#1 South Carolina vs Mississippi Valley State: How to watch and five things to watch for

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The Ws
Who: #1 South Carolina (4-0) vs Mississippi Valley State (1-4)
When: 1:00 pm, Friday, November 24
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: SEC Network+

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1. Injury update
The Gamecocks played without guards te-Hina Paopao and Tessa Johnson against South Dakota State. For Johnson, it was her second straight missed game.

On Wednesday, Dawn Staley said that Johnson is improving. However, with almost a full week between the next two games, it would make sense to avoid rushing Johnson back. On the other hand, Paopao should be ready to play.

“Pao says she’s playing, and I can only go by what she says,” Dawn Staley said Wednesday.

2. Shot selection
South Carolina shot “only” 43% from the floor against South Dakota State, the first time this season the Gamecocks shot less than 50%. The Gamecocks were also 0-12 from three, including 0-9 in the first half. 

Staley was not happy with the shot selection in the first half, and stressed not settling for the first look.

“Offensively we’ve got to make sure we stay disciplined and (are) taking great shots. When we take great shots we are pretty efficient and we weren’t that for the first two quarters of the basketball game,” Staley said. “There were better shots on the floor. We want the best shot on the floor. When you’re taking a contested shot or you’re taking a shot that is much quicker than your normal shooting motion and rhythm, it’s not a good shot. You may be open, but if it’s not your normal rhythm it’s not a good shot.”

Even though it didn’t make a three in the second half, South Carolina shot 56% from the floor. 

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3. Lay wit da Patience
MiLaysia Fulwiley burst onto the scene with her breathtaking plays in Paris. She scored more points in her first three games than any player in program history and has reached double-figure scoring in all four games. 

But the freshman learning curve has been evident in the last two games. Fulwiley fouled out in just 16 minutes against Clemson (and yet still managed a career-high 18 points) and then shot just 5-16 against South Dakota State (her first game under 50% shooting).

There were times in both games when Fulwiley tried to force things that weren’t there.

“For MiLaysia it’s you can’t do it all the time. You have to pick and choose your spots,” Staley said. “I do feel like she’s looking for a really great moment for her, a crowd-pleasing play. She has an appetite for it, (and) she loses sight of the in-between the great plays. That’s where the game is being played. That’s where the majority of the game is being played. That’s where you have to be solid. That’s my conversations with her.”

It’s not that Fulwiley has played poorly. Quite the opposite. She’s averaging 14.5 points and is second on the team in scoring and steals and third in assists. It’s the normal learning curve for someone who had free rein in high school.

“She’s learning, and it’s a slow process for her because she’s only had to do what she’s doing, and she was the best at it,” Staley said. “You’re not going to always be the best if you approach it that way.”

4. “Swatkins”
South Carolina set an all-time record for blocks in a season last year (326, 8.8 per game). After losing shot-blockers Aliyah Boston, Victaria Saxton, and Brea Beal the Gamecocks would surely be less dominant in protecting the rim, right?

Wrong.

South Carolina has blocked 47 shots this season, 11.8 per game. Kamilla Cardoso is averaging 3.75 blocks, tied for second in the nation. But it is sophomore Ashlyn Watkins who is leading the nation in blocks at 4.0 per game. That led South Carolina’s social media team to dub her “Ashlyn Swatkins,” which drew a laugh from Staley (“I thought it was pretty clever”). 

Watkins had a tremendous offseason and was pegged for a breakout season, and so far she has lived up to the hype. She is averaging 10.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in addition to the blocks, and has two double-doubles. After the South Dakota State game, Watkins said she takes the approach that nobody can score against her.

“Ash is playing more inspired, more dominant, especially on the defensive side of the ball,” Staley said. “She’s accepting all challenges. It’s a great place for a young big to be.’

5. Scouting the Delta Devils
Mississippi Valley State went 2-27 last season and was ranked 359 out of 361 Division I teams in the NET. This is not an opponent that will challenge South Carolina.

“We needed games and they needed games,” Staley explained.

Mississippi Valley State has a win over McNeese State already this season, which could be considered progress. But in two comparable matchups, the Delta Devils lost to Utah 104-45 and LSU 109-47.

In other words, expect a 60-point Black Friday win.

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