Dec. 21, 2015

UNCASVILLE, Conn. — Nationally-ranked South Carolina travels to the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., on Tuesday to face St. John’s in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout event. Marist and Brown will be the first game in the two-part doubleheader. The meeting marks the fifth all-time between the Gamecocks and Red Storm, and first since the 2012-13 campaign.

GAME STORYLINES

– South Carolina is in its 108th season of varsity basketball in 2015-16.
– Carolina is led by fourth-year head coach Frank Martin. Alongside him are associate head coach Matt Figger, assistant coaches Perry Clark and Lamont Evans and director of men’s hoops operations, Andy Assaley.
– South Carolina enters Tuesday’s contest ranked for the first time in the AP poll since the March 16, 2004 (23) poll at No. 25, and moves up two spots to No. 23 in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 Poll. Carolina remains the only undefeated team in the SEC and one of just six unbeaten teams nationally (games through Dec. 20).
– South Carolina hit the 10-0 mark for the first time in over 80 years on Friday, posting a 65-59 road victory at Clemson behind four Gamecocks in double-figures led by senior forward Michael Carrera’s 14 points. The Gamecocks used a 24-1 run in the middle portion of the first half to hold a 41-25 lead at the break. Despite a comeback by the Tigers, which saw them pull within four late in the game, Carolina withstood the run and closed the six-point win. Carrera hit a pair of 3s during the first-half run that sparked the Carolina offense, but his most crucial points in the game came with 22 seconds on the clock when the senior hit two from the free throw line to clinch the win.
– Junior guard Sindarius Thornwell had a monster dunk in the first half vs. Clemson, which was released as SportsCenter’s top play of the day in its SportsCenter Top 10 Plays of the Day, later that evening.
– Did you know? Despite committing just six fewer turnovers in total over the last four games, the Gamecocks are averaging 10.3 more points off turnovers per game than their opponents in this span. Carolina enjoyed a double-digit advantage in points off turnovers twice all of last season and five times in the 2013-14 season.
– The Gamecocks improved their record to 9-0 for the first time since the 1970-71 campaign on Dec. 15 with a 79-54 victory over Drexel at Colonial Life Arena. Three players scored in double-figures for Carolina, led by rookie guard PJ Dozier’s season high 16 points. Dozier hit 10-of-16 from the free throw line, while also dishing three assists in the win.

GAMECOCKS IN THE POLLS

For the first time since the March 16, 2004 poll (final poll of the season/No. 23), the Gamecocks are ranked in this week’s AP poll, checking in at No. 25. It’s Carolina’s first regular-season ranking in the poll since the Feb. 17, 2004 poll when the squad was ranked No. 25. Carolina continues to hold a ranking in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 Poll at No. 23 (No 25 last week).

UP NEXT

South Carolina returns to Columbia to host Francis Marion on Dec. 30. The contest will be the first all-time between the two schools. The matchup will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Andy Demetra (pxp) and Alex English (analyst) on the call.

SCOUTING ST. JOHN’S

St. John’s enters Tuesday’s contest with a 7-5 overall record, however, the Red Storm has lost its last two games, including an 83-74 loss to NJIT on Sunday afternoon. St. John’s’ last win came in an 84-72 victory over Syracuse on Dec. 13. Two average double-figures for the squad led by Federico Mussini’s 14.3 points per game. Durand Johnson also averages double figures with 11.3 points per game. St. John’s averages 6.3 blocks per game, which ranks fifth in the nation (games through Dec. 20), and freshman center Yankuba Sima ranks third in the nation with 3.6 per outing. The Red Storm have just nine scholarship players this season and are led by head coach Chris Mullin in his first season at his alma mater.

BY THE NUMBERS

14 – South Carolina posted 14 offensive rebounds in the win vs. Clemson, the most since collecting 17 in the win vs. Western Carolina on Nov. 30.
14 – South Carolina ranks 14th in the most recent ESPN BPI, which accounts for the final score, pace of play, site, strength of opponent and absence of key players in every Division I men’s game.
3 – Junior guard Duane Notice hit three 3s in last Friday’s win vs. Clemson. It marked the 13th time in his career that he has hit at least three from beyond the arc in a game.
10 – Junior guard Justin McKie has 10 assists against zero turnovers this season.
+10.0 – South Carolina leads the SEC and ranks 17th in the nation with a +10.0 rebound margin. The Gamecocks have out-rebounded all of their opponents this season with the exception of USF. Carolina out-rebounded Drexel 41-22 (+19) on Dec. 15, its highest margin of the season.
12 – 12 opposing players have fouled out through Carolina’s first 10 games, and opponents are averaging 24.0 fouls committed this season. A deep bench has helped the Gamecocks avoid any DQs so far this season, with an average of 19.2 fouls per game.
10.5 – South Carolina has held a halftime lead in all 10 games this season by an average of 10.5 points. Carolina’s biggest lead at the half was a 31-point margin vs. USF.