How to watch/what to watch for: South Carolina faces Missouri at home

Just days removed from one of the biggest wins in program history, South Carolina will be back at home for an important matchup with the Missouri Tigers.

Tip-off is at 1 p.m. on SEC Network.

Here are some things to watch for.

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Don’t anticipate hangover effect

Winning is always great. But the way in which South Carolina won on Tuesday over No. 6 Kentucky doesn’t happen too often. A lot of celebrating was done. But it seems like this group has their eyes on something bigger.

The way in which they spoke after the game speaks volumes. Sure, they were happy about the win. But they kept talking about what’s next and still having something to prove. There might be some points in Saturday’s game where they aren’t hitting every shot or playing as well as they did on Tuesday. But they’ve got enough to overcome those things.

Can Josh Gray keep it going?

When South Carolina needed Josh Gray the most against Kentucky, he stepped up big time. He finished with nine points and six rebounds, taking care of business in the paint.

His minutes haven’t been substantial this year. But the Gamecocks will continue to need him as SEC play rolls on. Expect him to continue to be impactful.

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Get off to a good start

South Carolina usually plays a lot better when it is in front and playing at its own speed. Look at Kentucky for instance. When the Gamecocks were at their tempo, they were hitting shots everywhere.

That said, they trailed for most of the day when they last played Missouri. So to avoid that again, getting off to a strong start in the game is essential. When they’re behind against a faster team, it hasn’t always been pretty.

Keep playing physical

One key factor to that Kentucky game was the physicality. It’s clear South Carolina showed much more aggression and played harder, which is why it was able to win. It’s going to be important to win the rebound battle and in turn create more shots in the process.

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Scouting the opponent

It has been a nightmarish start to SEC play for Missouri. The Tigers are 8-11 overall but have lost their first six games of the conference slate. One of those losses was an overtime game against South Carolina in COMO back on Jan. 13.

Now, Missouri will head to Colonial Life Arena in what should be a much tougher matchup this time around. For the Gamecocks, this is one of those games they can’t afford to lose. While their record and standing is fine right now, the Tigers are 112th in KenPom. A loss would be a big setback.

Missouri is led by senior guard Sean East II. He’s the team’s leading scorer, averaging 15.9 points per game on 52.3 percent shooting.

The Tigers also have three other double-digit scorers this year. Tamar Bates and Noah Carter have been playing a lot better as SEC play has wore on. Bates dropped 36 points against Florida on Jan. 20. He’s been averaging 12.8 points, while Carter is putting up 12.2. Then there’s Nick Honor, who is averaging 10.6 points on 36.8 percent shooting.

It took some late heroics to take down Missouri the last time these two teams met. The good news for South Carolina is that it can win by hitting three-point shots like it has as of late. Plus, the rebound battle seems to be something else it can be better in. It just comes down to whether or not the Gamecocks can keep playing like they have.

Game details

Who: South Carolina (16-3, 4-2 SEC) vs. Missouri (8-11, 0-6 SEC)

When: Saturday, Jan. 27 at 1 p.m.

Where: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)

How to watch/listen: SEC Network/107.5 FM

ESPN gives South Carolina a 79.1 percent chance to win

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