Gamecock Gameday: Carolina Set To Face Monmouth On Tuesday

Nov. 14, 2016

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina is set to play its third game in just five days to open the 2016-17 campaign when it hosts Monmouth on Tuesday at Colonial Life Arena. The matchup pits two of the No. 1 seeds from last season’s Postseason NIT in the Gamecocks and Hawks. The meeting is just the second all-time, and the first since the 2005-06 campaign when the squads met in the Great Alaska Shootout.

GAME STORYLINES

– South Carolina is in its 109th season of varsity basketball in 2016-17.
– On the sidelines, Frank Martin is joined by associate head coach Matt Figger, assistant coaches Perry Clark and Bruce Shingler, and director of operations Andy Assaley.
– South Carolina hit 27 baskets, including 12 3s, in an 81-49 win over Holy Cross on Sunday evening at Colonial Life Arena in the first of three home contests as part of the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational. Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell once again paced the Gamecocks with 20 points, marking the 16th 20-point game of his career.
– South Carolina won its 16th-straight season opener on Nov. 11, posting an 85-76 victory over Louisiana Tech at Colonial Life Arena. It would be a game that would go down to the wire, as a late surge fuled by back-to-back transition dunks from South Carolina’s Chris Silva and Sindarius Thornwell would secure the win. Carolina hit 52.6 percent from the field, and was led by Thornwell’s 18 points and seven rebounds.
– Several Gamecocks made their college debuts on Nov. 11, including freshman forward Maik Kotsar, r-sophomore guard Hassani Gravett, junior forward Ran Tut and freshman forward Khadim Gueye. Rookie guard Rakym Felder made his college debut vs. Holy Cross (Nov. 13).
– South Carolina returns two starters and eight letterwinners from last season’s squad that posted a 25-9 overall record, matching the Carolina record for total wins.
– Those returning starters feature the only backcourt in the SEC with two 1,000-point scorers, in senior guards Sindarius Thornwell and Duane Notice. The duo accounted for 24.2 points and 6.1 assists per game last season.
– Thornwell was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team last March, while Notice was named the league’s Sixth Man Of the Year.
– The Gamecocks return just 49.4 percent of their scoring from a year ago, with the departure of three senior starters in Michael Carrera (14.5 ppg), Laimonas Chatkevicius (10.2 ppg) and Mindaugas Kacinas (9.9 ppg).
– The Gamecocks began the 2015-16 season 15-0, their best start since the 1933-34 campaign.
– The Gamecocks are undefeated in exhibition contests under the direction of Frank Martin with wins over Kentucky Wesleyan (2012-13), USC Aiken (2013-14), Benedict (2014-15), Allen (2015-16) and Newberry (107-89).

SCOUTING MONMOUTH

– The Hawks are led by long time Vanderbilt assistant coach King Rice in his sixth season.
– Rick Callahan, who was an assistant coach from 1994-2001 at South Carolina, and was a member of the 1997 SEC Championship team, is an assistant at Monmouth.
– Monmouth put four in double-digits in an opening night win over Drexel, led by Micah Seaborn’s 17 and Chris Brady totaling 14 points and eight rebounds. MU led by as many as 21 in the game.
– Both Justin Robinson and Micah Seaborn were named to Preseason All-MAAC teams, with Robinson earning unanimous Player of the Year votes as well as unanimous First Team honors. Seaborn was named to the Preseason Second Team after picking up MAAC Rookie of the Year accolades in 2015-16.
– Monmouth returns 2,538 of the 2,861 points the team scored last season, meaning that the Hawks bring back 88.7% of its scoring from 2015-16.

BY THE NUMBERS

2,371 – Senior guards Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell have combined to score 2,371 points during their time in the Garnet and Black.
475 – Sindarius Thornwell ranks third among active players in the SEC with 475 career rebounds.
57.8% – South Carolina has collected an assist on 57.8 percent of its made baskets through the first two games of the season. Those assists have been spread among eight different players, with senior guard Duane Notice’s eight on the year a team high.
1,316 – Entering Tuesday’s matchup vs. Monmouth, senior guard Sindarius Thornwell ranks 21st all-time at Carolina with 1,316 career points.
1,055 – Senior guard Duane Notice ranks 39th all-time at Carolina with 1,055 points entering Tuesday’s matchup vs. Monmouth
38.0% – Senior guard Duane Notice ranks seventh all-time in Carolina history in career 3-point field goal percentage (38.0%, 155-407) entering Tuesday’s matchup with the Hawks.
22-1 – Over the course of the last two seasons, the Gamecocks are 22-1 in games when leading at the half. Carolina was 20-1 last season when leading at the half, and 2-0 early this season when holding the edge at the break.

UP NEXT

South Carolina continues home action in the Brooklyn Hoops Holiday Invitational on Friday when it hosts intrastate rival SC State. The meeting will be the 21st all-time between the two schools. Game time is set for 6:30 p.m., at Colonial Life Arena.