Scouting Report: South Carolina Gamecocks

The grind of Southeastern Conference play can be both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, you never have long to dwell on a bad loss. Kentucky must quickly forget their ugly 78-52 loss and get ready for the South Carolina Gamecocks on Tuesday night. However, on the other hand, the quick turnaround can create a snowball effect. If you don’t have the mental toughness to put your last game in the rearview mirror things can go downhill in a hurry. This contest against the 7-8, 0-2 Gamecocks at Rupp Arena will likely tell us a lot about where the Wildcats are at right now mentally.

Coach Lamont Paris is in his first season in Columbia after taking Chattanooga to the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Some early buzz was created after a win over in-state rival Clemson got South Carolina off to a 2-0 start. Unfortunately, it has been mostly downhill from that point on. The Gamecocks haven’t beaten another Top 150 team per KenPom, lost by 19 to Furman and 24 to George Washington, and just got demolished 85-42 at home against Tennessee. From Kentucky’s standpoint, this opponent will be more like North Florida or Bellarmine than any future SEC matchup.

Regardless of the talent level, every conference game is an important game. Furthermore, every conference win is a good win. The Wildcats need to hold serve at home while they continue to search for a resume-building win. They cannot afford to get caught looking ahead to Saturday’s trip to Knoxville. We will have plenty of time to preview that matchup, but for now, we need to get into another scouting report. As always, we have a full personnel breakdown, looks into their offensive and defensive schemes, and the keys to the game. Let’s dive on in and get to know more about the South Carolina Gamecocks.

South Carolina Gamecocks Personnel

Starters

#5 Meechie Johnson: 6’2″ 180 lbs, Junior Point Guard

12.2 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 3.5 apg

Point Guard. Aggressive with the ball in his hands. Very willing shooter. 94 of 153 shots have been 3s. 30.9% from 3. Need to put a hand up to contest, but more worried about him as a driver. No right hand drives!!! Need to stay between him and the basket and cut off the right hand drives. Go under the ballscreens and handoffs. It is okay to pressure him some out on the perimeter to try and force a turnover, but you can’t pressure him so much that you get whipped off of the bounce. If you can stay in front while pressuring then that is fine. Help off of him when he doesn’t have it. Just close out to put a hand up if he shoots. Make him finish over you. No right hand drives. No layups.

#2 Chico Carter Jr.: 6’3″ 192 lbs, Senior Guard

11.8 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.9 apg

SHOOTER!!! NO 3s!!! 66 of 121 shots have been 3s. Shooting a better percentage from 3 than 2. Be tight to him at all times to take away the 3-point attempts. Tighten up to him as the ball is driven toward you. Go over the ballscreens and handoffs. Chase off of downscreens and get over the flares. Switch anytime there is too much space. Switch OUT to take away the 3s. When he does bounce it he is looking to drive it right. More of a jump shooter than a driver. Contest everything. Will drive it right to the rim and look more for the pull-up when going left. Absolutely no help off of him on the perimeter. Get all the way out to take away the deep 3s. No 3s for him!

#23 GG Jackson II: 6’9″ 215 lbs, Freshman Forward

15.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.6 apg

Aggressive, talented wing. Capable shooter. 25-78, 32.1% from 3. All-around jump shooter. You need to be tight to him at all times. Really PRESSURE him. Be very willing to switch the ballscreens when he is handling the ball or setting the screen. Switch to keep a guy on a guy and then get up into his body. Make him uncomfortable when he is bouncing it. 9 assists to 40 turnovers! Bring help when he drives it and take it off of him. Not thinking about passing. More aggressive getting to the rim going right and will look for the pull-up jumper going left. Shoots the turnaround jumper when he gets a catch around the basket. Need to give a good closeout to him on the perimeter to take away the catch-and-shoot 3s. Contest everything! Pressure him! Be very willing to switch. More shots than points for him.

#10 Hayden Brown: 6’5″ 234 lbs, Graduate Student Forward

11.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.1 apg

Undersized face-up forward. Willing shooter. 12-53, 22.6% from 3. Much more dangerous as a right hand driver. No right hand drives!!! He will pick-and-pop but we are more worried about him attacking the closeout than shooting it. Be willing to switch when he ballscreens, but you are switching to stay between him and the basket and not to take away the 3. We will adjust if he makes a couple. You can help off of him when he doesn’t have it. Go take it off of #5 Johnson or #23 Jackson. It is okay to pressure him some out on the perimeter to try and force a turnover, but you can’t pressure him so much that you get whipped off of the bounce. If you can stay in front while pressuring then that is fine. 16 assists, 30 turnovers. Right hand, left shoulder around the basket. No right hand drives!

