Gamecocks Gearing Up For Track Meet At Clemson: "We're Going To Let It Fly"
By: Alan Cole - Gamecock Scoop
Lamont Paris does not want to buy into the hype.
“I’m going to do coach speak here,” he started. “We try to just prepare ourselves the way we do for any other game.”
Still, even he could not deny the importance of this one.
South Carolina men’s basketball — 7-0 for the first time since 2016-17 — will travel to Clemson for its annual in-state rivalry game at 8 p.m. Wednesday on ACC Network. The Tigers are also entering the game 7-0, marking the first time ever the rivals have faced with both teams 3-0 or better. Clemson also received a national ranking in Monday’s AP Poll at No. 24 in the country, and the Gamecocks received nine poll points themselves.
Throw in this being South Carolina’s first true road game of the season and the fact it’s a revenge game for Clemson after Chico Carter Jr.’s buzzer-beater tipped the game in South Carolina’s favor last season, and Littlejohn Coliseum will be the center of the men’s college basketball universe for a night.
“It’ll be a fun game,” Paris said. “It’ll be a fun atmosphere. Certainly it makes for a great game in that they are ranked and both teams are undefeated. It’ll be great for the state, fun for the state and fun for both schools. It should be a lot of fun.”
Wednesday night will represent a different beast entirely for the Gamecocks, by far the toughest opponent on the schedule so far and the most difficult they will see until SEC play. Center P.J. Hall leads the line for the Tigers, a 6-foot-10 senior with NBA potential who Paris said “will be in the mix” for ACC Player of the Year. He is off to a scorched earth start to his season, averaging 21.4 points and 7.6 rebounds and two blocks per game.
Hall has scored at least 14 in every game this season and at least 20 in all but two, the focal point of a very efficient Clemson offense. It will be the biggest test yet for a revamped South Carolina frontcourt which has taken strides, but also struggled with foul trouble at different points through the young season.
“We feel like this game is going to really come down to physicality and who really wants it more,” Meechie Johnson said. “This is for everything, this is for the state and we know what’s on the line. We’re just trying to prepare ourselves and be ready for it.”
If South Carolina is going to find a counter to Clemson’s size advantage, it will have to come via this team’s bread and butter. Shooting. Paris built his roster in the off-season with the idea of 3-point shooting being a strength, and through seven games it has carried the offense. Last time out, South Carolina set the program record for made 3-pointers in a game with 18 against George Washington. As a team South Carolina is shooting 40.2 percent from beyond the arc , 13th in the country and third in the SEC.
Those numbers create track meet potential on Wednesday, though. As well as the Gamecocks are shooting, Clemson has been even better from 3-point range with a 40.7 percent clip.
“I feel like we’ve got a lot of versatility to us,” Johnson said. “But shooting is one of our great aspects that we have as a team, and we’re going to let it fly.”
By: Alan Cole - Gamecock Scoop
Lamont Paris does not want to buy into the hype.
“I’m going to do coach speak here,” he started. “We try to just prepare ourselves the way we do for any other game.”
Still, even he could not deny the importance of this one.
South Carolina men’s basketball — 7-0 for the first time since 2016-17 — will travel to Clemson for its annual in-state rivalry game at 8 p.m. Wednesday on ACC Network. The Tigers are also entering the game 7-0, marking the first time ever the rivals have faced with both teams 3-0 or better. Clemson also received a national ranking in Monday’s AP Poll at No. 24 in the country, and the Gamecocks received nine poll points themselves.
Throw in this being South Carolina’s first true road game of the season and the fact it’s a revenge game for Clemson after Chico Carter Jr.’s buzzer-beater tipped the game in South Carolina’s favor last season, and Littlejohn Coliseum will be the center of the men’s college basketball universe for a night.
“It’ll be a fun game,” Paris said. “It’ll be a fun atmosphere. Certainly it makes for a great game in that they are ranked and both teams are undefeated. It’ll be great for the state, fun for the state and fun for both schools. It should be a lot of fun.”
Wednesday night will represent a different beast entirely for the Gamecocks, by far the toughest opponent on the schedule so far and the most difficult they will see until SEC play. Center P.J. Hall leads the line for the Tigers, a 6-foot-10 senior with NBA potential who Paris said “will be in the mix” for ACC Player of the Year. He is off to a scorched earth start to his season, averaging 21.4 points and 7.6 rebounds and two blocks per game.
Hall has scored at least 14 in every game this season and at least 20 in all but two, the focal point of a very efficient Clemson offense. It will be the biggest test yet for a revamped South Carolina frontcourt which has taken strides, but also struggled with foul trouble at different points through the young season.
“We feel like this game is going to really come down to physicality and who really wants it more,” Meechie Johnson said. “This is for everything, this is for the state and we know what’s on the line. We’re just trying to prepare ourselves and be ready for it.”
If South Carolina is going to find a counter to Clemson’s size advantage, it will have to come via this team’s bread and butter. Shooting. Paris built his roster in the off-season with the idea of 3-point shooting being a strength, and through seven games it has carried the offense. Last time out, South Carolina set the program record for made 3-pointers in a game with 18 against George Washington. As a team South Carolina is shooting 40.2 percent from beyond the arc , 13th in the country and third in the SEC.
Those numbers create track meet potential on Wednesday, though. As well as the Gamecocks are shooting, Clemson has been even better from 3-point range with a 40.7 percent clip.
“I feel like we’ve got a lot of versatility to us,” Johnson said. “But shooting is one of our great aspects that we have as a team, and we’re going to let it fly.”
