Gamecock Gameday: #24 Carolina Travels To Face #5 Kentucky On Saturday In Primetime

Jan. 20, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina aims for sole possession of first place in the SEC on Saturday when it travels to Lexington to face No. 5/5 Kentucky in a battle of the two remaining undefeated teams in SEC play. The Gamecocks also look for back-to-back wins over ranked opponents for the second time this season, after posting a 57-53 victory over No. 19/21 Florida on Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena.

GAME STORYLINES

– South Carolina is in its 109th season of varsity basketball in 2016-17.
– On the sidelines, Frank Martin is joined by associate head coach Matt Figger, assistant coaches Perry Clark and Bruce Shingler, and director of operations Andy Assaley.
– South Carolina is back in the national rankings this week, checking in at No. 24 in both the AP and Coaches Polls. The Gamecocks jumped in to the national rankings on Nov. 28 for the first time this season after posting wins over two ranked opponents the previous week in No. 25/24 Michigan and No. 18/16 Syracuse. The Gamecocks checked in at No. 20 in the Associated Press poll and No. 23 in the Coaches Poll. The Gamecocks have risen to as high as 15th in the AP poll this season, which was the highest rank for Carolina since the Gamecocks were ranked 14th in the final poll of the 1997-98 campaign. The Gamecocks high mark in the Coaches poll this season was at No. 15.
– Behind 20 points from senior guard Sindarius Thornwell and an 11-point second half from sophomore forward Chris Silva, Carolina overcame hitting just 29.4 percent from the field to post a four-point victory over No. 19/21 Florida on Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena. The 57-53 win over the Gators was the second straight for South Carolina over its former SEC East rival. The Gamecock defense was stifling, holding Florida to 35.2% from the field, and 0-17 from 3-point range. Thornwell would score 15 of his 20 in the second half.
– In league play, Carolina opponents are averaging 20.0 turnovers per contest.
– South Carolina currently leads the nation in 3-point field goal percentage defense, holding opponents to just 26.3 percent from beyond the arc this season.
– South Carolina leads the SEC in several defensive categories entering Saturday’s matchup at Kentucky. In overall games, Carolina is tops in scoring defense (59.4), FG% defense (36.3%) and 3-point FG% defense (26.3%), and is second in steals (8.3 per game). In stricly league games, Carolina is first in scoring defense (59.6), FG% defense (37.5%) and steals (9.4 per game).
– South Carolina is 11-1 at home this season, averaging 73.3 points per game and hitting 43.2% from the field.
– The Gamecocks are 3-1 in away games this season (2-0 in SEC games), and average 67.0 points per game and have hit 39.7% from the field.
– South Carolina head coach Frank Martin is 81-78 (.509) all-time in conference games.
– Martin is 23-31 (.425) against ranked opponents as a head coach. His teams have four wins over opponents ranked in the top five, and two wins over opponents who are ranked No. 1.
– South Carolina is in its 26th basketball season as a member of the Southeastern Conference. The Gamecocks are 160-253 (.387) all-time in SEC games.
– The Gamecocks currently rank 29th in the NCAA RPI (games through Jan. 19), which is third in the SEC behind Florida (4th) and Kentucky (7th).
– Nine different Gamecocks average at least 12 minutes per game, and six different players provide at least five points per outing.
– The Gamecocks are 3-0 vs. ranked opponents this season (Michigan, Syracuse, Florida) and 4-1 vs. ranked opponents dating back to last season.
– Opponents are averaging just 18.8 made baskets per game and just 4.4 made 3s per game against the stifling Gamecock defense. In league play, opponents are averaging 19.4 makes per game.

