The juxtaposition jumps out immediately.  Against the SEC's three fastest-paced teams, South Carolina is 3-1 - and all three of those teams have winning conference records.  Against the three slowest teams they've faced, the Gamecocks are 0-4.

SEC Adjusted Tempo Rankings* (Possessions/Game)                    Result

1.       Arkansas                                                                        W 75-54

2.       Ole Miss                                                                         W 63-62

3.       LSU                                                                                W 82-73 (OT),  L 64-46

7.    South Carolina

11.  Georgia                                                                           L 67-56,  L 62-54 (OT)

12.  Alabama                                                                          L 68-58

13.  Texas A&M                                                                     Saturday

14.  Vanderbilt                                                                        L 58-51                 

*-Tempo stats courtesy of KenPom.com.  "Adjusted tempo" takes into account a team's schedule, the preferred pace of the opponent, and the date that game was played.

For a team that struggles to score (12th SEC Offensive Efficiency), it seems paradoxical.  Why does South Carolina play better against teams that favor a faster - i.e., more high-scoring - pace?  

An "Inside The Chart" Unsolved Mystery:  why does South Carolina fare better against faster-paced teams?

Associate head coach Brad Underwood may have the best insight.  More than anyone on the Gamecock coaching staff, Underwood believes in the value of tempo-free statistics.  He offered his theories.

"When you play faster, you play less physical," Underwood explained on "Carolina Calls."  According to kenpom.com, South Carolina has the smallest average height (6'3 1/4") of any team in a BCS conference.  For undersized teams, it's hard to win a battle in the trenches over 40 minutes.  An open-floor game hides that weakness better than a halfcourt game, where opponents can deliberately target a team's height mismatch.  Underwood attributed several of the Gamecocks' late-game slides to the "grinding down" effect of facing taller, more physical teams. 

If a team can't exploit its height mismatch, it also can't rack up as many foul shots.  Look at South Carolina's free-throw differential against the fastest teams compared the slowest teams in the SEC:

FT Margin - Wins                        FT Margin - Losses

Arkansas:      +2                          Vanderbilt           -8

Ole Miss:       -1                           Georgia G1         -3

LSU G1:        +21                         Alabama            -20

LSU G2:        -3                           Georgia G2         -22

Wins:            +20                        Losses:              -53

It's no coincidence that fewer free throws - and less foul trouble - keep South Carolina more competitive.

In general, Underwood says a faster pace suits the coaches' preference.  Dating back to their Kansas State days, they aim for an average of 75 possessions per game (Carolina is averaging 67.6/game this year). 

Eric Smith and Shane Phillips (right) celebrate during the Gamecocks' 63-62 win over Ole Miss.  The Rebels rank 12th in the country in Possessions/Game (72.1).

"Our team is getting to the point where we're starting to think less.  Basketball is such a reactionary game, and it's a game of anticipation.  When you're comfortable, you see the floor open up," Underwood said.

Carolina's opponent Saturday, the Texas A&M Aggies (16-12, 6-9 SEC), ranks 327th in the nation in Adjusted Tempo (61.2).  The Aggies don't play with much haste, and they feature a supernova scorer in senior guard Elston Turner, who exploded for 40 points at Rupp Arena and 37 points against Ole Miss. 

Based on what the numbers show, the key to a victory may be as simple as one phrase.

"Speed kills."

Our pre-game coverage at Texas A&M begins at 6:30 p.m. Saturday on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.  See you in College Station.  -AD--