What to watch for: South Carolina hosts Western Kentucky

South Carolina is back on the hardwood trying to snap a two-game skid. 

The Gamecocks will host Western Kentucky in the final game before a Christmas break, a tough test with one more non-conference game and SEC play looming. 

Here’s what to watch for Thursday night.

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Will aggression improve?

That was one area South Carolina was really bad with against East Carolina, particularly in the first half. Things got better in the second half and led to the Gamecocks outscoring the Pirates but it was far too late. 

Defensively, South Carolina didn’t have the energy it need to on the ball and led to allowing 108.8 points per 100 possessions. Western Kentucky is no slouch and can very easily come in and win this game. The Gamecocks have had some time off. Will that aggression and attack mindset be there with a Christmas break looming?

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GG Jackson vs. Jamarion Sharp

This will be an insanely fun matchup between two potential NBA picks this season. Jackson is obviously one of the more noteworthy freshmen in the country while Sharp is every bit of 7-foot-5, is top 20 nationally in effective field goal percentage and block rate. 

He’s averaging nearly five blocks per game. Seeing Jackson and Sharp go at it and battle potentially near the basket will certainly be fun. 

Can South Carolina be efficient offensively?

South Carolina ranks No. 229 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, 280th in effective field goal percentage, 254th in turnover rate, 325th in free throw rate and is shooting just 45.8 percent from two. None of those things make up a quality offensive from an efficiency standpoint. 

The Gamecocks are not a great jump-shooting team when threes aren’t falling, don’t get to the line and struggle finding ways to manufacture points when shots aren’t falling. 

Western Kentucky is a slightly above-average defensive team but the Gamecocks will have to find ways to be efficient. The Hilltoppers don’t foul much, which is a challenge for South Carolina.

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Denying the ball, running WKU off the line

Western Kentucky presents a lot of issues for South Carolina, ranking ninth nationally in average height. Its most frequent lineup over the last five games has three players listed at 6-foot-8 or taller, a 6-foot-5 senior guard and another 6-foot-1 guard. 

The Hilltoppers don’t shoot a ton of threes but hit them at a 38.8 percent clip, top 25 nationally, but want to get the ball inside. They’re assisting on 60.1 percent of makes this year, top 30 in the country. Clogging passing lanes and forcing Western Kentucky to settle for bad shots is imperative. 

Scouting the opponent

This is a really good Western Kentucky team. The Hilltoppers don’t have a truly signature win–the best is against No. 95 KenPom Tulane–but are projected to win. The two losses have come against Akron (115) and a bad Louisville team (255). 

It’s led by point guard Dayvion McKnight, who is averaging 15.4 points and five assists while shooting 48.3 percent from the field. Emmanuel Akot–the team’s small forward–is averaging 13 on 48 percent shooting while shooting guard Luke Frampton is at 11.4 on 53.6 percent shooting. He’s shooting 54.4 percent from three on almost six attempts a game. 

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Jarius Hamilton can also cause problems in the paint, averaging 10.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. 

The Hilltoppers are really good in most offensive categories. They’re not a great free throw shooting or offensive rebounding team but pass the ball well without turning it over. They don’t operate quickly–247th in tempo–but get good shots. 

Defensively, they hover near average in most categories. Western Kentucky doesn’t really foul, which is the best thing about it. Teams are shooting 34.6 percent against the Hilltoppers.  

Game details

Who: South Carolina (5-6) at Western Kentucky (8-2) 

Where: Colonial Life Arena (Capacity: 18,000)

When: Thursday, Dec. 2

How to watch: SEC Network 

How to listen: 107.5 FM

KenPom projection: 67-66 Western Kentucky (49 percent chance for South Carolina to win)

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