Jan. 21, 2011

The South Carolina men’s basketball team (12-5, 3-1 SEC) is set to host No. 12/12 Kentucky (14-4, 2-2 SEC) in an SEC East matchup at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday. Tip time is set for 6 p.m., with the contest televised on ESPN with Brad Nessler and Jimmy Dykes on the call.

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, January 22, 2011
Tipoff: 6 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, S.C.
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Series: Kentucky leads 42-10
Television: ESPN
Talent: Brad Nessler (pxp), Jimmy Dykes (analyst);
Tim Sullivan (producer)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
(107.5 FM – Columbia/GamecocksOnline.com)
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Multimedia: ESPN3.com

Game Notes vs. Kentucky

Carolina Quick hits
– South Carolina is in its 103rd season of basketball.
– The Gamecocks are in their 20th season of competition in the Southeastern Conference in 2011. Carolina owns a 125-183 (.405) all-time record in SEC play.
– Darrin Horn-led teams are 76-38 (.667) all-time in league play, including a 19-17 (.527) mark in SEC action.
– Gamecock head coach Darrin Horn is a native of Lexington, Ky., having played his high school hoops at Tates Creek High School in Lexington. Horn stayed in-state for his college career, playing for the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers from 1992-95. In his career as the head coach at South Carolina, Darrin Horn is 3-1 vs. Kentucky.
– Last season, South Carolina earned its first-ever win over a No. 1 ranked opponent (AP poll) when the Gamecocks earned a 68-62 victory over then-No. 1 Kentucky on Jan. 26, 2011 in Columbia.
– Saturday’s contest marks Kentucky’s first visit to Colonial Life Arena since that upset last season.
– After defeating Arkansas 81-74 on Wednesday, the Gamecocks are 4-0 in games in which they score 80 points this season.
– Junior forward Malik Cooke collected his second career double-double, and his first as a Gamecock vs. Arkansas, scoring 11 points and collecting a team-best 11 rebounds, including five offensive boards.
– Sophomore guard Ramon Galloway had a stellar shooting night vs. Arkansas, hitting 8-of-16 attempts, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Galloway’s 21 points, 13 of those in the first half, were a team best.
– Senior forward Sam Muldrow blocked six shots vs. Arkansas, marking the fourth time in the last five games that Muldrow has blocked at least six shots.
– Freshman point guard Bruce Ellington scored South Carolina’s final six points, including a perfect 4-of-4 effort from the free throw line over the last 17 seconds to secure the Gamecock win over Florida on Jan. 15. Ellington led the squad with 23 points, his sixth 20-point effort of the season.
– The Gamecocks committed just eight turnovers vs. Florida, including only three in the second half.
– Third-year head coach Darrin Horn owns an all-time record of 100-20 (.833) in home contests and has led South Carolina to a 37-9 (.804) home record during his two-plus seasons in Columbia.
– Darrin Horn led teams are 45-48 (.483) all-time in road contests. Horn has led Carolina to an 9-19 (.321) mark on the road in his two-plus seasons in Columbia.
– In home games, South Carolina has held its opponent to under 41% shooting in every contest thus far in 2010-11 except the Boston College and Arkansas matchups. The Eagles shot a stellar 51.6 % (33-64) to earn the road win on New Year’s Day, while Arkansas hit 49.0% (24-49) of its shots in a loss at Colonial Life Arena on Jan. 19.
– Senior forward Sam Muldrow recorded just the second triple-double in school history in the SEC opener win over No. 22/24 Vanderbilt, scoring 16 points, collecting a team-high 14 rebounds and blocking a career high 10 shots. It marked just the 21st triple-double in SEC history and the 11th all-time involving blocked shots.
– Muldrow’s 10 blocks were the most by a single player this season in the SEC, eclipsing the previous high of eight blocks collected by Arkansas’ Delvon Johnson vs. Seton Hall.
– South Carolina has dished double-digit assists in 14 contests this season (through 17 games), compared to 18 times all of last season.
– Carolina (40.2) ranks second in the SEC and among national leaders in rebounds per game. Among league opponents, only Kentucky (40.4), collects more rebounds per contest.
– South Carolina ranks third in the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage (.357).
– Carolina’s 6.8 blocked shots per game rank second in the SEC and third in the nation (Jan. 21 NCAA stats), with Muldrow (3.5) second in the league and sixth in the nation.
– South Carolina’s 14.6 offensive rebounds per game rank first in the SEC, with Malik Cooke tied for fifth in the league with 3.1 per game.
– The Gamecocks own a 401-339 (.541) all-time record in the month of January.
– South Carolina is 10-1 in games played at Colonial Life Arena this season, scoring 74.5 points per game in those contests.

Scouting Kentucky
– The Wildcats enter Saturday’s contest with a 14-4 overall record including a 2-2 mark in league play. UK most recently suffered a 68-66 loss at Alabama.
– Kentucky’s two wins in league play were both against SEC West opponents in Auburn and LSU.
– Freshman forward Terrence Jones paces the squad with 18.5 points, while senior forward Josh Harrellson paces the SEC with 9.4 rebounds per contest this season. Freshman guard Brandon Knight (17.3) and freshman guard Doron Lamb (13.9) also contribute double-figures for the Wildcats.
– UK has earned two road wins this season, at Portland and at intrastate rival Louisville.

Kentucky Series Information
– Kentucky holds a 42-10 advantage in the all-time series against South Carolina, including a 16-6 upperhand in games played in Columbia.
– South Carolina swept the season series vs. UK for just the second time (1997) in 2009 under first-year head coach – and Lexington, Ky., native – Darrin Horn.
– South Carolina has won three of the last four meetings between the two schools. Both team won on its respective home court in the series last season.

By The Numbers
– 2.7 – South Carolina’s last three opponents have hit a combined eight 3’s. Alabama failed to connect on a 3-point attempt, while Florida tallied five and Arkansas just three.
– 14.0 – In its three overtime contests this season – at WKU (2OT), vs. Vandy (OT) and vs. Arkansas (OT), the Gamecocks average 14.0 points in overtime.
– 3-1 – South Carolina’s 3-1 start to SEC play is its best record through the first four games of league play since starting 3-1 in 2004.
– 6.2 – Senior forward Sam Muldrow is averaging 6.2 blocks per game over the course of the last five games.