South Carolina will look to rebound from its loss to Providence when it takes on George Washington at the Hall of Fame Tip Off Tournament on Sunday afternoon.
The Gamecocks led by eight at half against the Friars but couldn’t hold on to the lead in suffering their second defeat of the season.
Meanwhile, the Colonials have yet to find the win column after an 84-61 loss to Michigan.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this game.
Game Details
- South Carolina (2-2) vs. George Washington (0-4)
- Location: Mohegan Sun Arena – Uncasville, CT
- Game Date: Nov. 18
- Game Time: 4 p.m. EST
- Watch: ESPN2
Players to Watch
Chris Silva (South Carolina)
Silva has played 20 minutes or less in two of South Carolina’s four games thus far due to foul trouble, and not surprisingly, the Gamecocks have lost both contests.
He was in for a season-low 13 minutes in the loss to Providence, and it’s highly unlikely that Frank Martin’s team will win any games this season with Silva sitting on the bench for that long.
Hassani Gravett (South Carolina)
While Silva was expected to be the team’s top rebounder this season, it’s been the 6-2 senior that has been leading the way early on.
Gravett posted 12 rebounds in the season opener against USC Upstate and led the team with seven in the loss to Providence.
He’s also hit double figures in scoring in the past two games, notching 18 points against Norfolk State and 14 points against Providence on Saturday.
DJ Williams (George Washington)
Williams has had back-to-back quality scoring performances against two of the better teams in the country, so that’s promising heading into this matchup with a struggling South Carolina squad.
The 6-7 senior went for 17 points in the loss to Virginia and came back with 16 points against Michigan in the tournament opener.
Key Stats
The Gamecocks have not been good from beyond the arc in making just 27.4 percent of their shots (297th nationally), but the Colonials are 280th in that category in defending the perimeter.
Something South Carolina may be able to excel in is rebounding, as Martin’s team has a 32.9 percent offensive rebounding rate through four games (93rd nationally).
And while the Gamecocks have been struggling on offense at times, the defense has still been solid (36th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency).
George Washington has already played the top two team in the country in that category (Virginia and Michigan), so perhaps that will help prepare Maurice Joseph’s squad heading into this matchup.
Game Outlook
- Spread: South Carolina -11.5
- Over/Under: 140
- KenPom Projection: South Carolina, 84 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: South Carolina, 80.4 percent chance to win
If South Carolina is going to turn things around and get a big momentum booster after dealing with early inconsistencies, this feels like the perfect spot.
While the Colonials have played top-notch competition and likely won’t see anything they haven’t already faced, it will likely be a transition year for this program.
However, if Silva were to get in foul trouble once again, it would close the gap between the two teams.
Gravett and some of the other South Carolina guards have started to play better, and that may be the difference in this game.
The Gamecocks should use second chance opportunities to pick up the much-needed win.
Season Prediction Record (straight up): 35-5
Game Prediction: South Carolina 74, George Washington 63
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