South Carolina will look to rebound from its loss to Stony Brook when it hosts Norfolk State on Tuesday night.
The Gamecocks couldn’t hold off the Seawolves upset bid last week, with Frank Martin’s team enduring some early struggles thus far this season.
Meanwhile, Norfolk State is off to a 2-1 start with non-Division I victories over Mid Atlantic Christian and Clarion University.
Let’s look at what to watch for in this game.
Game Details
- Norfolk State (2-1) at South Carolina (1-1)
- Location: Colonial Life Arena – Columbia, SC
- Game Date: Nov. 13
- Game Time: 7 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network+
Players to Watch
Chris Silva (South Carolina)
The reigning SEC defensive player of the year played well in the opener against USC Upstate, as he earned a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
However, Silva found himself in foul trouble against Stony Brook and played just 20 minutes, which played a sizable role in the visitors’ ability to pull off the upset.
When the 6-9 senior is on the court, he’s South Carolina’s most impactful player both on offense and defense. But when he isn’t, this team struggles to find a rhythm.
This feels like a game where Silva can dominate the lane, but only if he’s on the court and not on the sideline.
AJ Lawson (South Carolina)
Lawson was the Gamecocks’ best player in the loss to Stony Brook, going for 23 points and adding six assists and three steals.
The 6-6 freshman shot 8 of 17 from the floor and made 3 of 8 attempts from beyond the arc.
Having a point guard with that type of size is certainly a nice asset, and he should continue to improve as the season progresses.
Nic Thomas (Norfolk State)
Thomas is Norfolk State’s leading scorer thus far this season in averaging 13.7 points per game.
Like most of the Spartans, he couldn’t find much of anything in the 63-44 loss to Michigan (nine points), but he followed that up with a 13-point outing against Mid Atlantic Christian and a 19-point game against Clarion.
He had his struggles with consistency last season, and the hope is that his solid play early will allow him to give the Spartans even more options in the backcourt.
Key Stats
South Carolina’s path to improvement starts with more efficiency in all phases on offense.
The Gamecocks are averaging 15 turnovers per game while making just 9 of 41 shots from 3-point land, which is currently 299th nationally at 22 percent.
Another area that can’t make Frank Martin all that happy is the opposition’s offensive rebounding success. Stony Brook racked up 22 offensive boards despite having a size disadvantage.
As for Norfolk State, there simply aren’t many early stats that are notable due to the level of competition.
But something that Robert Jones’ team has excelled in is earning steals (38th nationally with a 7.4 percent steal percentage last season,), so that’s something worth watching.
Game Outlook
- Spread: South Carolina – 21.5
- Over/Under: 139.5
- KenPom Projection: South Carolina, 96 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: South Carolina, 89.8 percent chance to win
It’s hard to know what we’re going to get from the Gamecocks at this point.
They haven’t played particularly well at any point this season, and in even in the opening night win over USC Upstate, there were obvious concerns.
You would think that this is a great bounce-back spot for Martin’s squad, but the trust factor is very low in this team right now.
When you add in the fact that Norfolk State will look put a lot of pressure on South Carolina’s guards, it could make this yet another sloppy performance from the home.
It seems unlikely that the Spartans will win this game, but the inconsistencies of the Gamecocks may once again make this game closer than it should be.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 20-4
Game Prediction: South Carolina 72, Norfolk State 58
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