Knock on wood, the Gamecocks are less than a week away from ending an almost month-long gap between games.

The Gamecocks are scheduled to host Florida A&M Jan. 2 at 3:30, the first game since Dec. 5 at Houston.

Since then South Carolina's been on two different COVID pauses, but that seems close to ending. When that happens, what should you expect from the Gamecocks?

What will the team look like with incredibly limited practice?

This is absolutely the biggest issue. The Gamecocks went through an over 20-day pause without being able to practice more than a handful of times in a brief resumption, and seeing what kind of rust has built up will be interesting.

Having a team come back from almost a month away from playing games will likely mean some adjusting but the Gamecocks have a veteran team, which could help some of the rust get knocked off quicker than if it was a younger team.

Can the bigs step up?

Before the pause, one of the bigger things that needed addressing this season is their play at the power forward and center spot. The Gamecocks are getting a nice spark off the bench from Wildens Leveque and Jalyn McCreary had a good game against Houston at full health.

Martin said the Gamecocks need more from Alanzo Frink, which will help them on both ends of the court. If the bigs can play well and play well with the guards then it'll help get the Gamecocks into the win column again.

What defense will South Carolina play?

One of the things this year that's been interesting, especially for a Frank Martin team, is an amorphous defensive identity. A primarily halfcourt man team in the past, it seems the Gamecocks have done more trapping, pressing and zone defense through three games and it's worked.

It's a small sample size but the Gamecocks are top 50 in adjusted defensive efficiency allowing jut 93.6 points per 100 possession.

Florida A&M turns the ball over at a high rate and isn't the most efficient shooting team, so the Gamecocks could throw a lot at the Rattlers.

Point guard consistency

Outside of the bigs, Martin wants more consistent play from his point guards. The Gamecocks are 81st in offensive efficiency, averaging 105.9 points per 100 possessions but are turning the ball over far too much (319th in turnover rate) and aren't shooting it well from three.

Over the first three games the point guard position has been anchored by Jermaine Couisnard, Trae Hannibal and Seventh Woods and getting those guys playing consistently will be key for the Gamecocks after this pause.

The Minaya effect

It's no secret Minaya makes this team tick and is one of the biggest leaders on the team. Minaya's second on the team in offensive efficiency and the most experience man on the roster.

In the season opener against Liberty, Minaya was off and it showed, but he followed it up with a good game (and a win) against Tulsa. Minaya hit foul trouble against Houston and that was another loss. Keeping him in the game and playing well could be a big help in knocking off some early cobwebs.