South Carolina vs. Texas A&M: Three things to watch for, scouting the opponent and injury report

South Carolina basketball is set to face its eighth ranked opponent of the year, and it is still looking for its first conference win. After a quick road trip to Athens, the Gamecocks are back in Columbia for a home game.

The Gamecocks (10-11, 0-8 SEC) will face No. 13 Texas A&M at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. on SEC Network.

Here are three things to watch for, an opponent scouting report on the Aggies, plus the latest injury report.

Getting on the boards and getting on the board

Rebounding is a strength for Texas A&M, as they are third in the SEC with an average of 42.0 RPG. The Gamecocks aren’t bad, at a 36.0 RPG clip, but that’s closer to 16th in the SEC than it is to the Aggies’ mark. The Aggies crash the offensive glass in particular. Their mark of 16.7 offensive rebounds is tops in the nation, and they have three players averaging over 2.5 offensive rebounds per game.

Collin Murray-Boyles and Nick Pringle both have a defensive rebounding percentage over 20.0%, which bodes well for a potential negation of the Aggies’ rebounding prowess. That is, if they can stay out of foul trouble. Texas A&M is one of just three SEC teams attempting more free throws per game than South Carolina.

Getting off to a quick start is paramount. In all three of South Carolina’s wins over Power Five competition, the Gamecocks had a 10-point lead at some point in the first half (Fun fact: South Carolina has more ACC wins than NC State, Boston College, and Miami).

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Home field advantage could play a factor in the end result

Despite an 0-8 record in SEC games, the Gamecocks have been competitive at Colonial Life Arena. In their past three SEC home games, they’ve been outscored by just nine total points. All three of those close losses happened to come against ranked teams, as well.

Entering Friday night, the Gamecocks are listed as just +5.5 point underdogs. Despite a 1-5 road record, they are 8-5 at home this season. Additionally, several Gamecocks are more efficient at home than on the road.

Murray-Boyles’s turnover percentage drops from 29.4% on the road to 13.4% at Colonial Life. Jacobi Wright’s 3PT% rises from 25.0% to 37.0%. Zachary Davis’s steal percentage almost doubles from road games (1.5%) to home games (2.9%). Morris Ugusuk is an exception, with a TS% of 76.1% on the road and 44.0% at home. Here’s to hoping he scores 25 points at Rupp against Kentucky.

In front of a crowd likely eager to see the Gamecocks record victory numero uno against the Aggies, South Carolina could use a friendly environment to its advantage.

Keeping control of the ball is a must

South Carolina basketball’s Achilles heel, if an observer had to pick just one, has been turnovers. The Gamecocks offense has given away opportunities at a high rate ever since the close loss to Auburn. Despite a season-long average of 13.1 turnovers per game, South Carolina is averaging 18.6 per game in their past five contests. Is that bad? If it was extrapolated over the course of the season, it would rank dead last out of 364 D-I basketball teams.

South Carolina’s shooting clips over that span aren’t too far off from their season average. But because of the dearth of opportunities provided by volatile ball-handling, the Gamecocks aren’t getting the same number of shots off. After averaging 75.6 PPG in non-conference games, that mark is down to 62.8 PPG against SEC competition.

If this team can take care of the basketball, the offense has a chance to get into a rhythm and make shots. But if the turnover woes continue, there’s no way for the Gamecocks to achieve their offensive goals.

Scouting the opponent

For a full look into Texas A&M, click here to read Resume Check: Looking ahead to South Carolina basketball’s next opponent, the Texas A&M Aggies.

Injury report

For South Carolina, Myles Stute is OUT (blood clot).

For Texas A&M, Solomon Washington is OUT.

Game details

Who: South Carolina (10-11, 0-8 SEC) vs. No. 13 Texas A&M (16-5, 5-3 SEC)

When: Saturday, Feb. 1 at 8:30 p.m.

Where: Colonial Life Area (18,000)

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

ESPN gives South Carolina a 27.4 percent chance to win

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