Weird season so far for SC.  3-3, lost 3 straight on a neutral court.  Have not left their home state yet.

Chico Carter, Jr.  hit the game winner at the buzzer against Clemson but missed their last game, a come from behind win over SC Upstate.  I believe a one-time teammate of Ja Morant at Murray State, Carter has already scored 26 against Davidson (the Cats won by 9) and is shooting over 53% from 3 for the season.  Unsure about his status for tomorrow night but we would catch a huge break if he decided to save himself for Georgetown on Saturday.

I'll be interested to see if we are energized and ready to play at a high level from the opening tip.  It's a somewhat thin line between not being very good as opposed to playing down to your competition.  While our team really should not be taking anyone for granted, it's easy to look at the schedule to date and view yourself as the more talented team that might be able to coast to a win.  Put another way, GW has yet to face an opponent from a comparable or stronger conference than the A10.  This changes against SC.  

Just FYI the WRGW kids are doing a "College Gameday" before the game.  22nd Street will be closed to traffic, and I believe there will also be free food.

jf wrote:

This leads to the question: does any radio station broadcast GW games
over the air anymore? So you can listen in the car outside of campus.

It's not broadcast on the actual radio but it's on https://gwradio.com and https://www.iheart.com/live/wrgw-district-radio-7294/

Last edited by gwstudent2024 (11/29/2022 4:55 pm)

South Carolina Gamecocks

Date/Time: Wednesday November 30th @ 9:00 PM ET at The Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, DC.
TV: CBS Sports Network (CBSSN)
Preseason Ranks: 78th (KenPom), 105th (Bart Torvik), 114th (Sports Illustrated)
2021-22 Record: 18-13, 9-9 (T-5th in SEC)
2022-23 Projected Record: 10-21, 3-15 (14th in SEC)

Head-to-Head: 5-7. South Carolina has won both matchups in this century. In part 1 of the "home-and-home" series back in the 2019-20 season we fell 74-65 after we fell behind by 12 going into halftime. Both teams were ice cold from 3 as GW and SC combined to shoot 11/50 (22%) from distance. The difference in the game was that SC was able to convert inside at will, converting 63% of their two point FGs while we struggled to finish over SC's length (46% on twos). This game was pretty much a microcosm of the JC era. We had the right idea defensively running SC (and other opponents off the line) but when we faced teams that were not rattled by us doing that it was generally an easy finish near the hoop as we had no rim protection. Offensively, we were too jump shot happy, especially in year 1 under JC. We shot 36 threes in the game. While part of this was obviously us trying to make up the deficit we found ourselves in, there wasn't an adjustment when things weren't working. Shots were clearly not falling yet we continued to hoist three after three. We were predictably outrebounded by 13 in that game, and that is something that will be a key factor to monitor in this game as well. Armel led the way with 22 points and 6 assists, while Jamison added 18 points and 8 rebounds on 6 made threes. Battle attempted 16 threes, which tied Shawnta for most ever by a Colonial back in 1999 when GW fell to Indiana. JNJ came off the bench to score 13 to go with 4 steals. Jair had 12 points for the Gamecocks in a revenge game.

Preseason Offensive Efficiency: 113th (KenPom), 182nd (Bart Torvik)
Preseason Defensive Efficiency: 44th (KenPom), 58th (Bart Torvik)
Pace: 266th (KenPom), 157th (Bart Torvik)
Offensive Shot Quality Rank: 100th
Defensive Shot Quality Rank: 149th
Rim & 3 Rate: 79% (330th)

Strengths:
Offensive Rebounds Per Game (10th)
Blocked Shots Per Game (17th)
Turnovers Forced (28th)
Total Blocks (T-29th)
Total Rebounds Per Game (40th)
Steals Per Game (T-56th)
Field Goal Percentage Defense (60th)
Total Steals (T-74th)
3-PT Field Goal Defense (91st)

Weaknesses:
Assist Turnover Ratio (258th)
Field Goal Percentage (267th)
3-PT Field Goal Percentage (273rd)
Fewest Fouls (T-299th)
Free Throw Percentage (311th)
Fewest Turnovers (T-312th)
Personal Fouls Per Game (326th)
Turnovers Per Game (332nd)

Key Returning Players:
No one that averaged 5 ppg or better on the season...not great!

Key Losses:
Jermaine Couisnard (Transferred to Oregon; East Chicago, IN) 12 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg; 40% FG, 32% 3-PT, 68% FT
Erik Stevenson (Transferred to West Virginia; Lacey, WA) 11.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.1 spg; 37% FG, 33% 3-PT, 98% FT
James Reese V (Graduated; Eastover, SC) 10.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1 spg; 42% FG, 34% 3-PT, 82% FT
Devin Carter (Transferred to Providence; Miami, FL) 9 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.8 apg; 42% FG, 27% 3-PT, 69% FT
Keyshawn Bryant (Transferred to South Florida; Winter Haven, FL) 8.7 ppg, 4 rpg; 41% FG, 28% 3-PT, 55% FT
Wildens Leveque (Transferred to Massachusetts; Brockton, MA) 6.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg; 59% FG, 58% FT

Comments:
Are coaches of mid-major teams that catch lightning in a bottle in March and qualify for the NCAA tournament overvalued? Shaheen Holloway had a run for the ages at St. Peter's - while he had built a strong identity on the defensive side of the ball, the Peacocks were often inept offensively and weren't even the top seed in the MAAC tournament last year (with that of course being Rick Pitino's Iona Gaels).

