Men's Hoops Set For Saturday Matchup With Clemson

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina concludes the pre-holiday portion of its homestand on Saturday when it hosts intrastate rival Clemson at Colonial Life Arena.  Tip time for the contest is set for 2 p.m. ET, with the matchup broadcast on ESPN2 with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Chris Spatola (analyst) on the call.

** FAN NOTE: doors for the Clemson contest will open at 12:30 p.m. ET

STARTING FIVE
> South Carolina concludes its pre-holiday homestand on Saturday when it hosts instrastate rival Clemson at Colonial Life Arena.  The meeting is the 169th all-time between the two schools.  Carolina looks to snap a two-game losing streak against the Tigers.
> With the recent injuries to junior forward Maik Kotsar (concussion) and freshman guard T.J. Moss (high ankle sprain/foot injury), five different Gamecocks have missed a combined 20 games due to injury this season thus far.
> Carolina won the rebound battle, but Virginia won the battle from beyond the arc, and the No. 5/3 Cavaliers collected a 69-52 win at Colonial Life Arena on Wednesday in the first meeting between the two schools since 2002.  The Cavaliers connected on eight 3s in the contest, compared to just three from Carolina.  
> Rookie forward Alanzo Frink saw extended minutes in the matchup against Virginia without Kotsar available for the contest.  Frink registered season highs in points (9), rebounds (8), made field goals (4) and assists (2), while playing a season high 23 minutes.
> Junior guard Evan Hinson is in dual-sport mode this week, not only pacticing with the Gamecocks on the gridiron in preparation for the upcoming Belk Bowl on Dec. 29, but also practicing and competing with the Gamecocks on the hardwood.  Hinson scored four points off the bench on Wednesday and pulled down a career high five rebounds in 20 minutes of action.

THROUGH THE FIRST 10 GAMES…
> Rookie guard A.J. Lawson continues to pace the Gamecocks in scoring (13.6) and assists (3.5) per game … Senior forward Chris Silva is just behind at 11.1 points per game and his 6.6 rebounds per contest are a team high, as are his 1.8 blocks per game … Nine Gamecocks average at least 17 minutes per game, and eight average at least six points per contest … In wins, the Gamecocks hold a +9.5 rebound margin, and in losses, opponents are +3.3 … Carolina has used four different starting lineups.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
> The Gamecocks look to snap a three-game losing streak on Saturday vs. the Tigers.  Carolina opened the season trading wins and losses, before the current stretch.
> Sophomore forward Felipe Haase made the first start of his career vs. Virginia.  He contributed three points, pulled down five rebounds and saw 28 minutes of action.
> Rookie guard A.J. Lawson dished a team high three assists vs. the Cavaliers.  He continues to pace Carolina in the stat column with 3.5 dimes per game.  He has led or shared the team lead in assists six times.
> Though he didn’t connect from 3-point range, senior guard Hassani Gravett scored 10 points off the bench, while also collecting four rebounds and two assists vs. Virginia.  
> In home games, Carolina is averaging 40.6 percent from the field, and Lawson’s 13.7 points per game are a team high.
> 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 TIGERS
> Clemson is 8-3 on the year, with notable wins vs. Akron, Georgia and most recently a 78-51 win vs. Charleston Southern on Tuesday.
> The Tigers bring a very experienced lineup to the court this season, with two graduate students and a senior in the projected starting lineup.
> Four are in double figures for Clemson, led by Marcquise Reed’s 19.4 points per game.  Shelton Mitchell (14.5), Elijah Thomas (13.9) and Aamir Simms (11.2) are also in double figures.
> Thomas scored 25 points and pulled down a team high 14 rebounds in Clemson’s most recent win over Charleston Southern.  He also blocked two shots and had two steals.
> Thomas leads the ACC in field goal percentage (69.9 percent) on 58-for-83 shooting this season through 11 games.
> Six different Clemson players average at least six points per game, and nine average at least 10 minutes per contest.
> Last season Clemson posted a 25-10 overall record and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.

COMING UP NEXT
Following the break for the holidays, South Carolina will host North Greenville at Colonial Life Arena on Dec. 31.  The contest will tip at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.