South Carolina hosts Rider Sunday afternoon to wrap up the month of November.
1. Keyshawn’s Back
After sitting out a five-game suspension, senior wing Keyshawn Bryant will make his season debut. Bryant immediately makes South Carolina deeper and more athletic, and he can drive and attack the rim better than anyone else on the team.
There is some concern that Bryant’s return might disrupt the chemistry that the Gamecocks have established, but Frank Martin isn’t hearing it.
“I’ve got to create some little things, because he’s an older player and he’ll adapt,” Martin said. “Anytime you can add (a preseason all-SEC player) to your team five games in, you should get better.”
2. Post Production
The outstanding shooting from South Carolina’s guards against Wofford helped mask the fact that the Gamecocks got little from their bigs.
AJ Wilson was productive (four points, three rebounds, two steals), but played in short spurts and was limited to just 20 minutes because he isn’t in game shape after missing the first four games of the season. But Wildens Leveque only had six points, Ta’Quan Woodley had six off the bench, and Josh Gray was scoreless. Combined, they had six rebounds. It was a disappointing showing, especially since Leveque was averaging 11.8 points and 9.0 rebounds going into the game.
“We’ve got to incorporate our bigs more,” Martin said.
3. Take care of business
This is, unfortunately, the sort of game where South Carolina has slipped up in recent years. Think Wyoming or Stetson, the overmatched opponent that somehow catches South Carolina on a bad day and pulls off a season-altering upset.
The longer South Carolina lets Rider hang around, the more the pressure will mount on the Gamecocks. They need to start fast and take control early.
4. Scouting the Broncs
Not the Broncos, the Broncs, even though they are broncos. There is a whole section in the game notes urging people not to make that mistake. Apparently, though, it was originally a mistake - a typo in a newspaper - that gave the Rider Broncs their name. Also they don’t wear red. It’s cranberry.
And honestly, the game notes might be better than the basketball (there was a section called “case of the runs,” which fortunately wasn’t about what I thought it was about).
Dimencio Vaughn is in Rider’s top 25 for career points and rebounds, and is averaging 12.3 points and 6.4 rebounds this season. RIder is led this season by senior guard Dwight Murray, Jr., who is averaging 16.0 points and 6.0 rebounds. Murray is shooting 32.4% from three this season, down from nearly 40% for his career. He fits the classic profile of players who give South Carolina trouble: a veteran who can shoot.
Rider is extremely undersized, with a starting lineup that goes 6-0, 6-2, 6-2, 6-5, and 6-7. The Broncs have just one player over 6-7, 6-8 forward Ajiri Ogemuno-Johnson, who averages 8.2 rebounds per game. South Carolina has a decided size advantage, but sometimes the smaller players can create headaches forcing the bigs to chase them around. That has been an issue for South Carolina at times this season. As long as South Carolina makes its size an advantage, not a disadvantage, the Gamecocks should be fine.
*Usually there’s a fifth thing, but it’s been a busy week, so we’re going to settle for four today.
The Ws
Who: South Carolina (4-1) vs Rider (3-4)
When: 2:00 pm, Sunday, November 28
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: SEC Network+
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