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GAMECOCK-GAMEDAY THREAD: South Carolina vs. Virginia ***Dec. 22, 2019 at 3:00pm.***

FeatheredCock

FeatheredCock

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GAMECOCK-GAMEDAY THREAD: South Carolina vs. Virginia ***Dec. 22, 2019 at 3:00pm.***

View attachment 829

**Dec. 22, 2019 - Sunday, 3:00 p.m.**

View attachment 1504 South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Virginia Cavaliers 
Virginia.png

Here you go free to listen if not near a radio or TV
 
Gamecocks Face Virginia On The Road Sunday
 

 



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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

 
Last edited by a moderator:
Saw that we are 12 point underdogs to UVA.    If I was betting, I'd take USC and the points.    

 
This will be a very difficult game for the Gamecocks. Virginia is like USC in that they are very defensively strong and based as a team, but perhaps to an even greater degree than USC is. This game should be a pretty low-scoring game, with lots of defense. The best test yet this season for the Gamecocks. They've had a whole week to prepare for the game....

 
Love watching them play the way we knew they could. They have still made some mistakes but not as many as UVA. Going to be a challenging second half but I think they can pull it off.

 
Best first half we have played this season.   Now, if we can play the best second half......    Have to guard Diakete better.   Someone has to help Bolden score.

 
WOW!!!

I have to say, after our listless loss against Houston, that I looked at the Clemson and Virginia games, and felt we were going to be 6-6 after them. This was a great effort by this team. Wish we had whole weeks of preparation for each of our games like we did for this one, LOL. Hopefully this gives this young team some swagger and confidence for the rest of the season, because if it doesn't, I don't know what will.....

 
Such awesome D today and being able to score like they did against such a great defensive team was huge. When UVA tied it up with 10min left I said oh no. Then we went on that 12-2 run and turned the heat back up and I knew we had this one. Our players actually looked comfortable out there. Way unlike the Houston game. Look out Stetson. This team is for real.

 
Huge win!    Big for this young team.     We are improving.   I'm excited.

 
Fantastic win! I said we would have to play much better than we did at Clemson, and boy did they! Bolden was on fire and carried us the first half. I hope he can continue that going forward. I love that we answered every time UVa had a run. That's a resume builder and a nice, early Christmas gift!

 
AikenGameFan said:
Such awesome D today and being able to score like they did against such a great defensive team was huge. When UVA tied it up with 10min left I said oh no. Then we went on that 12-2 run and turned the heat back up and I knew we had this one. Our players actually looked comfortable out there. Way unlike the Houston game. Look out Stetson. This team is for real.
Click to expand...
Aiken, read my post “Some thoughts on the young season”, way back on Nov. 28th.  What did I say?  I said POST-Houston, expect a different team, especially defensively.  I’m not trying to brag, but I’ve been seeing this stuff coming for a LONG time.  We’re young, and we still have some growing up to do, but we’re a LOT better than our record indicates.

this game is a small taste of what we can do.  Expect some SEC noise from the ‘Cocks this year, and barring injury to a starter, expect NCAA tourney this year.

 
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