The Gamecocks visit the Volunteers Tuesday night looking for a Tennessee sweep.

1. Who is available?

“I think we’re good,” Frank Martin said.

As of Monday, everybody on the roster is available for Tuesday’s game.

2. Do-it-all Erik Stevenson

When Stevenson transferred to South Carolina he was billed as a shooter, and while his three-point shooting has certainly been an asset, Stevenson has done so much more.

“His shot-making was the least of things that interested me when I recruited him,” Martin said.

Stevenson had nine points against Vanderbilt, but his two biggest plays were a driving basket in the lane and a steal and pass ahead to James Reese for a dunk. He had a team-high six rebounds and three assists. It’s the sort of well-rounded game Stevenson is making routine. He leads South Carolina in scoring and assists despite not being a primary ball-handler, and is second in rebounds. The ball moves better on offense when Stevenson is in the game, and the defense is sharper.

“He impacts the game in different ways,” Martin said. “Defensively he fights his tail off. He’s a voice, he never shuts up. He’s one of those guys that I have to say, let me coach, relax, because he’s so engaged.”

Stevenson is also a perfect 28-28 from the free throw line this season, but we won’t talk about that in case we jinx him.

3. Bad fouls

Now we get to the problem areas. Vanderbilt attempted 36 free throws, twice as many as South Carolina. The game before, Auburn attempted 23. Going further back, Clemson attempted 31 and Coastal Carolina attempted 38. Even Princeton attempted 24. It’s clearly an issue and one that has cost South Carolina a few games.

Martin expressed frustration following the Vanderbilt game, saying the Gamecocks don’t foul as often in practice. But in the heat of the game, players are forgetting what they practice.

“There’s six to eight to nine plays a game where we’re committing bad fouls,” he said. “Those are plays we have to eliminate. All you can do is show film, continue to be patient and teach, and continue to get that to drop a little.”

4. Limiting Turnovers

The other issue is turnovers. South Carolina is averaging 15.8 turnovers per game, but like the fouls they are coming in bunches. 24 against Western Kentucky and 22 against UAB, and then 20 and 22 in the last two games.

Martin could probably live with 14 or 15 turnovers. He pointed out that he’s willing to trade a couple turnovers in exchange for a faster pace. It’s compounded by a roster that hasn’t had a lot of experience together, but it still has to get better. South Carolina shot 64% in the first half against Vanderbilt, yet still trailed at halftime because of 13 turnovers.

“When you have nine first-year guys and you’re counting on two true freshmen in Jacobi (Wright) and Devin (Carter) to play major minutes and ball-handling responsibilities, you’re going to have some turnovers,” Martin said. “But (22) is too many.”

5. Scouting the Volunteers

Tennessee put together a strong non-conference resume, but SEC play has been a problem. The Volunteers have lost two of three. COVID cost Tennessee two starters in a loss to Alabama, but the Volunteers have been at full strength and still struggled.

Martin isn’t sleeping on the Vols, saying they are “what I think is one of the top 10-12 teams in the country” and “definitely one of the top two or three defensive teams in the country.”

He said that not fouling will be especially key against Tennessee because whistles slow down the game and allow Tennessee to set its defense. Tennessee is giving up just 61.7 points per game and is third in the nation in adjusted defensive efficiency.

Three-point shooting has been a good barometer for Tennessee: the Vols are shooting 37.5% from three in wins and just 20% in losses. Santiago Vescovi is the player to watch from behind the arc. He is 40-11 (36.$%) from three, averaging nearly eight attempts per game.

The Ws

Who: South Carolina (10-4, 1-1) at #22 Tennessee (10-4, 1-2)

When: 6:30 pm, Tuesday, January 11

Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN

Watch: SEC Network

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