SOUTH CAROLINA MEN’S BASKETBALL

The Gamecocks will try to build on the last-second win at Florida when they host Mississippi State.

1. Defense

Lost in the excitement of Chris Silva’s game-winning dunk was the team effort that produced the comeback. South Carolina held Florida without a field goal for the final 7:17 and the Gators missed their last eight shot attempts. Yet, it was also a defensive lapse - allowing Florida to come up with the basketball on a broken play - that led to the tie and set up the game-winner.

“We’ve been defending real good for a while now. I think we’ve grown tremendously on defense,” Frank Martin said. “We’ve got to keep working at it. We’re not there yet. It continues to be a problem for this team, we’ve got to finish off possessions by coming up with rebounds or loose balls. It almost cost us the game, our inability to get rebounds or loose balls in the last two-and-a-half minutes of the game.”

2. We’re talking practice?

It’s the part nobody else can see, and it’s Martin’s favorite part of coaching: practice. On Monday, Martin was asked if the team had momentum following the win at Florida. Momentum, he said, is only as good as that day’s practice.

“Our mindset is not tied into opponent,” he said. “It’s not tied into success or failure. Is tied into trying to get better every day.”

WIth that in mind, though, the product on the court for games is usually a pretty good indicator of how practice has been going. Early in the season when the Gamecocks were losing to Stony Brook and Wofford, they were frequently struggling in practice. Martin admitted as much, but also praised the effort his inexperienced team was giving, even if wasn’t focused effort. As freshmen A.J. Lawson, Keyshawn Bryant, and Alanzo Frink and transfer Tre Campbell have learned what Martin expects in practice the product has gotten better.

“They tried, but we had no idea how to practice,” Martin said. “We’re learning how to practice every day. We attack practice every day with a different mindset than we did on November 1.”

3. Silva surge

Silva has bounced back from his early-season slump, culminating with his game-winner at Florida. After scoring in double figures just twice in the first seven games, Silva has scored in double figures in six straight games. He’s averaging 19 points, seven rebounds, and 2.6 blocks over the last three games, and scored 18 points in just 19 minutes at Florida. Just as importantly, after picking up two quick fouls and having to sit most of the first half, he committed just one foul in the second half.

Silva’s shooting percentage has gone up as well. He is 15-21 (71.4 percent) from the floor in those games, but Martin wants to see more. Silva has drawn fouls (30 total free throw attempts), but he hasn’t finished through the contact for three-point plays.

“He needs to convert more of his shots around the basket,” Martin said. “That’s his next step.”

4. Injury report

The Gamecocks’ injury report is shrinking for a change (pending pregame shootaround, where it seems another player has come out limping every week). Maik Kotsar is back at full strength after his concussion and started at Florida. Frink missed the North Greenville game with an ankle injury, but played two minutes against Florida. Justin Minaya remains on the same timetable, hoping to return from his knee injury in a few weeks. And T.J. Moss remains a redshirt candidate with his ankle/foot injuries.

5. Scouting the Bulldogs

In Ben Howland’s fourth season, the Bulldogs are starting to look like the team most people expected them to become under Howland. The Bulldogs’ only loss was a 72-67 defeat to Arizona State on a neutral court back on November 19, and since then they have wins over Cincinnati, Clemson, and Wofford (cough, cough). However, the Bulldogs didn’t play on the opening weekend of SEC games, and haven’t played a game since December 29 and have played just one true road game, a a 65-58 win at Dayton. Martin doesn’t expect the layoff to affect the Bulldogs.

“Their top six guys have been together for three years and their seventh man is a McDonald’s All-American,” Martin said. “They’ve got real good players with unbelievable experience, so they’ll be as good as they’ve been all year.”

Mississippi State is a balanced, veteran team full of physical guards who have terrorized South Carolina. Junior Lamar Peters averages 13.2 points per game, and scored 19 in Mississippi State’s overtime win in Starkville last season. Junior Tyson Carter averages 10.5 points, and went 3-5 from three in that same game. Nick Weatherspoon is only a sophomore, averaging 10.1 points, and he went off for 17 in the win in Columbia. 6-10 senior Aric Holman is the muscle in the middle with 12.5 points and 8.6 rebounds, but the straw that stirs the drink is senior Quinndary Weatherspoon. He averages 17.2 points and 5.2 rebounds. He led Mississippi State with 18 in Columbia, and was all over the court in Starkville, with 13 points, seven rebounds, four assists, and four steals.

“He does everything, shoots the three, plays off the bounce, plays off the ball, as good and sneaky an offensive rebounder as I’ve coached against in the SEC,” Martin said. “They’ve got a lot of guys, and he’s their guy. I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”

“I’m tired of coaching against Q Weatherspoon.”

The Ws

Who: South Carolina (6-7, 1-0) vs #14 Mississippi State (12-1, 0-0)

When: Tuesday, January 8, 9:00 pm

Where: Colonial Life Arena

Watch: ESPNU

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