Against Arkansas, Gamecocks prepare for top-20 matchup all about ‘pushing the ball’
Any other year, there’s no question Monday night in Colonial Life Arena would be a raucous affair: No. 5 South Carolina playing No. 17 Arkansas, a top-20 SEC matchup between the league favorite and the last conference team to actually beat the Gamecocks, broadcast on ESPN2.
With COVID-19 though, the arena will be mostly empty, limited to just 3,500 fans and hundreds of cut-outs zip-tied to seats. Even still, Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley is expecting the energy level to be high — the style of play will demand it.
“Our ability to push the ball really allows us to create the energy that we’re missing in the gym from our fans,” Staley said. “Although, you know, they’re irreplaceable. So we’ve adjusted.”
As Staley said, USC likes to push the ball in transition. The Gamecocks are playing at their fastest pace in years, faster than roughly 80% of the other teams in women’s college basketball, per Her Hoop Stats. On Monday, though, they’ll be facing a Razorbacks squad that likes to run even more.
Under head coach Mike Neighbors, Arkansas has ranked in the top 15% of teams in pace for four years running. And so far this year, they’re playing faster than ever, ranking eighth nationally in possessions per 40 minutes.
“Arkansas likes to get up and down. They like to score, probably with the least amount of dribbles. They take the first available shot,” Staley said. “... We got (junior guard Destanni Henderson), you know Henny can push that ball down the floor. We are encouraging our wing players to run with her to create some options for her and them to shoot open shots and then, you know, our bigs are running the floor as well. So it’s a game in which both teams are pushing the ball at each other.”
Last year, the Gamecocks were able to beat the Razorbacks three times, in large part by simply dominating inside — Arkansas has speed but not much size, consistently ranking near the bottom of the SEC in rebounding rate. South Carolina scored nearly half its points in those three wins in the paint, while Arkansas managed just over a third.
For a player like 6-foot-5 forward Aliyah Boston, that meant feasting under the basket. In those three contests in 2019-20, Boston averaged 16.7 points, 17.7 rebounds (including 7.7 offensive boards) and 4.3 blocks per contest, shooting 60.6% from the field. But while getting Boston the ball and letting her impose her will in the lane will be key Monday, South Carolina can’t afford to rely on her exclusively, Staley said.
“We have to make their guards play. If they’re able to just play offense and we let them off the hook by not applying a little bit of pressure on our offensive side of the ball, I think we lose,” Staley said. “If you trade 3s for 2s in a game like this, it’ll end up hurting you.”
Health check, roster numbers
As of Saturday, Staley said all Gamecocks are healthy and available to play, though that could obviously change with a positive COVID-19 test.
In order to bolster roster numbers and potentially weather positive tests, some teams across the country have had members of the 2021 recruiting class enroll early to help with depth. Staley said Saturday that USC considered doing the same with some members of its top-ranked 2021 class, but ultimately were “one or two classes short” of being eligible to graduate early.
A’ja Wilson statue
Before the Gamecocks take on the Razorbacks on Monday, South Carolina will honor program great A’ja Wilson by unveiling a statue of her outside Colonial Life Arena in a private ceremony. Wilson, the program’s all-time leading scorer and only national player of the year honoree, helped power Staley and the Gamecocks to a national title in 2017, and player and coach remain extremely close.
“A’ja Wilson is much deserving of a statue. What she was able to do in her career here and what she continues to do outside of the University of South Carolina by representing us and our state and our city,” Staley said. “So it’s only fitting, you know, to give her flowers while she can smell them in the form of a statue.”
Next game
Who: No. 5 South Carolina (9-1, 4-0 SEC) vs. No. 17 Arkansas (11-4, 2-3 SEC)
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Where: Colonial Life Arena in Columbia
Watch: ESPN2
This story was originally published January 17, 2021 at 7:30 AM.
