What to watch for: South Carolina wraps homestand against Auburn

South Carolina hits the court Saturday trying to avoid its second three-game skid of the season. 

Things don’t get easier with the Gamecocks welcoming in reigning SEC regular season champion and a top-15 KenPom team to Colonial Life. 

Here’s what to watch for against Auburn while the football team is scheduled to speak at halftime. 

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South Carolina and the frontcourt issue

The Gamecocks are still searching for answers at the center spot, rotating Josh Gray and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, and things don’t get any easier this weekend. 

Johni Broome is one of the better big men in the SEC to start league play. He’s averaging 12.5 points on 49.2 percent shooting with a staggering nine rebounds per game. He’s also up to 1.8 blocks per game through six league contests. Power forward Jaylin Williams is also at 12.3 points and 4.5 rebounds. 

South Carolina’s been waxed on the boards, especially with teams able to get a ton of offensive rebounds, and that has to be better against a really good frontcourt of Broome and Williams. Getting active play from Gray, Bosmans-Verdonk and GG Jackson when he plays in the paint is imperative.  

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On point on ball

The Gamecocks rank at the bottom of the SEC in defensive efficiency while Auburn is an average offensive team in SEC play. The issue comes with the guards at times allowing the other team to get to its spots. 

Auburn is a great assisting team, assisting on 56.4 percent of makes in six SEC games, second-best in the league. The Gamecocks’ guards have to be good about denying passes and limiting Auburn’s guards from easily getting to spots. 

Then on the offensive end South Carolina has to hit threes to remain competitive. South Carolina ranks ninth in the SEC shooting 29.8 percent from three while Auburn is the best three-point defense in the SEC allowing teams to shoot 21.2 percent.  

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Big impact from the big three

For South Carolina to be in games against quality SEC teams, it needs a major impact from Hayden Brown, Meechie Johnson and Jackson. 

The last two games there hasn’t been that with those three–Brown did miss the Texas A&M game–combining for 45 total points on 27.6 percent shooting and going 6-for-30 from three. 

The three have combined for 18 rebounds, two offensively, in two games with a one-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. 

South Carolina needs all three of those guys to be the engine that revs this team with other guys–Zach Davis, Chico Carter, Gray–filling their roles. 

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Can the offense show signs of efficiency? 

South Carolina ranks 12th in the league through five SEC games averaging just 91.3 points per 100 possessions. Auburn is a good defensive team but there is a chance to string together a more efficient offensive performance. 

The Tigers are the second-worst team in the SEC in sending teams to the free throw line, something the Gamecocks just don’t do this year. 

There will be chances to get to the free-throw line if the Gamecocks stay aggressive.

Scouting the opponent

Auburn, the reigning SEC regular season champions, is off to another fantastic start and projects once again to be at or near the top of the league standings. The Tigers come to South Carolina winners of four straight and six of seven. 

There isn’t a true marquee win just yet, the best coming at home against a scuffling Arkansas team. The losses have come on a neutral court to Memphis (No. 37 KenPom), at Southern Cal (No. 58) and at Georgia (88). 

Auburn, though, is one of the top defenses in the country. The Tigers rank No. 11 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency allowing 90.7 points per 100 possessions. In SEC play the Tigers rank fifth and in the top half of the league in most defensive categories.

It’s an offense that ranks seventh in SEC play with the Tigers sixth in effective field goal percentage, sixth in offensive rebounding rate and fifth in three-point percentage.

The weaknesses lie in two-point and free-throw shooting and the Tigers don’t get to the line a ton and send their opponents to the line about as much as any team in the SEC.

Point guard Wendell Green makes things tick averaging 13.6 points on 37.6 percent shooting and averaging 3.8 assists per game.

Small forward Alex Flanigan and KD Johnson each average at least eight points per game. 

Game details

Who: Auburn (15-3, 5-1 SEC) at South Carolina (8-10, 1-4 SEC)

When: Saturday, Jan. 21 at 3:30 p.m.

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

How to watch/listen: SEC Network/Gamecocks Radio Network

All-time series: Auburn leads 26-17 (Last matchup: South Carolina lost 82-71)

KenPom prediction: Auburn wins 72-58 (Gamecocks given 11 percent chance to win)

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