#31 Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk: 6’9″ 250 lbs, Redshirt Junior Forward

3.4 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.4 apg

Physical forward. He is in there to ballscreen and roll or handoff and roll to the basket. Give ground on the roll to stay between him and the basket. Physical screener. Always looking to flare guys in on the weak side as the ball is being driven. Not very aggressive offensively. Will put it on the floor and drive it at you some, but not really looking to score. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Be physical and get him off of the block. Elite offensive rebounder. Very active on the glass. BOX OUT!!! Averaging over 2.5 offensive rebounds per game. Make him score with you between him and the basket. No layups off of the roll.

Bench

#1 Jacobi Wright: 6’2″ 188 lbs, Sophomore Guard

6.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.9 apg

Backup point guard. Will handle the ball a lot when he is in there. Much more dangerous and aggressive as a right hander drive than a shooter. No right hand drives!!! Closeout short to stay between him and the basket. Not too concerned about him shooting it from 3. 10-37 on the season. Go under the ballscreens and handoffs. Not a great finisher inside. Driving to pass some. Don’t over help when he drives it. Just get your hands up and make him finish with you between him and the basket. No right hand drives. No layups for him.

#33 Josh Gray: 7’0″ 255 lbs, Junior Center

2.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.3 apg

Backup 5-man. Big, strong, and physical. Will ballscreen and roll to the basket. Usually hangs out in the dunker’s spot off of the block looking for a chance to duck in. Do not help up off of him at the rim. He is waiting for you to help up so he can dunk it. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Be physical and get him off of the block. His percentages will go down the further out you make him catch it. Excellent offensive rebounder. Averaging over 2 offensive rebounds per game. Need to be physical when the shot goes up. BOX UP!!! Bad free throw shooter. Foul if you are beat. No And-1s. No dunks at the rim!

#30 Daniel Hankins-Sanford: 6’8″ 233 lbs, Freshman Forward

2.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.3 apg

Backup forward. Athletic and strong. Primarily in there to ballscreen and roll or handoff and roll to the basket. Just stay between him and the basket on the roll. Only 27% from the field. Be physical and make him finish over you. Do not help up off of him at the rim and give up a dunk. He will step away from the basket and shoot some face-up jumpers. Just throw a hand up to contest. Will look to drive it right some as well. Likes to slip ballscreens out on the perimeter. Don’t get slipped on. Right hand, left shoulder in the post. Very active on the offensive glass. Box out! No layups or dunks on the roll.

#12 Zachary Davis: 6’8″ 192 lbs, Freshman Guard

1.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.5 apg

Long and athletic backup guard. Willing shooter. 16 of 29 shots have been 3s. Just 2-16 (12.5%) from 3. Closeout short! We will adjust if he makes a couple but not worried about him shooting it to begin the game. Go up through downscreens and under the flares. Much better as a right hand driver. No right hand drives! Help off of him when he doesn’t have it and then closeout short to stay between him and the basket. You can leave him on the perimeter to go contest #2 Carter Jr. or even #5 Johnson and #23 Jackson. Be aware of cutting to the basket when you help. Likes to back cut when ball is driven towards him on the perimeter. Don’t get back cut. Will fly in from perimeter to offensive rebound. Box out! No right hand drives. No layups!

South Carolina Gamecocks Offense

Quite simply, the South Carolina Gamecocks have struggled to score this season. They are averaging just 64.3 points per game and coming off of a 42-point output against Tennessee on Saturday. Per KenPom, the Gamecocks rank 287th in 3-point percentage (31.1%), 311th in 2-point percentage (45.5%), and 345th in free throw percentage (62.8%). When you mix all of that up, add in too many turnovers and one of the slowest paces in college basketball, you get a team that has a hard time putting points on the board.

