Gamecocks Face Providence Saturday At Mohegan Sun Arena

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina is set for a pair of weekend matchups in Uncasville, Conn., at the Mohegan Sun Arena, in the Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.  The Gamecocks open weekend action vs. Providence on Saturday afternoon, with tip time set for 2:30 p.m. ET versus the Friars on ESPN3.

STARTING FIVE
> South Carolina hits the road for the first time this season after opening up the 2018-19 campaign with three consecutive home contests.  Carolina is ready for neutral-site action in the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame Tipoff Tournament in Uncasville, Conn., this weekend, opening action Saturday against Providence, the ninth meeting all-time between the two schools.
> Carolina hit 51.9 percent (28-54) from the floor, and poured in 11 3-pointers, en route to an 81-64 victory over Norfolk State in Columbia on Tuesday.  Rookie guard A.J. Lawson continued his hot streak to open the season, matching senior guard Hassani Gravett for game-high honors with dual 18-points performances.
> Gravett tallied his 13th-career game with multiple made 3s vs. the Spartans on Tuesday, hitting a career high five on six attempts.  He’s connected on 6-of-11 attempts – 54.5 percent – from beyond the arc through the first three games of the season.
> Rookie guard T.J. Moss made his college debut vs. Norfolk State on Tuesday after missing the first two games of the season due to a right foot injury.  Moss logged 10 minutes of court action, hitting a 3 from the corner and dishing an assist in the win.
> Saturday’s contest will be Carolina’s second all-time at the Mohegan Sun Arena, as the Gamecocks faced St. John’s at the venue on Dec. 22, 2015, posting a 75-61 win behind 20 points from then-junior Duane Notice and a double-double from senior Michael Carrera with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Then-freshman Chris Silva tallied four points and pulled down five rebounds in 10 minutes vs. the Red Storm.

COMING UP NEXT
Following Saturday’s game, Carolina will face either George Washington or national semifinalist Michigan on Sunday in its final game at the Naismith Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament.  The Gamecocks are 9-6 all-time vs. GW and 3-2 all-time vs. the Wolverines, including a 61-46 win in Columbia on Nov. 23, 2016.

THROUGH THE FIRST THREE GAMES…
> Rookie guard A.J. Lawson paces the team with 16.7 points per game … Lawson also has a team high 15 assists, but also a team high 12 turnovers … Senior guard Hassani Gravett, senior forward Chris Silva and sophomore forward Justin Minaya all have 17 rebounds, with Silva’s nine on the offensive glass a team high … Lawson and graduate student guard Tre Campbell pace the team with five steals … Carolina has committed just 50 fouls against 72 by its opponents … Nine different Gamecocks are averaging at least 10.0 minutes per game … Carolina has already shot 84 free throws, 28.0 attempts per game.

AIR FORCE RESERVE TIP-OFF TOURNAMENT
> The Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament began with on-campus matchups, with Carolina suffering an 83-81 loss to Stony Brook, before posting an 81-64 victory over Norfolk State.  
> The Gamecocks are in the Naismith Bracket, which also features Providence, George Washington and Michigan.
> The Springfield Bracket includes Stony Brook, Holy Cross, Norfolk State and Siena.
> Carolina will face either George Washington or Michigan on Sunday in its Tournament finale.

QUICK HITS
> South Carolina is in its 111th season of varsity basketball in 2018-19.
> Gamecock head coach Frank Martin is joined on the sidelines by assistant coaches Perry Clark (6th season), Bruce Shingler (3rd season) and Chuck Martin (2nd season).  Andy Assaley is in his seventh season as the director of operations.
> South Carolina is one of 13 DI schools nationally that have two or more former DI coaches serving as an assistant coach.  Perry Clark served as a head coach at Tulane, Miami (Fla.) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, while Chuck Martin was the head coach at Marist for five campaigns.
> South Carolina advanced to its first Final Four in 2016-17, which included posting its first NCAA Tounament win since the 1973 campaign when it talied a 93-73 win over Marquette in the First Round.
> Rookie guard A.J. Lawson’s eight makes from the floor vs. Stony Brook (Nov. 9) marked the most made field goals in a game by a Carolina freshman since then-rookie guard Sindarius Thornwell connected on nine made field goals in a Carolina win at Mississippi State on March 8, 2014.
> The Gamecocks are 23-13 (.638) in neutral-site contests under the direction of head coach Frank Martin, including a 3-3 mark last season.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
> Entering weekend action, the Gamecocks are led by a pair of freshmen in rookie guard A.J. Lawson (16.7 points per game) and freshman forward Keyshawn Bryant (11.3) in scoring.  Senior guard Hassani Gravett is also in double figures at 10.0 points per game.  
> Lawson also paces Carolina with 5.0 assists per outing.  He dished out eight in the home win over Norfolk State on Tuesday, the most by a Carolina freshman since Marcus Stroman collected eight assists in a Gamecock win vs. Coker on Dec. 21, 2014.
> Six different Gamecocks have registered a block this season, led by senior forward Chris Silva and sophomore forward Felipe Haase with four each.
> In six neutral-site contests last season, of the returning players, Silva’s 13.3 points and 8.2 rebounds were a team high.  Kotsar added 11.3 points per outing and Gravett dished out a team high five assists per game, including a career high nine in the neutral-site win vs. UTEP.
> Graduate transfer guard Tre Campbell faced Providence five times during his career at Georgetown, averating 4.2 points and 1.6 assists per outing vs. the Friars.
> Entering weekend action, Carolina ranks fifth in the SEC in field goal percent defense, as the Gamecocks have held their first three opponents to a combined 37.7 percent from the field.  Carolina is tied for sixth in assists (15.0 per game) and blocks per game (5.3).
> South Carolina returns seven letterwinners from last season’s 17-16 squad, including senior guard Hassani Gravett and senior forward Chris Silva.
> Carolina welcomes eight newcomers to its roster this season, including a pair of transfers and six freshmen student-athletes.  Jair Bolden (transfer/George Washington/guard), graduate transfer Tre Campbell (transfer/Georgetown/guard), Keyshawn Bryant (freshman/guard), Jermaine Couisnard (freshman/guard), Alanzo Frink (freshman/forward), A.J. Lawson (freshman/guard), T.J. Moss (freshman/guard) and Nathan Nelson (freshman/forward) join the Garnet and Black this fall.

SCOUTING THE FRIARS
> Providence is 2-1 on the year after wins vs. Siena and Holy Cross and a loss to Wichita State.  The Friars are led by head coach Ed Cooley in his eighth season.
> Junior guard Alpha Diallo paces the team in points (20.3), rebounds (10.3) and assists (4.3) per game.  He scored 18 points with 10 rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes of action vs. Holy Cross on Tuesday night.
> Freshman guard A.J. Reeves (17.7) and senior guard Isaiah Jackson (11.0) also average double-digits through the early portion of the season.  
> Reeves was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week earlier this week for his efforts in two games last week.  He averaged 24.0 points per game, paced by a 29-point performance in his college debut vs. Siena on Nov. 6.
> Providence has been to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments, and Cooley led his team to the 2014 BIG EAST title.