SCOUTING KENTUCKY

– The Wildcats are 16-2 on the season, which includes a mark of 6-0 in SEC games.
– UK is led by head coach John Calipari in his eighth season.
– Kentucky’s two losses this season have come against ranked opponents in #11/19 UCLA on Dec. 3, and at #10/11 Louisville on Dec. 21.
– UK is 9-1 in home games this season, averaging 95.3 points per game in home games.
– Four average double-figure points for the Wildcats, led by freshman guard Malik Monk’s 21.4 per outing. Fellow freshmen De’Aaron Fox adds 16.7 per outing, sophomore Isaiah Briscoe scores 15.2 per game and freshman forward Bam Adebayo adds 12.8 per game.
– Monk’s 21.3 points per game in league games paces the SEC.
– In the SEC stats, the Wildcats are first in scoring (93.3 points per game), in scoring margin (+21.1), in field goal percentage (49.6), in blocked shots (6.2 per game) and in assists (18.1).
– Kentucky has an SEC low 111 turnovers on the year, which ranks 31st nationally.
– The Wildcats have hit at least 50 percent from the field in six-straight games entering Saturday’s matchup vs. the Gamecocks.

KENTUCKY SERIES

Kentucky holds a 50-11 upperhand in the all-time series with South Carolina, which includes a 26-2 advantage in games played in Lexington. The Gamecocks won at Rupp Arena in the regular-season finale in 1997, defeating the Wildcats on Senior Night to clinch the outright SEC title. Carolina’s only other win in Lexington came during the 2009 campaign, led by then-junior Devan Downey’s turnaround jumper with 3 seconds left that lifted South Carolina to a 78-77 victory over then-No. 24 Kentucky. Downey had been largely quiet throughout most of the game, failing to score until the final two minutes of the first half. But he awoke in a hurry when it counted and finished with 23 points, all but four in the second half. The Wildcats have won three straight in the series, and nine of the last 10, with Carolina’s win in the stretch coming in a 72-67 home win over the 17th-ranked Wildcats on March 1, 2014. South Carolina looks for its first win in Lexington since the 2009 conference campaign. Eight of Carolina’s 11 wins vs. UK have come when the Wildcats have been ranked.

BY THE NUMBERS

1.9 – Sophomore forward Chris Silva is averaging 1.9 blocks per game this season, which ranks seventh in the SEC and 47th nationally.
1.9 – PJ Dozier’s 1.9 steals per game is second on the team and ranks fourth in the SEC and 47th nationally. Dozier has five games this season with at least three steals, and collected a season high four steals vs. FIU.
2.5 – Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell is averaging 2.5 steals per game this season, including an impressive 3.8 per game during league play.
2.982 – The Gamecocks excelled in the classroom during the fall semester, as the team posted a cumulative GPA of 2.982.
3.8 – Thornwell is averaging 3.8 steals per game in league play. He collected two steals in Carolina’s most recent win vs. Florida.
6 – South Carolina committed just six turnovers in the win vs. A&M, trying for the fewest in the Frank Martin era.
8 – Sophomore guard PJ Dozier is eight points away from reaching 500 for his career.
13 – South Carolina’s 13 steals vs. FIU on Dec. 4 marked a season high in the category, surpassing the previous high of 12 vs. Syracuse.
16 – Sophomore forward Chris Silva scored a career high 16 points in Carolina’s win vs. Ole Miss on Jan. 14.
546 – Sindarius Thornwell ranks fourth among active players in the SEC with 546 career rebounds.
1,201 – Senior guard Duane Notice ranks 29th all-time at Carolina with 1,201 points. He is three points away from surpassing Tarence Kinsey (1,204) for 28th all-time.
1,496 – Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell ranks 10th all-time at Carolina with 1,496 career points. He needs 10 points to surpass Art Whisnant (1,505) for ninth all-time. Thornwell is just the fourth Gamecock to score at least 1,400 points since the turn of the century.
2,697 – Senior guards Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell have combined to score 2,697 points during their time in the Garnet and Black.

UP NEXT

South Carolina returns to Colonial Life Arena next week to host Auburn on Tuesday, Jan. 24. The game will feature the Carolina coaching staff wearing sneakers for the annual NABC Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers initiative. Adam Amin (pxp) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) will have the call for the SEC Network.