Gamecocks Face Florida State Sunday In No Room For Racism Classic

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (6-2, 0-0 SEC) prepares for its third neutral-site game of the season when it travels just 70 miles to the North to face Florida State (5-3, 0-1 ACC) in the No Room For Racism Classic in Rock Hill, S.C.  The meeting between the Gamecocks and Seminoles is the first since the 2006 Postseason NIT.  The matchup will be played at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center, and is set for a Noon tipoff on ESPN2 with Roy Philpott (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst) on the call.  Derek Scott (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (analyst) will be over the air on the Gamecock Radio Network.

GAME INFORMATION
ARENA: Rock Hill Sports & Event Center (1,300)
BROADCAST: ESPN2
  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Roy Philpott
  ANALYST: Dane Bradshaw
RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network
  IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game
  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott
  ANALYST: Casey Manning
  SIRIUS: – | XM: 191 | SXM APP: 962
WATCH: WatchESPN/ESPN App
LIVE STATS: GamecocksOnline.com
  SERIES: Florida State leads 16-14
  AT NEUTRAL SITES: The series is tied at 2-2
  SERIES TREND: Florida State has won four of the last five meetings
  LAST MEETING: 69-68 Gamecock OT win on March 21, 2006 (Postseason NIT), in Tallahassee

TIPOFF NOTABLES
> South Carolina prepares for its third neutral-site game of the season when it travels just 70 miles to the North to face Florida State in the No Room For Racism Classic.  The meeting between the Gamecocks and Seminoles is the first since the 2006 Postseason NIT.
> Gamecock head coach Frank Martin and longtime Florida State head coach Leonard Hamilton have known each other since Martin was a high school coach in Miami and Hamilton was then the head coach of the Miami Hurricanes.  Sunday’s matchup is the first time the longtime friends and colleagues will share the same sideline.
> Carolina is 1-1 in neutral-site matchups this season after falling to Princeton, before a win vs. Western Kentucky at the Asheville Championship in mid-November.  South Carolina is 26-20 (.565) in neutral-site matchups under the direction of Martin.
> In that 2006 NIT matchup between the Gamecocks and Seminoles, Tarence Kinsey sank three free throws in the final 26 seconds of the contest to secure the OT win for Carolina.  The Gamecocks would go on to win the NIT title, their second-straight NIT crown becoming the first team since St. John’s (1943, ’44) to capture the title in back-to-back campaigns.
> Carolina posted a convincing 80-67 win over Georgetown at Colonial Life Arena last Sunday in non-conference action.  The Hoyas never led in the contest, and the Gamecock defense held Georgetown to just 32.9 percent (23-70) from the floor.
> The Gamecocks fell 80-56 in their first true road contest of the season at Coastal Carolina on Dec. 1.  CCU led for the majority of the first half, before the Gamecocks pulled to within one at halftime, however, the Chanticleers out-scored Carolina 44-21 in the second half to capture the non-conference win.
> The Gamecocks trailed for the majority of their contest with Rider at Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 28, but a 3-pointer from senior forward Keyshawn Bryant tied the contest at 36-all with 12:30 to go, and Carolina was able to maintain its lead the remainder of the game to close the 65-58 non-conference win.  
> Carolina captured a big win over visiting Wofford on Nov. 23 at Colonial Life Arena, posting an 85-74 victory over the Terriers.  Senior guard Erik Stevenson had his best performance this season, hitting nine field goals, including five 3-pointers, en route to a 25-point performance.  His six rebounds were also a team best.
> Rookie guard Devin Carter was clutch at the free throw line, hitting all four of his attempts in the final five seconds of play to clinch a 66-63 Gamecock win over visiting UAB at Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 18.  The Blazers, who are the preseason pick to win C-USA this season, battled back from a 16-point deficit to make it a one-point game with a minute remaining in the matchup, but Carter sank all four of his attempts late in the contest to secure the Carolina win.  
> Following its first loss of the season, Carolina rebounded with a 75-64 victory over Western Kentucky on Nov. 14 in its final contest at the inaugural Asheville Championship.  Junior guard Jermaine Couisnard and rookie guard Devin Carter led Carolina with 16 points each, and graduate student guard James Reese V tallied a season high 14 points behind four makes from 3-point range.  
> The Gamecocks suffered their first loss of the season on Nov. 12, falling 66-62 to Princeton.  Carolina struggled from the field, hitting just 36.2 percent overall, and just 15.4 percent (4-26) from 3-point range.  Princeton made 11 3-pointers in the win.
> Junior forward Wildens Leveque posted the first double-double of his career with a dominant 12-point, 10-rebound performance vs. Princeton on Nov. 12.  Leveque, who was 6-of-6 from the field, played 32 minutes of action, including 18:52 of the second half.  Four of his rebounds were on the offensive end.
> The Gamecocks improved to 84-30 all-time in season openers when they posted a 78-60 victory over USC Upstate in the 2021-22 opener on Nov. 9 at Colonial Life Arena.  Junior guard Jermaine Couisnard and junior forward Wildens Leveque led the Gamecocks with 14 points each, while Couisnard dished out a game high seven assists in the win.
> Head coach Frank Martin is in his 10th season leading the Gamecocks.  He is assisted by associate head coach Chuck Martin (fifth season), assistant coaches Will Bailey (second season) and Brian Steele (first season), and the director of operations is Andy Assaley (10th season).  
> South Carolina posted a 101-76 exhibition win vs. Benedict on Nov. 4.  James Reese V led all scorers with 21 in the contest.
> The 2021-22 campaign is the 20th season of basketball at Colonial Life Arena.  The facility opened just prior to the 2002-03 campaign.
> South Carolina returns three of its top five scorers from a season ago, including senior forward Keyshawn Bryant (14.4 ppg), junior guard Jermaine Couisnard (10.1 ppg) and junior forward Wildens Leveque (6.1 ppg).
> The Gamecocks welcome nine newcomers to the team this season, including a trio of freshmen in Devin Carter, Ta’Quan Woodley and Jacobi Wright.  Six transfers are also set for their first season at Carolina in Chico Carter Jr. (Murray State), Josh Gray (LSU), Brandon Martin (USC Upstate), James Reese V (North Texas), Erik Stevenson (Washington) and AJ Wilson (George Mason).

