Nov. 26, 2010

The South Carolina men’s basketball team (3-1) travels to face Western Kentucky (3-2) in non-conference action on Saturday. Tip time is set for 7 p.m. ET.

** The men’s basketball radio broadcast will only be available on 1320 AM in Columbia for the Western Kentucky contest
** The contest at WKU will be broadcast on the Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network, which will be available on DirecTV channel 617 and Fox College Sports

GAME INFORMATION
Date: Saturday, November 27, 2010
Tipoff: 7:04 p.m. ET
Location: Bowling Green, Ky.
Arena: E. A. Diddle Arena (7,326)
Series: South Carolina leads 5-1
Television: Hilltopper Sports Satellite Network
DirecTV channel 617; Fox College Sports
Talent: Jeff Younglove (pxp), Hal Schmitt (analyst)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
(1320 AM – Columbia/GamecocksOnline.com)
Talent: Andy Demetra (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com

Game Notes vs. WKU

Carolina Quick Hits
– South Carolina is in its 103rd season of basketball.
– The Gamecocks are led by third-year head coach Darrin Horn.
– Horn has led South Carolina to a 30-8 (.789) home record during his two-plus seasons in Columbia and a 7-16 (.304) mark in road contests.
– Horn returns to coach at his alma mater, Western Kentucky, for the first time in his career on Saturday. During his time as a player for the Hilltoppers, Horn helped lead the team to four-straight 20-win seasons, while reaching the Sweet 16 in 1993. During his five-year tenure as head coach at WKU, Horn led his team to three postseason berths, including a trip to the Sweet 16 in 2008.
– Over the course of the last three games, South Carolina has attempted 80 3s. In the stretch, 3-point attempts account for 40% (80/202) of South Carolina’s total field goal attempts.
– Carolina’s +12.0 rebounding margin ranks first in the SEC. The Gamecocks finished last in the SEC in the category during the 2009-10 season.
– South Carolina collected 55 rebounds in its win over USC Upstate, the most rebounds for a Gamecock squad since collecting 57 boards in a 64-41 win over Wofford on Dec. 2, 1996.
– Sophomore guard Ramon Galloway led the Gamecocks in scoring for the first time in his career with 12 points in the Gamecocks’ win over USC Upstate on Tuesday.
– In the SEC, South Carolina ranks third in scoring (77.2), assists (15.0) and steals (8.3).
– Junior forward Malik Cooke ranks tied for fourth in the SEC in rebounding (8.8), while he leads the league in offensive rebounds per game (4.5).
– The Gamecocks out-rebounded No. 2/2 Michigan State on Nov. 16, 44-41. MSU led the nation in rebounding margin in each of the last two seasons.
– South Carolina is 76-28 (.731) all-time in the month of November. Carolina went 5-1 last season during the month.
– The 2009-10 Gamecocks concluded their 19th season of competition in the SEC with a 6-10 record. South Carolina owns an overall record of 122-182 (.401) all-time in SEC play.
– South Carolina owns a 7-3 (.700) all-time record against current schools in the Sun Belt Conference. Carolina’s most recent win over a school in the league came in a 74-56 win over WKU on Dec. 2, 2009. The last Gamecock loss to a team in the league came in a 94-77 loss to Middle Tennessee State on Nov. 29, 1985 competing in the Mid-South Classic in Memphis, Tenn.

Scouting WKU
– Led by third-year head coach Ken McDonald, the Hilltoppers enter Saturday’s contest versus the Gamecocks with a 3-2 record on the year. WKU has not played since a 64-51 loss to Davidson on Sunday, Nov. 21, competing at the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.
– WKU was picked to win the Sun Belt East Division by the league’s coaches prior to the start of the 2010-11 season.
– Senior forward Juan Pattillo, a transfer from Oklahoma, led WKU with his fourth double-double in five games this season with 15 points and 11 rebounds vs. Davidson.
– The Hilltoppers hit just 30.9% of their field goal attempts vs. Davidson in their lowest scoring output of the season.

By The Numbers
– 7 – Sophomore forward Lakeem Jackson has hit seven-consecutive free throws entering Saturday’s matchup at WKU. Jackson was a perfect 4-of-4 vs. Radford and most recently posted a 3-of-3 showing vs. USC Upstate.
– 9 – Junior forward Malik Cooke led South Carolina with nine rebounds vs. USC Upstate. Cooke has collected at least seven rebounds in every game this season, with a high of 11 vs. Michigan State.
– 72.0 – Under the direction of Darrin Horn, South Carolina averages 72.0 points per game in road contests. Carolina’s highest output in a road game under Horn came in a 97-93 loss at Florida on Feb. 3, 2009.
– 57 – Carolina’s 57 points scored vs. USC Upstate on Tuesday was its lowest point total since a 63-55 loss to Tennessee on Feb. 20, 2010.

Galloway Finds His Mark
– After hitting just 6-of-20 field goal attempts in the first three games of the season, sophomore guard Ramon Galloway was 5-of-9 from the floor, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc, in leading the Gamecocks past USC Upstate on Tuesday.

Trend Setting
Gamecock trends under Darrin Horn …
– South Carolina is 17-7 when collecting at least 10 steals in a contest.
– South Carolina has collected 10 steals twice this season, in a win over Elon and loss at Michigan State.
– Carolina is 18-4 when scoring at least 80 points.
– The Gamecocks have scored at least 80 points twice this season, in a win over Elon and a victory over Radford.
– The Gamecocks are 14-6 when blocking at least seven shots in a game.
– South Carolina registered at least seven blocks 12 times in 2009-10, while Carolina has blocked at least seven just once in 2010-11 (win over Radford).
– South Carolina is 27-6 when holding its opponents to under 45% shooting from the field.
– South Carolina has held its opponents to under 45% shooting from the field in all three of its home contests, all Carolina wins, thus far in 2010-11.
– Carolina is 18-4 when out-rebounding its opponent.
– South Carolina was 8-0 in 2009-10 when out-rebounding its opponent. To compare, the Gamecocks have out-rebounded their opponent in each of their first four games this season.
– Carolina is 18-16 when committing 12 or fewer turnovers.
– South Carolina was 7-12 in 2009-10 when committing 12 or fewer turnovers.