than we were November 1,” Martin said. “You just got to keep paddling, keep getting better. The bottom line is, there’s not a trick to get into that tournament. You got to win enough. If you’re not in it, it’s because you didn’t win enough.
“And playing in the SEC, there’s more than plenty of opportunities to continue to build and put yourself in a place for the postseason when the time comes.”
State of the Bulldogs
The Gamecocks will be playing an extra-motivated MSU team in Starkville with the Bulldogs coming off back-to-back road losses against ranked Kentucky and Texas Tech teams.
The Bulldogs defeated USC twice last season and carry over several key pieces from that team, namely junior guard Iverson Molinar, who ranks third in the SEC with 18.1 points per game.
Mississippi State will also represent a challenge on the glass, ranking second in the SEC in rebounding margin with a physical style of play. Forward Garrison Brooks, a transfer from North Carolina, is one of the team’s go-to scorers and a force in the paint.
“We know they’re physical,” Stevenson said. “We know they got some boys inside that can rebound with some pretty good size. ... The main thing I think is matching the physicality, limit them on the offensive glass. And obviously Molinar is a really good scorer, so we’ve got to limit him as well.”
USC’s veterans coming through
The key to USC’s three-game run has been the play of veterans like Stevenson, James Reese, Jermaine Couisnard and Keyshawn Bryant.
Martin has lauded Stevenson and Reese for their leadership all year, but Couisnard and Bryant played sporadically early in the season. Couisnard has dealt with ankle and groin injuries, while Bryant was suspended for the first five games of the season due to a violation of athletic department policy.
All four players are finally up and running at the same time for the Gamecocks. In the win against Texas A&M, all four scored double-digit points. This team could go as far as its veterans take it.
“Really the older guys, like me, Jermaine, Keyshawn, Erik are stepping up,” Reese said. “And that’s what you want — the older guys leading us on the court and off the court.”
New addition to the USC family
Freshman big man Ta’Quan Woodley missed the Texas A&M game due to the birth of a child. Martin said that Woodley’s daughter was born at 12:54 a.m. Monday and that the plan is for Woodley to rejoin the team in Starkville. How much Woodley plays, or whether he plays at all, is yet to be determined.
“If he can make it, maybe he can help us,” Martin said. “But the end of the day, we’re really happy for him and happy to help him on this journey of fatherhood that he’s really excited about.”
Next USC men’s basketball game
Who: South Carolina at Mississippi State
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi
Watch: ESPNU
