South Carolina will try to get back on the winning track against struggling Georgia.
1. For Crying Out Loud
Finally, South Carolina isn’t concerned about missing players because of injury or illness, but now the dog house is an issue. Jermaine Couisnard and AJ Wilson, two veteran starters, got themselves so far in Frank Martin’s dog house they aren’t playing. Both players entered the season with high expectations, only to be derailed by nagging injuries and now poor performance. Couisnard was expected to be the starting point guard, and Martin said he had an excellent offseason until a hamstring injury cost him three weeks of practice. He’s never been right since then. Wilson was supposed to anchor the defense with his shot-blocking ability, and for a few games he did. But then there were more nagging injuries and Wilson turned into a foul machine who couldn’t stay on the court.
After the Arkansas game, Martin said, “Jermaine’s just not there,” and earlier said that he’s struggling to reach Wilson. Both players can make South Carolina better, but first they need to play like they are capable of playing.
I put guys on the court that are physically and mentally prepared to go win,” Martin said. “They’ve got to get to a place where mentally they’re engaged with what we’re doing so they can help us.”
2. Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad
Cutting down on turnovers and fouls has been a season-long issue, but let’s add “make a shot” to the list. Even when it has done relatively well limiting turnovers and fouls, South Carolina has been prone to cold shooting stretches this season (like 22% in the second half against Arkansas or 32% in the second half against Tennessee, and free throw shooting that is downright painful). South Carolina has gotten better with the fouling and turnovers, but you have to score points to win.
3. Out of the Frying Pan (And into the Fire)
Devin Carter provided a spark against Arkansas with 20 points and six rebounds. He provided a much-needed spark in the first half with his ability to get to the rim or hit long threes. However, he only had one assist and committed six turnovers, not a good ratio for a starting point guard. The good clearly outweighs the bad, but it will be interesting to see how Carter follows up the big game. Can he be productive again and refine the mistakes? Or was it a flash in the pan?
4. If It Ain’t Broke, Break It
South Carolina’s pitiful second half against Arkansas overshadowed the fact that the Gamecocks led by seven at halftime.
“The way we played in the first half was a representation of how we prepared the last two days,” Martin said. “ We’re not happy with how we played in the second half, don’t get me wrong, but we’re going to build off what we did in practice and what we did in the first half.”
Speaking Friday, Keyshawn Bryant echoed the sentiment.
“I felt like we had a pretty good identity last game, it just got a little shaky in the second half,” Bryant said. “The way we started the game I feel like is something we need to build on more.”
The inability to handle success has plagued the Gamecocks for a few years now. Fortunately, up next is…
5. Bad for Good: Scouting the Bulldogs
Georgia is bad. Really bad. Georgia is 229 in the NET rankings bad. Missouri is the next lowest SEC team at 175, and South Carolina is 112. Georgia lost to Gardner-Webb by 17. If there is a team to get right against, it’s Georgia.
Georgia is sub-200 in the country in scoring offense and sub-300 in scoring defense. Georgia is 323 in field goal percentage defense. But hey, they are 94th in free throw percentage.
Noah Baumann is the player to keep an eye on. He’s a senior wing who shoots 45% from three, and vets who make threes have long been a Gamecock kryptonite. Jaxon Etter is also hitting 42.9% from three.
Throw in the fact that South Carolina has a ten-game winning streak over Georgia, and there is no reason South Carolina should lose this game. If they do, it could be a long slow march to the end of the season.
The Ws
Who: South Carolina (10-7, 1-4) vs Georgia (5-13, 0-5)
When: 3:30 pm, Saturday, January 22
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: SEC Network
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