Who: South Carolina (5-6) vs. Western Kentucky (8-2)

Time/TV: 7:00 on SEC Network

Line: WKU -2.5. Total 132.5

History: SC leads 6-1.

Last Meeting: Carolina 87-85. A lot of Gamecock fans won't remember this game or might have flipped the channel over for the last few minutes after watching Stephen Garcia, Alshon Jeffrey, and Antonio Allen embarrass Clemson 29-7 in Lil' Death Valley. The Court Gamecocks went into Bowling Green, Kentucky, a homecoming for then coach Darrin Horn, and beat his former team in overtime. Carolina was led by 22 points of the bench from Ramon Galloway and 20 points from Bruce Ellington. Sam Muldrow also chipped in 10 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Western Kentucky comes into tonight’s contest the fourth-best, 3-point shooting team in the country at 42.3 percent. The Hilltoppers also rank 25th in assists per game (16.9) and third in blocks per game (6.1). Jamarion Sharp, a 7-5 senior center, leads the country in blocks (46) and blocks per game (4.6). It should be fun to watch GG drive the lane and challenge Sharp. Luke Frampton, a transfer from Davidson, is fourth nationally in three-point percentage (54.4 percent). The Hilltoppers best player has been guard Dayvion McKnight. The junior is averaging 15.4 ppg, 5 assists per game, and is shooting at a 48.3% clip.

The Hilltoppers have a good record and impressive stats, but it has come against the 250th toughest schedule in the country. Western Kentucky's last time out was a loss to a Louisville team that remarkably was winless. (It's amazing that Louisville can field that bad of a team). WKU's other loss was 19-point defeat at the hands of Akron in the Cayman Islands. (The Zips appear to have one of the better teams in the MAC).

Western Kentucky and Carolina do have one common opponent, SC State. Both teams hold victories for the Bulldogs. The Hilltoppers won that contest by 26. The Gamecocks squeaked by SC State by 2 to open the season.

The Gamecocks are 4-0 at home and 1-6 away from the Colonial Life Arena. The will be the first opponent that the Gamecocks will play at home that is not from the Palmetto State. South Carolina has previously defeated SC State, Clemson, Upstate, and PC in Columbia.

Vegas feels this is a winnable game for the Gamecocks, despite the stats saying otherwise. To win this game, it has to be more than the GG Jackson show. The Gamecocks could upset some teams if they could more consistency out of Meechie Johnson, Chino Carter, and Hayden Brown. Very rarely this season has that trio played well at the same time.

Carolina has struggled defending teams with good ball movement. That will need to change for the Gamecocks to stay perfect at home. Carolina must do a far better job of defending the perimeter than they have in other games this season.