Now unlike Holloway, Lamont Paris did have two 20+ win seasons in his final three years at Chattanooga (and finished 1st in the SoCon his final year) but had David Jean-Baptiste not made a shot for the ages in the conference championship does Paris still get a look from South Carolina? I'm not knocking his coaching ability, but it's amazing how one shot can change everything.




I look at a guy like Tod Kowalczyk at Toledo who has 4 1st place finishes in the MAC in the past 5 years but has failed to qualify for the big dance as someone I'm surprised hasn't received higher look despite 6 postseason appearances (NIT/CBI) in 13 seasons coaching the Rockets. Perhaps he doesn't want to leave? Heck, even a guy who was in the same league as Paris - Bob Richey who has had 4 20+ win seasons in the 5 years may have been the choice had Jean-Baptiste missed that halfcourt heave - not to mention he's familiar with the Palmetto State given Furman is just 100 miles northwest of South Carolina's campus...

Regardless, Paris was the choice and he should get some time to prove himself at the P6 level. South Carolina has and likely always will be a football first school, much like their neighbors to the south Georgia. If he can hit 20 wins once every few years he should be able to keep his job for a while. Coming from the Greg Gard coaching tree at Wisconsin, Paris will certainly need that time as the Badger system isn't exactly learned overnight, or even after a full season. He won with a very experienced team at Chattanooga and once he gets his guys on the team and they get acclimated, SC could very well be dangerous.

Having said that, when you have teams like Kentucky, Florida, and Tennessee in the conference it's tough for SC to have a high ceiling. I think Frank Martin did a great job personally (more on him in a couple months). A 5th/6th place finish for SC in the SEC for basketball should be considered a resounding success.

To be successful this season, the Gamecocks will need to clamp down defensively. The good news is that Martin had instilled a defensive culture at SC already. It's difficult to bring in top recruits to Columbia despite the fact that they play in one of the toughest leagues in the country so winning by playing tough/physical is important.

Paris did not inherit a lot this offseason. SC's top six scorers from last season all departed either via the transfer portal or to graduation, including promising freshman Devin Carter, who made the all-freshman team in the SEC last year. Whether that's considered to be a good thing or a bad thing is a matter of opinion for a first year coach. It's great to get the players you want in your system right away, but integrating so many new players can be a big challenge and lead to poor chemistry.

Five reserves from last season's squad opted to remain through the coaching change. In the backcourt, SC natives Chico Carter Jr. and Jacobi Wright will likely get significantly more minutes this year given the Gamecocks have more frontcourt players on their roster than guards (much like us). Carter returned home after beginning his career at Murray State. I'm guessing Ja Morant played a role in him committing there originally given Morant is also from SC. Carter (no relation to ex-teammate Devin) carries a strong reputation as a shooter - he is a career 44% three point shooter through three years of college and is already off to a blazing start this year having made 54% of his attempts thus far. He missed their last game against USC Upstate due to an ankle injury but is listed as "day-to-day". Paris is optimistic that he will play tomorrow but it will probably be a game-time decision. Wright hit the proverbial freshman wall late in the season. He averaged just 6 minutes a game in SC's final eight contests with just a single basket made during that span. Wright is a shifty guard who can change speeds, distribute, and make tough shots. He is shooting the ball much better this year now that he is getting consistent playing time.

Joining Carter and Wright are Ohio State transfer Meechie Johnson and true freshman Zachary Davis. Johnson opted to leave home as he was never able to find consistency with the Buckeyes. Honestly, his best attribute is his facilitating, which will allow Carter and Wright to play off the ball at times and play to their strengths as shooters. Johnson is just 7/32 from the field on the year, a result of an ankle injury he suffered against South Carolina State in the season opener. Paris is reportedly not rushing him back, so there's a chance he doesn't suit up tomorrow. If he plays, I'd rather force him to beat us as a scorer than Carter or Wright who have a better chance of torching us from distance if we're not careful. Davis has similarly struggled mightily shooting so far, but that's more excusable given he's a true freshman that is getting used to the speed and rigor of the college game. Unfortunately, Paris has no one else to turn to as Coastal Carolina transfer Ebrima Dibba suffered an Achilles injury during offseason workouts and will not play this season. That was a major hit to a guard rotation that wasn't deep to begin with. Given the injuries, walk-ons Ford Cooper Jr. and Eli Sparkman may get some run. Cooper (a Missouri State transfer) played 29 minutes in SC's last game - that should tell you how banged up the backcourt is for them right now. It would have been big if Paris had brought Malachi Smith (not the Dayton player) with him from Chattanooga but it's hard to outbid Gonzaga.