SCOUTING THE SEMINOLES
> Florida State is 5-3 overall this season and 0-1 in ACC play after suffering a 63-60 home loss versus Syracuse in its conference opener last Saturday.
> FSU has lost its last two contests, a 93-65 road loss at Purdue (Nov. 30) and the loss to the Orange.
> In neutral-site contests this season, Florida State is 2-0 with wins over Loyola Marymount and Missouri at the Jacksonville Classic.
> Houston transfer Caleb Mills paces the Seminoles at 12.6 points per game this season, while Malik Osborne is also in double figures at 11.4 per game.  Osborne’s 7.3 rebounds per game are a team high and rank ninth in the ACC.
> Mills leads the ACC and is 21st nationally with 2.38 steals per game this season.  He had two steals in the contest versus Syracuse.
> As a team, FSU is 14th nationally with 10.2 steals per game.  That mark leads the ACC.  The Seminole defense is also active, forcing 17.50 opponent turnovers per contest.

DID YOU KNOW?
> First-year assistant coach Brian Steele is one of 28 assistants nationally who are 30 or younger.  Steele just turned 28 on Nov. 10.  A three-year letterwinner for the Gamecocks on the hardwood (2012-15), Steele saw action in 50 career games in the Garnet and Black, with four starts. After knee injuries dotted his first three seasons on the court, Steele opted to serve as a student assistant coach during the 2015-16 campaign.  He did the same during the historic 2016-17 season that saw Carolina reach the Final Four, and then was a graduate assistant manager the following year.

BY THE NUMBERS
10 – 10 different Gamecocks scored in Carolina’s 80-67 win over Georgetown last Sunday at Colonial Life Arena.  Leveque (14), Reese V (11) and Bryant (11) were in double figures.
6 – In his second straight start, rookie point guard Jacobi Wright dished out a season best six assists in the win over Georgetown.  He averages 2.1 assists per game this season.
32 – Carolina’s 32 made field goals versus Georgetown marked a season high.
20 – The Gamecocks dished out 20 assists in the win over the Hoyas, a season high, and the most since also posting 20 in the road win at Georgia last season (Feb. 27, 2021).
10+ – Carolina has 11 players averaging at least 10.0 minutes per contest this season, led by Reese V’s 29.0 minutes per game.  
10 – South Carolina’s 10 turnovers in the win vs. Georgetown marked a season low.

FATHER AND SON DUOS
> South Carolina head coach Frank Martin, and his son, senior forward Brandon Martin, are one of 23 father-son  coach-player duos in Division I this season.  See below for the full list (school: head coach, son):

Boise State: Leon Rice, Max Rice
UConn: Dan Hurley, Andrew Hurley
Detroit Mercy: Mike Davis, Antoine Davis
Illinois-Chicago: Luke Yaklich, Griffin Yaklich
Iowa: Fran McCaffery, Connor/Patrick McCaffery
Liberty: Ritchie McKay, Gabriel McKay
Memphis: Penny Hardaway, Jayden Hardaway
Michigan: Juwan Howard, Jace Howard
Michigan State: Tom Izzo, Steven Izzo
Milwaukee: Pat Baldwin, Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Miss. Valley State: Lindsey Hunter, Caleb Hunter
Nebraska: Fred Hoiberg, Sam Hoiberg
Oklahoma: Porter Moser, Jacob Moser
South Carolina: Frank Martin, Brandon Martin
South Carolina State: Antonio Madlock, Antonio Madlock Jr.
USC Upstate: Dave Dickerson, Dave Dickerson III
Southern: Sean Woods, DeSean Woods
Syracuse: Jim Boeheim, Buddy/Jimmy Boeheim
Texas Southern: Johnny Jones, John Jones
Utah State: Ryan Odom, Connor Odom
Western Illinois: Rob Jeter, III Rob Jeter IV
WKU: Rick Stansbury, Noah Stansbury
Wright State: Scott Nagy, TJ Nagy

COMING UP NEXT
> South Carolina has a quick turnaround, as it prepares to host Allen at Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday at 7 PM.  Dave Weinstein (play-by-play) and John Williams (analyst) will have the call for the SEC Network+ broadcast.