Dec. 4, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina hosts USF on Saturday in a historic matchup at Colonial Life Arena. The game will feature Carolina head coach Frank Martin and Bulls head coach Orlando Antigua, both Hispanic-American head coaches in Division I men’s basketball. The meeting is the fifth all-time between the two schools, and the first in Columbia since the 2004-05 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.
– The Gamecocks remain the only undefeated team in the SEC entering Saturday’s matchup vs. USF.
– A win vs. the Bulls would tie Carolina for its best start since the 2003-04 campaign with an 8-0 record.
– The Gamecocks saw all 15 players reach the floor, with three scoring double-figures, led by Kacinas’ 20 points, in a 76-53 win vs. Western Carolina on Monday at Colonial Life Arena. Kacinas also pulled down 11 rebounds, and rookie forward Chris Silva was one point away from a double-double with nine points and 11 boards. South Carolina held WCU to just 28.4 percent from the floor and only four free throws in the contest.
– For the third-straight game South Carolina hit over 50% from the field and ran away with a 92-76 win vs. visiting Lipscomb on Nov. 27 in an afternoon matinee. Six Gamecocks hit double-figures, led by senior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius’ 17. Junior guard Sindarius Thornwell struggled from the floor, but he posted six assists, leading four Gamecocks with at least five helpers in the contest.
– The Gamecocks captured the 2015 Paradise Jam championship on Nov. 23 after defeating Tulsa 83-75 in the finale. For the second straight game, five Gamecocks registered double-figures, led by senior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius’ game-best 17. Fellow senior forward Michael Carrera was just one rebound shy of a double-double with 16 points and nine boards.
– South Carolina senior forward Mindaugas Kacinas and junior guard Sindarius Thornwell were both named to the Paradise Jam All-Tournament Team. Thornwell was named the event’s MPV after averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists and just 1.7 turnovers per game. Thornwell also collected 2.3 steals per outing, including a season high five vs. Tulsa.

HISTORIC MATCHUP

Saturday’s game marks a historic matchup in college basketball, as Gamecock head coach Frank Martin and USF head coach Orlando Antigua are both Hispanic-American head coaches. The game is believed to be the first time two Hispanic-American head coaches lead their teams against one another.

SCOUTING USF

The Bulls are led by head coach Orlando Antigua, a long-time assistant for John Calipari at both Memphis and Kentucky. USF owns a 2-6 mark in Antigua’s second season entering Saturday’s matchup at Colonial Life Arena. The visit to Columbia is the third all-time for USF and the first since the 2004-05 campaign. Two Bulls average double-figures led by freshman guard Jahmal McMurray’s 12.4 per game. Sophomore guard Roddy Peters adds 11.1 per outing to go along with a team high 4.4 assists per game. USF has wins this season vs. Alabany and Savannah State, and most recently suffered a 67-58 loss at Delaware on Thursday night. Peters scored 14 to lead the Bulls vs. Delaware, while senior forward Angel Nunez added seven points and pulled down a team high nine rebounds. The Bulls blocked a season-high 11 shots vs. Delaware. USF is averaging 64.8 points per game, compared to 70.2 from its opponents.

GAMECOCKS RECEIVE VOTES IN POLLS

South Carolina received votes in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Polls this week. It was the first time the Gamecocks received votes since the Jan. 5, 2015, polls following their upset of then-No. 9 Iowa State in Brooklyn.

BY THE NUMBERS

2 – Just two Division I schools have both their men’s and women’s basketball team’s undefeated with Oregon and South Carolina (as of games played through Dec. 3).
15.3/7.4/30.4 – Senior forward Mindaugas Kacinas leads Carolina in points (15.3), rebounds (7.4) and minutes per game (30.4) entering Saturday’s contest vs. USF.
44.4% – South Carolina hit 8-of-18 (44.4%) from beyond the arc in Monday’s contest vs. Western Carolina. For the season, Carolina ranks fourth in the SEC and 42nd nationally with a 39.7 mark from 3-point range.
51 – Carolina’s 51 rebounds vs. Western Carolina marked the most during the Frank Martin era, and the most since collecting 53 in an overtime contest vs. Western Kentucky on Nov. 27, 2010.
59.7/57.7 – Senior forwards Mindaugas Kacinas and Laimonas Chatkevcius rank fourth and fifth, respectively in the SEC in field goal percentage. Kacinas leads the Gamecocks (at least 50 attempts) hitting 59.7 percent, and Chatkevicius is second at 57.7 percent.

UP NEXT

South Carolina will have a 10-day break for final exams before Drexel travels to Columbia on Dec. 15. The matchup vs. the Dragons will tip at 7 p.m. ET on SEC Network +. The meeting will be the first all-time between the two schools.