In terms of scheme, South Carolina tries to space you out and set a lot of ballscreens. #5 Johnson is a solid playmaker and #23 Jackson is obviously talented, but otherwise they just don’t have the pieces to match how they play. They run quite a bit of 4-around-1 Motion with some dribble drive principles as well that just don’t fit with their overall lack of talent. Also, they will lift all five guys either with zoom action or true 5-out to create room to drive into. There are always non-shooters to help off of though so we shouldn’t give up layups. Simply staying between them and the basket will really limit their ability to score. However, it is worth noting, they are an excellent offensive rebounding team. The defensive possession does not end until you rebound the basketball!

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This is what we can’t have happen against the South Carolina Gamecocks. We want to pick spots to really pressure them and create turnovers. 165 assists to 194 turnovers as a team means that we should get plenty of easy scoring opportunities from steals. However, if you can’t stay in front of your man then you can’t pressure them. #5 Johnson is a 30.9% 3-point shooter. If you aren’t going to make him turn it over then you better not have your feet beyond the 3-point line. Here he whips the Tennessee defender off of the dribble for a layup. We would rather back up and stay between him and the basket than give up a straight line drive layup.

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Here is another example of guarding South Carolina too far from the basket. If you aren’t going to be really pressuring #5 Johnson then you might as well back up and keep him out of the paint. When they set a ballscreen this high you HAVE to go under. You should go under a ballscreen that is set this high regardless who is coming off, but especially when it is a 30.9% 3-point shooter. Also, stay between them and the basket on the roll. We did a bad job of this against Alabama. If you are guarding the roll man you need to keep the ball between you and the basket. We shouldn’t be giving up layups to these guys!

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South Carolina will run several sets from a Horns alignment in the half court. Here they basket cut after hitting the elbow and get into a handoff with a downscreen on the weak side. After the initial action they are into their normal Motion. #23 Jackson ends up in the post and gets the entry on the right block. If he doesn’t shoot the turnaround jumper he is always coming back right to finish. You can’t let him turn the corner to his left shoulder and lay it up like this. Stay between him and the basket!!!

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The South Carolina Gamecocks like to flare in on the weak side after handoff action. Unless the flare is set for #2 Carter Jr. we should be staying UNDER all of those screens. They aren’t good enough shooters to be chasing guys over the top of flares and letting them curl to the basket. This is actually good defense by Vanderbilt, but it is good to see South Carolina in this clip because they will get to this kind of action a lot. Again, #2 Carter Jr. is the one we want to chase as Vandy does here. Also not concerned about #12 Wright hitting this contested 3. He is 2-16 on the season. Good defense. Tough shot.

South Carolina Gamecocks Defense

The South Carolina Gamecocks are a primarily man-to-man team defensively. They will likely start the game small with 6’8″ #31 Bosmans-Verdonk as their 5-man which limits their ability to protect the rim and defensive rebound. That is why opponents are shooting 52.1% from 2 and offensive rebounding 30.5% of missed shots. Due to being smaller and having more athletic forwards like the undersized #10 Brown and the long, uber-athletic 6’9″ #23 Jackson you can expect the Gamecocks to switch a lot of ballscreens defensively. Their switching style has limited their ability to create turnovers as well with opponents coughing it up just 16.7% of the time.

We should be able to find success offensively if we execute in the half court. There absolutely should be opportunities to score in transition as well, but changing sides of the floor and penetrating in the half court is where we can really exploit the Gamecocks. This has to be a bounce back spot for Oscar Tshiebwe inside. Backup 5-man #33 Gray can give him problems as a 7-footer, but aside from whatever minutes he plays it should be a total mismatch on the block. We should also be able to dominate the offensive glass. This will be a game where we must impose our will on both ends of the floor. Offensively that means aggressiveness in transition and ball movement in the half court.

Keys to the Game

• No 3’s for #2 Carter Jr. He is the Gamecocks on real shooter. Need to stay tight to him at all times. No help. Limit to no more than 1 3-pointer.
• Stay between them and the basket. Take away right hand drives from guys like #5 Johnson and #10 Brown. Contest all jump shots by #23 Jackson. No layups for these guys. Don’t give up layups on the roll to their big men.
• Dominate the glass. South Carolina is a very good offensive-rebounding team, but struggles on the defensive glass. We should still have the clear advantage on both ends. Get second chance points. 77% or better DReb%.
• Shoot 75% or better from the free throw line.