Elite 8 Preview: Gamecocks, Gators meet again on biggest stage yet
WHAT: South Carolina (25-10) vs. Florida (27-8), NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
WHERE: Madison Square Garden (20,789), New York, NY
WHEN: Sun., March 26, 2:20 p.m. ET
TV/RADIO: CBS (Verne Lundquist, Jim Spanarkel and Allie LaForce); Gamecock Radio Network (Derek Scott, Casey Manning); CBSSports.com; Westwood One Radio Network.
SERIES RECORD: Florida leads 44-24
LAST MEETING: Florida won, 81-66, on Feb. 21, 2017, in Gainesville.
The first neutral site contest between South Carolina and Florida since the 2006 SEC Tournament championship game in Nashville could not have bigger stakes unless they were meeting in the Final Four.
Sunday afternoon’s matchup at the ‘World’s Greatest Arena’ features two of the best defensive teams in the country. The Gamecocks have raised eyebrows and drawn accolades around the country for stellar defensive performances in their first three NCAA Tournament games against Marquette, Duke and Baylor.
If any game was a pick’em, this would be one of them. Both teams posted a victory over the other at home. In January, USC held Florida without a 3-point field goal (0-17) for the first time in 850 games in a 57-53 win at Colonial Life Arena.
A month later, Florida gained a measure of revenge by virtue of a 81-66 win in Gainesville, pulling away in the final 13 minutes with a 32-20 run fueled by five 3-pointers.
The first two meetings were physical, hard-fought affairs between two outstanding defensive teams. Sunday’s high stakes battle at MSG should be no different.
Both teams allow fewer than 67 points per game and opponents are connecting on less than 31 percent of 3-point attempts and less than 41 percent of total FG attempts.
If those defensive statistics play out, points could indeed be at a premium. Both teams play great defense, but get there in different ways.
“They say that we're a physical basketball team and so is Florida,” USC coach Frank Martin said. “We're not physical because we foul and push, we're physical because we don't get out of the way. Some teams get out of the way. We don't get out of the way. We just don't let you push us. But we're not trying to foul.
“That's not what we do. We don't give up on plays. We're constantly rotating, constantly talking. Florida's very similar with different techniques. They switch a lot, they use their unbelievable size to their advantage. They don't get out and deny as aggressively as we do.”
Florida coach Mike White believes his team is underappreciated as a tough, physical team willing to bang bodies.
“These guys are some tough dudes,” White said. “South Carolina has got some tough dudes as well. Our guys battle. They battle coming off a win, coming off a loss, they battle against each other every day in practice, and they're together. Toughness and togetherness are things that I want these guys remembered for, they certainly deserve it.”
The Gamecocks are playing as well defensively as any team in the country. Duke shot 41.5 percent before Baylor struggled from everywhere against the aggressive Gamecock defense.
“Since the first game of the season, Frank has had his guys in the Top-5 in defensive efficiency in the entire country,” White said. “Every time you look, they're second, they're third, they're first. They have a really tough week, they drop to fourth. They've been incredible defensively all week.
“Our guys have been as well. It's two Top-5 defenses in the country. The difference for them in the tournament is they're shooting the ball better. For whatever reason, they seem to be playing with a lot of confidence led by (Sindarius) Thornwell and the way he's scoring it in the tournament.”
Sindarius Thornwell scored 43 points on 11-of-23 shooting and grabbed 15 rebounds in the first two meetings between USC and Florida.
However, Thornwell is arguably one of the hottest players in the country, averaging 25.7 points in three NCAA Tournament games.
“He's a tremendous player. He's the Player of the Year in our conference, so we know he's going to get his,” Florida’s Chris Chiozza said. “We’ll just try to not let him get everybody else going as well and try to put some size and length on him and make it tough for him to get his shots off. (We have to) limit his open looks and just try to be physical with him and try to limit the ways he can affect the game. But he's an all-around player.”
Since this is the third meeting between the Gamecocks and Gators in a little more two months, there are no secrets. The schemes offensively and defensively have been thoroughly scouted, inside and out. Execution is usually the difference when both teams know what’s coming.
“We got the first, they got the second, now we're at the neutral site and let's see what happens,” Martin said. “We’re playing a team that we beat and playing a team that beat us, too. We'll be very confident in who we are. They're definitely not going to hide now that they have confidence that we're a good team.”
Because both teams are very familiar with each other, does either team have a superior advantage? White answered in the negative, saying both teams have an advantage.
Battle of wills? Probably.
“Their physicality is similar to Virginia and Wisconsin (Florida’s second and third opponents in the NCAA Tournament), but (the Gamecocks) are quicker and faster and they throw more guys at you,” White said. “There's more athleticism, they pressure the ball more, it's a different brand of defense. It's unique.
“They overplay everything. Everyone knows that. I'm not giving away any secrets. You can't run offense against South Carolina, against Frank Martin. You can't. They take you out of everything that you want to do. They make basketball players make basketball plays.”
NOTES
-- Florida has advanced to the Elite Eight in five straight NCAA Tourney appearances (2017, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011) and seven of the last eight (including consecutive national titles in 2006-07), and has an overall record of 5-3 in Elite Eight games.
-- Martin improved to 9-4 all-time in NCAA Tournament games following Friday's victory over Baylor.
-- Sophomore KeVaughn Allen leads Florida in scoring with 13.4 points per game while Canyon Barry (11.8) and Devin Robinson (11.4) also average double-digit points per game. Florida had to adjust after losing top rebounder John Egbunu (6.6 per game) in February. The junior went out with an injury against Auburn on Feb. 14.
-- South Carolina leads the SEC and is sixth nationally with a turnover margin of +4.0.
-- Thornwell’s 18 20-point games this season mark the most 20-point games in a campaign since Devan Downey had 19 20-point efforts during the 2009-10 season.
PROJECTED STARTERS:
USC: Sindarius Thornwell (21.4 ppg), Duane Notice (10.3), P.J. Dozier (13.7), Maik Kotsar (5.7), Chris Silva (10.1).
FLA: Devin Robinson (11.3), Justin Leon (7.1), Kevarrius Hayes (6.1), Kasey Hill (9.7), KeVaughn Allen (14.1)
STATISTICAL LEADERS
Scoring Average: Sindarius Thornwell (21.4)
Total Points: Sindarius Thornwell (622)
Total Field Goals: Sindarius Thornwell (183)
Field Goal Pct: Chris Silva (.542)
3-Pointers: Duane Notice (67)
3-Pt Pct: Rakym Felder (.436)
Free Throw Pct: Sindarius Thornwell (.827)
Total Rebounds: Sindarius Thornwell (209)
Defensive Rebounds: Sindarius Thornwell (133)
Offensive Rebounds: Sindarius Thornwell (76)
Assists: P.J. Dozier (98)
Turnovers: P.J. Dozier (74)
Blocks: Chris Silva (47)
Steals: Sindarius Thornwell (63)
Minutes: Duane Notice (1,154)
ELITE EIGHT MATCHUPS/RESULTS (March 25-26)
Sat., March 25
Gonzaga 83, Xavier 59
Oregon 74, Kansas 60
Sun., March 26
South Carolina vs. Florida, 2:20 p.m. (CBS) - East
North Carolina vs. Kentucky, 5:05 p.m. (CBS) – South
FINAL FOUR: Gonzaga, Oregon.
