Skip to main content
south-carolina logo

Why more aggression and physicality can work for South Carolina moving forward

imageby:Jack Veltri•about 13 hours•

jacktveltri

Untitled design-314
Zachary Davis (Jackson Randall/GamecockCentral)

While a loss is nothing to get excited about, South Carolina found something that worked. After losing two straight games by a combined 55 points to open SEC play, the Gamecocks came out with newfound energy against Auburn on Saturday.

In those two prior losses, they didn’t seem to have the fight and intensity to compete at a high level. As a result, they were beaten badly in a 35-point loss at Mississippi State, then lost by 20 points at home to Alabama.

So, when the Gamecocks came out with much more aggression and physicality against the No. 2 Tigers, the results were much improved. Although they couldn’t complete the upset in a 66-63 loss at Colonial Life Arena, they now know what they need to do to have a chance to win moving forward.

“You gotta come out, man. You gotta play. You gotta be aggressive. That’s what this is. It’s basketball,” head coach Lamont Paris said.

Much like it had done against Alabama, South Carolina started off strong in the early going and kept things close with Auburn. Even when the Tigers jumped out to an early nine-point advantage, the Gamecocks responded and eventually reclaimed the lead midway through the first half.

A big part of what worked so well in this game was the team’s sense of urgency. Every shot that clanked off the rim and went into the air? South Carolina was there. If there was a rebound for the taking, the Gamecocks wouldn’t let Auburn have it, not without a fight.

“Well, I thought both teams played really well offensively early. I mean, it was like a tennis match,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “Everybody was scoring in the first four minutes of the game. And it’s hard to score early when both teams are fresh. But both teams just executed.”

[Join GamecockCentral: $1 for 7 days]

Almost right away, Pearl could tell how much the Gamecocks benefited from playing a physical style of basketball. They ended up winning the rebound battle 37-33 and were able to create a lot more second-chance opportunities, which led to 15 additional points.

For as physical as this game was, there weren’t an abundance of free throws taken. Auburn went 6-for-12 when it went to the line, while South Carolina was 9-for-16. Of course, in a game that came down to the wire, the missed free throws proved to be detrimental for the Gamecocks. But at the same time, the lack of calls on both sides allowed for them to play more physical.

“I thought the officiating did a pretty good job. It was a hard game to work cause there was a lot of contact and they did a pretty good job of just letting both teams play,” Pearl said. “So, South Carolina, when the (officials) let them play physical like that, they’re good.”

With 15 SEC games still to play, South Carolina still has time to get things going in hopes of returning to the NCAA Tournament, even if those odds aren’t great. If it plans to get to that point, though, playing this style each game is key.

“The more aggressive you are, the more the whistle favors you,” Paris said. “The more aggressive you are, the more times you find yourself in a good position. The more aggressive you are, the more times you rebound the ball. We emphasized that, we talked a lot about that. And then I think, again, that we saw a significant improvement in that area.”

Discuss South Carolina basketball on The Insiders Forum!

You may also like