SOUTH CAROLINA BASKETBALL

South Carolina returns home to face Houston in a Sunday afternoon game.

1. Bryant’s back

Keyshawn Bryant returned from his knee injury against UMass, and he was the difference-maker Frank Martin hoped he would be. He looked as athletic as ever - his first shot attempt was a dunk - and gave South Carolina versatility it hadn’t had without him.

It’s a small sample size, and it came against a unique full court press defense, but the Gamecocks’ best stretches came when they went small. With Bryant or Justin Minaya at power forward, the Gamecocks were able to get out and run offensively, easily breaking the Minutemen pass. Defensively, they selectively used a press of their own, and played a 2-3 zone. Bryant is athletic enough to play bigger than his 6-5 size, while providing another rangy ball-handler and finisher in the open court.

“He worked a lot in the offseason on understanding how to be a better basketball player, improving his skill set, understanding the game,” Martin said. “Keyshawn brings a personality that we really need.”

2. Key stretch

South Carolina has three more games before Christmas, all on Sunday, all against teams that played in the postseason last year, and games that will go a long way toward framing the rest of the season. Houston, a Sweet 16 team last season, is obviously up first. Clemson, which only made the NIT, but is always a tough game because of the rivalry implications, is next. After that, on December 22, South Carolina visits defending national champion Virginia.

None of the three opponents is quite as good as they were last season, but they are still good teams. If South Carolina can win two or even three of the games (and if you saw the Hoos’ 69-40 loss at Purdue, you know they can be beaten), it can build momentum going into SEC play and get back on pace to challenge for a tournament bid. Lose two, or god-forbid three, and South Carolina is back where it was last season: going into the SEC with nothing to show from the non-conference schedule. Based on last season, when it finished fourth in the SEC and didn’t even get a sniff from the selection committee, you would think South Carolina has little chance again.

“We’ve played some quality teams so we should not be in culture shock into these three games,” Martin said. “These games will prepare us for the SEC, and that’s why we put them on the schedule.

3. It’s still AJ

We have covered the return of Bryant repeatedly, and Collyn wrote about the emergence of Jermain Couisnard HERE. What we haven’t talked about is how AJ Lawson has performed as the first option on offense. Lawson is averaging 16.6 points per game this season, up from 13.4 last season and good for eighth in the SEC. He has scored at least 20 points four times, after doing it six times all of last season. Throw out the Wichita State game, when he scored just five points as part of the team-wide disappearing act, and Lawson is averaging 18 points per game.

He’s doing it in fewer minutes than last season, and while still averaging a team-high 2.9 assists and boosting his shooting percentages across the board. If there is any complaint, it has been that sometimes Lawson needs Martin to remind him to impose his will on a game, and his defense is still a work in progress.

4. Throwback duds

The Gamecocks will debut their throwback uniforms Sunday.

The uniforms are inspired by the Gamecocks’ uniforms from the 70s. Note the word “inspired,” since they aren’t perfect. I pulled some photos from the South Carolina media guide for comparison. (photos courtesy of South Carolina media relations)

Some of the differences: The font for “South Carolina” and the numbers looks the same. The are no garnet side panels, and the piping around the neck and arm holes is solid instead of striped, and asymmetrical, which is odd-looking on its own, and a major downgrade from the originals. The shorts are quite different, which is probably inevitable do to style changes. There is no stripe on the cuff, and the “USC” side panel has been replaced with an abstract V design (probably due to the length of shorts and the school trying to distance itself from the USC abbreviation). Lastly, no belts! I’m sure the players are relieved.

And with apologies to Paul Lukas, let’s move on.

5. Scouting the Cougars

Houston isn’t quite the top 25 team it was the last couple of seasons and a Sweet 16 team a year ago, but the Cougars will have plenty of motivation to notch a big non-conference win. Houston lost to Oregon earlier this season, and after South Carolina only has a game against Oklahoma State and then possibly Georgia Tech and Washington before conference play begins.

The bad news for the Cougars is that as an undersized team, they play right into the Gamecocks’ strengths. The Cougars’ leading rebounder is 6-5 guard Nate Hinton, who averages 8.8 rebounds as a de facto power forward. Expect to see a lot of the Gamecocks’ small ball lineup that worked so well against UMass.

“We’ve got our hands full, it’s going to be by far our most physical game this year,” Martin said. “They’ve got real good players.”

Guard Marcus Sasser has been a part-time starter for Houston and is their leading three-point shooter. He is pretty much the definition of a streak shooter, with one of the most uneven stat lines you’ll ever see. In Houston’s first, third, and fifth games (the odd games) this season he is a combined 15-24 (63 percent) from three. In the second, fourth, and sixth games (the even games), he is a combined 0-11 (0 percent). Sunday’s game is game number seven, so he is due for a big shooting day, which is not good given South Carolina’s problems guarding the three.

“With our luck they’re going to make every three,” Martin said. “We play teams and there are guys that are one for the last nine years and they come in and start hitting off the dribble threes against us. We’re prepared to deal with them making threes.”

The Ws

Who: South Carolina vs Houston

When: Sunday, December 8, noon

Where: Colonial Life Arena

Watch: ESPNU