South Carolina-Vandy basketball: How, what to watch as Commodores approach history
South Carolina (10-8, 2-3 SEC) hosts Vanderbilt (8-10, 0-5) on Saturday at Colonial Life Arena. Tip-off is 8 p.m. at Reed Arena. SEC Network will broadcast.
USC-VANDERBILT STORYLINES
1. Get them while you can
The hardest stretch of South Carolina’s SEC schedule is over. To come out of an opening five-game gauntlet that included Kentucky, Florida, Tennessee and Auburn — all ranked among the NET’s top 60 — at 2-3 is a mini-victory.
The key now is for the Gamecocks to take advantage while they can.
Starting with Vandy (145), five of USC’s next six opponents are outside the NET’s top 75. USC, of course, has proven to be unpredictable when it comes to these kind of games — see losses to Stetson (NET 310) and Boston University (182). But the Commodores, who lost Charleston native and leading scorer Aaron Nesmith to injury earlier this month, enter on a six-game skid. This feels like a must-get for Carolina.
2. Spotlight on 3-point line
No Nesmith means Vandy is playing without one of college basketball’s elite shooters. The sophomore leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage (52.2%).
The Commodores felt his absence last Saturday against Tennessee when they missed all 25 of their attempts from beyond the arc, ending a program streak at 1,080 games with a 3. The performance prompted first-year coach Jerry Stackhouse to publicly apologize to fans.
South Carolina is a week removed from making a program-record 16 3s in a win over Texas A&M. It went 6 of 21 from deep in the Auburn loss, a showing that hindered the offense as the Gamecocks again struggled for free throw opportunities. Vandy is last in the SEC in both field goal percentage and 3-point FG percentage defense.
3. History on the line
Should South Carolina, which has taken the last two matchups with Vandy, win Saturday, it would extend the Commodores’ SEC regular season losing streak to 24 games, tying for the longest in league history.
After USC, Vandy travels to No. 15 Kentucky.
“It’s not going to be easy,” Stackhouse recently told Vanderbilt reporters. “Right now, not being whole (due to injuries), the perception is what it is. We’ve got to find a way to fight through that perception.”
4. Bryant watch
South Carolina is 1-1 since Keyshawn Bryant exited the Texas A&M game with a head injury. Frank Martin said during his Gamecock Sports Network call-in show Thursday night that Bryant practiced in half-court situations that afternoon.
Bryant’s game status remains to be determined. Same goes for reserve freshman guard Trae Hannibal (sprained ankle).
Wildens Leveque started in Bryant’s place at Auburn and finished with four points, three rebounds, three steals and a block in 13 minutes. The Gamecocks mainly went with a smaller lineup that included Jair Bolden’s 21 minutes off the bench.
VANDERBILT
Coach: Jerry Stackhouse (First season at Vanderbilt — 8-10)
Projected starters: G Saben Lee (15.9 ppg), G Maxwell Evans (7.2), G Jordan Wright (4.0), F Dylan Disu (6.4), G/F Braelee Albert (1.5)
Last game: Lost to Alabama 77-62 at home on Wednesday
KenPom ranking: 177 (No. 133 in offensive efficiency, No. 228 in defensive efficiency)
NET: 145
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (256-168 in 13 seasons overall; eighth season at USC — 139-114)
Projected starters: G A.J. Lawson (13.7), G Jermaine Couisnard (10.9), F Justin Minaya (7.8), Wildens Leveque (2.2), C Maik Kotsar (9.6)
Last game: Lost at No. 16 Auburn 80-67 on Wednesday
KenPom ranking: 99 (No. 132 in offense efficiency, No. 84 in defense efficiency)
NET: 101
Game info
Who: Vanderbilt (8-10, 0-5) at South Carolina (10-8, 2-3)
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV channel: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
Series: Vanderbilt leads 30-28
Last meeting: Jan. 16, 2019 — South Carolina 74, Vanderbilt 71
KenPom prediction: South Carolina 79, Vanderbilt 70
This story was originally published January 24, 2020 at 12:00 AM with the headline "South Carolina-Vandy basketball: How, what to watch as Commodores approach history."