While Paris will surely be looking to add more shooting to the squad in the coming years - he played a lot of 4-out 1-in, especially early on at Chattanooga - he did start to emphasize frontcourt play his final year there, notably with the addition of former Kansas Jayhawk Silvio De Sousa who was just a matchup nightmare for the SoCon, providing much needed balance and interior defense to a Chattanooga squad that was previously built solely on skill.

Ja'Von Benson, Josh Gray, and Tre-Vaughn Minott return in the frontcourt. Gray (fomerly at LSU) likely sees the most minutes of the three this year given he played more than the other two last year and offers real size as a 7 footer. Benson and Minott did not see much action but both have potential as interior scorers and rebounders who are very physical - Benson weighs 250 pounds, while Minott checks in at 270. Benson in particular gobbled up rebounds at an astounding rate - an outrageous 4 rebounds per 9 minutes played.

Of course, the biggest headlines in the frontcourt come from the newcomers:

Gregory 'G.G.' Jackson II opted to reclass to 2022 after originally committing to North Carolina. Jackson has impressive skills for someone his age - he can rebound and score inside like a traditional forward but can legitimately stretch the floor (he's shooting 40% from 3 on the year) and provide strong defense on the other end as a rim protector/on-ball defender. Given the recent string of reclass failures, Jackson has done a solid job so far.

Hayden Brown is yet another in-state product who comes over from The Citadel. Now when it comes to any transfer coming from The Citadel (we will be seeing another in conference play) defense is always a major question mark. Brown has picked up at least three fouls in every game this season so we will definitely want to go at him. Additionally, Brown is only 6-5, and often played as an undersized forward in the SoCon. Given Paris played against him many times while at Chattanooga, I'm sure he knew what he was getting. I'll say this, at least the Bulldog teams that Brown played on were not abysmal - they were pretty respectable offensively and I actually thought Duggar Baucom should have kept his job at a place that's impossible to win at (but that's a discussion for another day). Brown was the heart and soul of that team last year, ranking in the top 100 in a number of categories:

Defensive Rebounds Per Game (16th)
Rebounds Per Game (22nd)
Double Doubles (T-26th)
Total Rebounds (33rd)
Free Throw Attempts (46th)
Points Per Game (52nd)
Total Field Goals Made (T-68th)
Field Goal Percentage (70th)
Total Points Scored (88th)

Accounting for both Jackson and Brown figures to be the biggest challenge tomorrow night.

Illinois transfer/Belgium native Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk and true freshmen Daniel Hankins-Sanford can either play alongside the above duo or add depth from off the pine. Bosmans-Verdonk is the "glue guy" on the team - a good rebounder and passer that looks to score opportunistically but is also not 100% coming off an ankle injury (seems to be an epidemic at SC) causing him to miss the season opener. He does not shoot threes and is overall not the most offensively inclined player who is prone to coughing the ball up if pressure is applied. Hankins-Sanford provides more rebounding but has struggled with efficiency in his first year in Columbia.

This is basically Jackson's team. As you'd expect as a freshman, Jackson is prone to turning the ball over given his name is circled on every scouting report. If we can force someone else to beat us while doing an adequate job on Wright/Brown, we should be able to give ourselves a chance at a W. The Gamecocks aren't VCU when it comes to swiping the ball, but taking care of the ball and playing with good energy will be important. Playing faster isn't usually a formula for success against P6 teams, but it might be a good idea to get out in transition against this SC team that is not overly deep (as long as we're playing in control).

Projected Score: GW 69, South Carolina 66. 62% chance to win (Bart Torvik). ESPN gives us a 57.6% chance at a win.
 

5 years ago they lost to Gonzaga  in The Final Four.   Things went south for Frank Martin after that but they weren't THAT bad.   18-13 last year, .500 in the SEC.  As you can see above  top 100 KenPom coming into the year.  I get that they've been not great outside of the Clemson win but how are we possibly favored to win this game? 


Here's GG Jackson mocked 8th pick in the next draft:

Gregory JacksonPF – South Carolina – HT: 6-9     Fr– Jackson has reclassified and will likely be a high lottery pick in the 2023 draft. He’s a strong and explosive forward who has a lethal offensive game.




 

The Dude wrote:

I should amend this to say with the Vegas line out we are in fact not the underdog I'm stunned to say

GW -2

I think most of the money would have to be on South Carolina this point forward

Well, this isn't correct either.  Caesars, DraftKings and PointsBet now have the game at -3.  BetMGM and FanDuel have it at -2 1/2.

South Carolina's season has been quite disappointing.  Maybe they snapped out of it after traing their last game at halftime against SC Upstate.  This team was a 25 1/2 point favorite against SC State and won by 3.  They lost by 32 to Colorado state.  They lost to Furman by 19.  

If we play against their team and not against what their jerseys say, we could be catching them at the right time.

Sounds like the tailgate is going to be on 22nd St. Is that correct?

Good student turnout!

Bosman-Verdonk on USC is currently in Law School and a D1 Athlete. Very impressive

Looks like Bishop has the green light again, and he is BACK!