South Carolina vs. Presbyterian: Four things to watch for and an opponent scouting report

After some time off from game action, South Carolina returns from Christmas break and looks to get one more win before the new year begins.

The Gamecocks will host Presbyterian at Colonial Life Arena in their final game of non-conference play. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. on Monday.

Here are four things to watch for and an opponent scouting report on the Blue Hose.

How will the team look after the break?

South Carolina hasn’t played since last Sunday, Dec. 22, making for an eight-day layoff. That’s a lot of time away from game action, though the team has certainly practiced since their last game. But in that most recent game, they came out of the gates very slow and didn’t pick up the pace until the second half en route to a blowout win over Radford.

If there’s one common trend the Gamecocks have experienced this season, it’s slow starts. They’ve fallen behind against mid-major opponents before and Monday could be the same situation if they don’t play the way they should.

They should be able to get a win over Presbyterian without much issue. But it will be interesting to see which team shows up when the game tips off.

Last tune-up before the big stretch

Say goodbye to playing lower level opponents for essentially the rest of the season. After Monday, there are no guarantees with how South Carolina will perform the rest of the year. Assuming it wins this next game, it would be 10-3 going into SEC play, a record many would take before the season started.

While the Gamecocks have looked pretty good this season, they haven’t been as good as the rest of the conference, checking in at No. 85 in the NET rankings. For context, that’s good for 16th (or dead last) in the SEC.

This doesn’t mean the season is over by any stretch. But it does mean there’s going to be a lot of work to do over these next few months. The good news is that there will be enough Quad 1 and 2 games to where if they win at least half of the next 18, they should be in a good spot come tournament time.

Keep getting to the line

South Carolina looked as good as it had in a long time at the free throw line against Radford last Sunday. As a team, they went 25-for-27 on their free throw attempts, including a 10-for-10 performance from Nick Pringle.

When that happens, the chances of winning are significantly higher. It just means they are taking advantage of what teams give them when they are fouled. If the Gamecocks can draw fouls and go to the line, they should have no problem with winning on Monday.

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Be a defensive force

Throughout that Radford game, head coach Lamont Paris felt confident in his defense being able to shut down the Highlanders. He was eventually proven right when the Gamecocks held them to 12 points in the second half.

They might not be as good as they were last year on the defensive end of the floor, but they are still a tough unit. They’ve been doing a good job of not letting other teams find success, especially in the second half of games.

Every team is going to be a tough out in SEC play. But it could do a lot for South Carolina’s confidence being able to build off everything that went so well in its last game.

Scouting the opponent

Presbyterian has been very consistent at being inconsistent so far this season. The Blue Hose are 7-7 on the year with only one multiple game winning streak thus far. Otherwise, it’s been a win followed by a loss and vice versa.

The team has some solid scorers, including guards Kory Mincy and Kobe Stewart, who are averaging 14.9 points and 14.4 points per game, respectively. Forward Jonah Pierce is averaging 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds.

The Blue Hose are ranked 252nd in KenPom, the second-lowest rated opponent that South Carolina has played so far this year.

Game details

Who: South Carolina (9-3) vs. Presbyterian (7-7)

When: Monday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.

Where: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)

How to watch/listen: SEC Network/107.5 The Game

ESPN gives South Carolina a 94.1 percent chance to win

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