South Carolina Basketball vs. No. 1 Tennessee Game Preview
South Carolina Basketball (10-9, 5-1) hosts No. 1 Tennessee (18-1, 6-0) after falling to Oklahoma State. The Gamecocks look to dethrone Tennessee in a Tuesday evening matchup.
When: January 29, 2019, @ 7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Location: Colonial Life Arena, Knoxville, Tennessee
SERIES HISTORY
Tennessee leads the all-time series 44-27. South Carolina holds a 16-16 record when the game is in Columbia.
The Volunteers won the last two meetings between the team.
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin holds a 4-7 record against Tennessee. Vol head coach Rick Barnes has an 8-3 record over the Gamecocks.
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The last game between these two teams was on February 13, 2018, where Tennessee defeated the Gamecocks 70-67.
Tennessee Nuggets
Tennessee comes into this game ranked as the No. 1 team on the AP-poll and has a 14 game win streak.
Of the 19 games, the Volunteers have faced six total games against teams currently ranked in the AP Top-25. Three of those games are the upcoming matchups against Kentucky, LSU, and Mississippi State.
According to Tennessee’s game notes, the 6-0 SEC start is the best in league play since it won the first eight conference games in 1981-82.
Tennessee has shot better than 50 percent in 13 of the 19 games including 10 of the last 13 matchups.
Grant Williams leads the SEC in scoring as he averages 20.2 points per game. He completes 57.1 percent of his field goals which rank No. 2 in the SEC. Williams ranks in the SEC tenth in assists with 3.6 a game and ninth in rebounding with 7.3 per game.
After his impressive performance last week, Williams received SEC Player of the Week. He was also named Citizen Naismith Trophy National Player of the Week. Williams averaged 31 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 blocks and 2.0 steals a game.
light. Related Story. Tennessee Basketball: Grant Williams Deserves Player of the Year, Again
He is a player that can do it all for Tennessee. Willams put up his fair share of points, finds open teammates for baskets, can block shots and steal the ball. However, what is most impressive is his ability to draw fouls. He ranks second in Division one in fouls drawn per 40 minutes.
Thirty-five percent of William’s points this season have come from the free-throw line. No junior in all of division one basketball has attempted or made more career free throws than him.
Admiral Schofield ranks as the No. 5 scorer in the SEC averaging 16.6 points a game. From the arch, he shoots 40.9 percent.
Schofield and Williams both earned spots on the 25-man Wooden Award Midseason Watch list.
These two players aren’t the only playmakers Tennessee has. Lamonté Turner averages 10.3 points a game and is coming off a hot week as well scoring 23 points against West Virginia.
Jordan Bowden is a force off the bench for the Volunteers. He ranks second on the team and eighth in the SEC with 16.2 points a game.
The Volunteers average 86.1 points a game and allow opponents to score just 67.4 points. Tennessee completes 50.7 percent of its shots. From the arch the Vols shoot 35.8 percent and average 6.7 a game.
South Carolina Nuggets
South Carolina has been one of the hottest teams in the SEC since the beginning of conference play. The Gamecocks have wins over Auburn, Florida and Mississippi State.
According to Carolina’s game notes, Chris Silva returned for his senior year and has already recorded 12 double-digit scoring games this season. Four of six SEC contests, he scored double-figures.
South Carolina has three players who average in double-digits. A.J. Lawson leads the Gamecocks in scoring with 13.2 points a game. Silva follows him with 13.1, and Hassani Gravett rounds it out at 11.4 points.
However, Gravett paces the Gamecocks in league games scoring 15 points per SEC game. He also records 2.5 assists per game, which is the teams best. Gravett averages 44.1 percent from the field and has hit 15-of-33 from the arch against SEC teams.
The Gamecocks have won its last four home games. During that stretch, they average 87.2 points a game shooting 46.3 percent from the field.
South Carolina looks for its second win over a No. 1 school in its school’s history. The Gamecocks have one of the more experienced teams in the SEC. Seven letter winners returned including Gravett and Silva.
SL’s Game Prediction:
What Each Team Needs to Do for a Win
The Gamecocks may be one of the hotter teams in the SEC right now, but they haven’t faced this complete of a team.
Tennessee is a force right now and blows past its opponents. The Volunteers have a lot of confidence and know how good they are.
After losing to Oklahoma State 74-70, the Gamecocks want to ruin the Volunteers run. With veterans like Silva and Gravett, the team has a chance to match the maturity level Tennessee has.
Tennessee also may be too confident right now, and Carolina could catch them slipping. However, for that to happen, the Gamecocks will have to rattle the Vols.
How South Carolina Upsets Tennessee
If the Gamecocks want to win, the first thing they must do is stop Williams. If Carolina cannot stop him, he can beat a team single-handily. He did it against Vanderbilt last week, and Williams seems only to be getting stronger.
It’s not just stopping him from scoring, but from drawing fouls as well. Williams can draw fouls and is astounding from the free-throw line. If Carolina can keep him away from the free throw line, it could help.
However, they must force Tennessee to shoot under their average and make them make mistakes.
South Carolina needs to have one of their best defensive performances of the season to date. However, if the Gamecocks get the stops, they need they must execute on the offensive side of the ball as well.
Tennessee has a tough defense and will not just let them score easily.
Lawson needs to continue what he is doing on the court. He needs to match his averages and shoot better from the free throw line and beyond the arch. Smart shots will be his friend Tuesday evening.
What Tennessee Needs to Stay Perfect in SEC Play
If Tennessee wants to win, the Volunteers need to keep this pace they have. If the Volunteers starters continue to put up the numbers they are, then it won’t be a close game.
Tennessee doesn’t need to overlook the Gamecocks. The Volunteers need to cut off the Gamecocks momentum and early. Don’t let Carolina find a rhythm and force turnovers. The Volunteers need to find a way to slow down Silva and keep Lawson away from the lane.
Williams cannot do it all by himself, and he needs his counterpart Schofield to get out of his current slump. However, even if he doesn’t the Vols have more weapons to choose from, they need to continue to do what they do.
If Tennessee is allowed to run their game, the Gamecocks won’t win this game.
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Up Next for South Carolina Basketball
South Carolina heads to Georgia to face the Bulldogs for the first February game of the season. Tip-off is at 1 p.m. and will air on the SEC Network. The Gamecocks look to improve their road record to 3-4 as they head to Athens.