USC-Virginia basketball: How, what to watch as Gamecocks face reigning national champs
Game info
Who: South Carolina (7-4) at No. 9 Virginia (9-1)
When: 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Virginia
TV: ABC
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
Series: South Carolina 13-7
Last meeting: Dec. 19, 2018 — Virginia 69, South Carolina 52
KenPom prediction: Virginia 63, South Carolina 51
STORYLINES
1. A grand opportunity
Frank Martin is 0-4 all-time as head coach of a team facing the reigning national champions. His one try while in charge of South Carolina came during Season No. 1, a 77-55 loss to Kentucky on Feb. 5, 2013.
Enter Virginia, which lost three key players to the NBA off its title team (Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter combined for 48 points in UVa’s win over USC last December), but has kept a top 10 ranking and already owns wins over Syracuse and North Carolina.
The Gamecocks haven’t topped a reigning national champ since sweeping Kentucky in 1996-97.
“To be on ABC,” Martin said, “playing the defending the national champions in a great environment that they have there at the University of Virginia, it’s a great moment for our players to be able to showcased there.”
2. Road challenge
South Carolina has started a season 2-0 in true road game for the first time since 2015-16. But winning at UMass and Clemson is one thing, upsetting the Cavaliers at John Paul Jones Arena is another.
UVa has taken the last 22 games on its home floor against non-conference opponents. The last visiting team to leave Charlottesville happy was West Virginia, coached by Martin’s pal Bob Huggins, on Dec. 3, 2016.
3. Solving the Pack-Line
The offensive tweaks that sparked USC’s win over Clemson — see A.J. Lawson moving to point guard, Jair Bolden shifting to the wing — are expected to continue in Charlottesville, but how much will it matter against one of the nation’s premier defenses?
Tony Bennett’s famed Pack-Line is as suffocating as ever in 2019-20. Virginia ranks No. 1 in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to kempom.com, and is allowing all of 44.2 points per game.
Switching Lawson to PG was a move intended to get the Gamecocks more transition opportunities. Problem is, a strength of Bennett’s system has long been to limit an opponent’s chances in the open floor. In other words, Carolina must execute in the half-court — and make long jump shots.
USC enters 320th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (28.8).
VIRGINIA
Coach: Tony Bennett (332-123 in 14 seasons overall; 11th season at Virginia — 263-90)
Projected starters: G Kihei Clark (9.0 points per game, G Casey Morsell (4.9), G Kody Stattmann (5.3), F Mamadi Diakite (13.2), F Jay Huff (9.5)
Last game: Beat Stony Brook 56-44 on Wednesday at home
KenPom ranking: 12 (No. 164 in offense efficiency, No. 1 in defense efficiency)
NET: 39
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (253-164 in 13 seasons overall; eighth season at USC — 136-110)
Projected starters: G A.J. Lawson (16.3), G Jair Bolden (9.1), F Keyshawn Bryant (8.0), F Justin Minaya (6.8), C Maik Kotsar (10.1)
Last game: Beat Clemson at Clemson on Sunday
KenPom ranking: 103 (No. 146 in offense efficiency, No. 80 in defense efficiency)
NET: 145
This story was originally published December 22, 2019 at 5:00 AM with the headline "USC-Virginia basketball: How, what to watch as Gamecocks face reigning national champs."
