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

South Carolina has put together a three-game winning streak following their loss to Xavier. The Gamecocks took down two ACC foes before defeating East Carolina last Saturday.

After a week of rest, an in-state opponent, USC Upstate, comes to Colonial Life Arena. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. on SEC Network Plus.

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

Three-point shooting carrying over after a week off

In their three game winning streak, the Gamecocks have posted two games of over 50 percent shooting from deep. Prior, they had only achieved that mark in two of their last 41 games. Jamarii Thomas was 5-8 from three against ECU, and Morris Ugusuk was 3-3 from deep against Boston College.

South Carolina is currently 7th in the SEC with a 36.0 3-point percentage as a team. If they can hit that margin today against the Spartans, that would be seen as a success. The Spartans are giving up a 34 percent mark from deep to their opponents on average.

[GamecockCentral: Subscribe for $1 for 7 days]

Forcing turnovers on defense is a need

South Carolina has not been adept at forcing turnovers as a defense. As a team, they’re averaging 4.7 SPG, which isn’t very many. That’s a mark that puts them at 16th of 16 teams in the SEC. Missouri, Oklahoma, Mississippi State, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi all average more than double that mark per 40 minutes.

But the Spartans of USC Upstate do turn the ball over at a high rate. Out of the 364 D-I basketball teams, they’re 328th with 14.6 TO/game. If there’s an opportunity for South Carolina’s defense to turn the tide defensively and force opponent mistakes, it’s today against the Spartans.

Frontcourt depth is still a concern

Of the four true “big men” on the Gamecocks roster, Collin Murray-Boyles, Nick Pringle, Jordan Butler, and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, there’s only been one game (Boston College) where all four have scored. Last game against ECU, Paris stuck to his eight-man rotation. Butler and Bosmans-Verdonk did not see action.

Murray-Boyles and Pringle are essentially the only forwards in an eight-man rotation that comprises six guards/wings. As long as that duo stays out of foul trouble, they haven’t shown signs of fatigue. But if either Murray-Boyles or Pringle were to be forced out, the Gamecocks would be forced to play small-ball or either of their backup centers.

The burden is on Butler and Bosmans-Verdonk to be consistent when they see action, but that also places a burden upon Murray-Boyles and Pringle to be careful not to foul out.

Another double-double on the way for Murray-Boyles?

The star sophomore started the season averaging 8.7 RPG over his first seven games. However, that resulted in just one double-double in that span. Over the last two Gamecocks victories, he’s recorded a double-double. Against Boston College, he collected 16 points and 14 rebounds. Then, last week against East Carolina, he had 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Going up against a team like USC Upstate, who have won the rebounding margin in just two of nine games against D-I opposition, this game is a golden opportunity for Murray-Boyles to stretch his double-double streak to three. In the SEC, he’s currently 2nd with 9.4 RPG.

[Win two tickets: South Carolina-Clemson MBB game]

Scouting the opponent

USC Upstate is currently 4-8 and has only beaten one D-1 opponent this season. However, that was in their last game out. The Spartans took down Western Carolina in Cullowhee, 74-68. In the Big South, only Charleston Southern has a worse overall record (3-9) than the Spartans. Per the KenPom ratings, the Spartans are over 50 spots below the nearest Big South team (CSU) in the metric, sitting at 342nd nationally.

South Carolina is 8-1 vs. the Spartans all-time. Last season, the Gamecocks opened the season with a 82-53 home victory over USC Upstate. The best player on the Spartans’ roster might be a freshman. Mister Dean out of South Dade HS in Miami is averaging 15.7 PPG and 5.6 RPG. Defensively, he leads USC Upstate with 2.0 BPG and 0.6 SPG. In three games against Power Five competition, he’s averaging 19.3 PPG. That includes a 24-point performance against Wake Forest.

Other Spartans to be on the lookout for include Karmani Gregory and Brit Harris. Gregory, a sophomore from Palmetto, Florida, is third on the team in points and leads with 3.8 APG. He scored in double digits in two of the team’s three Power Five contests.

Brit Harris, a taller guard at 6’4″, is second on the team in points after Dean and second in assists after Gregory. Harris spent the last two seasons at D-II Grand Valley State, and is in his first year with the Spartans. As a team, the Spartans are efficient inside the arc (57.9 2PT%) but less so from deep (31.1 3PT%). This goes hand-in-hand with Dean’s usage and efficiency from the field.

Game details

Who: South Carolina (6-3) vs. USC Upstate (4-8)

When: Saturday, Dec. 14 at 2 p.m.

Where: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)

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

ESPN gives South Carolina a 97.8 percent chance to win

Discuss South Carolina basketball on The Insiders Forum!