Gamecocks At Oklahoma State In SEC/Big 12 Challenge Saturday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina takes a brief break from SEC action on Saturday when it travels to face Oklahoma State in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge in Stillwater.  Tip time for the contest is set for 2 p.m. ET, with the matchup vs. the Cowboys set to be broadcast on ESPNU with Richard Cross (play-by-play) and Robbie Hummel (analyst) on the call.

STARTING FIVE
> South Carolina, winners of six of their last seven contests, hits the road for the 2019 SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday, to face Oklahoma State, which is led by former Gamecock standout Mike Boynton Jr.  Boynton lettered at Carolina from 2001-04, seeing action in 125 career games in the Garnet and Black.
> Senior forward Chris Silva had a career night in leading the Gamecocks to an upset win over No. 16/15 Auburn at Colonial Life Arena earlier this week.  The Libreville, Gabon, native scored 32 points, while pulling down 14 rebounds, a career high in both categories.  Maybe most impressive, his 11-of-12 mark from the field, and his 10-of-11 performance at the free throw line.  According to the SEC Network, Silva is just the second player in any conference in the last 20 seasons to have 30 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks on 90 percent shooting in a game.
> Fellow senior guard Hassani Gravett has been stellar in league games.  He paces Carolina with 15.0 points per game, while his 2.5 assists per game are also a team best.  He’s averaging 44.1 percent from the field, and has hit 15-of-33 attempts from beyond the arc – 45.5 percent.
> The Gamecocks weren’t able to capture a road win in non-conference action, however, Carolina has won two of their first three road games in league play, with victories at Florida and at Vanderbilt.  In games played away from home (road and neutral-site contests), the Gamecocks are scoring an average of 73.0 points per game, behind 43.5 percent from the field.  Rookie guard A.J. Lawson is averaging 14.6 points per game away from home, and Gravett has hit 15-of-30 attempts from beyond the arc in those contests.
> In its seven games since the break for the holidays, South Carolina’s offense has been on fire.  The Gamecocks are averaging 80.1 points per game, and have hit 45.2 percent from the field.  Free throws have been key to several of Carolina’s wins during the stretch.  At the line, the Gamecocks have hit 74.4 percent of their attempts, behind the performances of Silva (37-42), Gravett (25-28) and sophomore forward Felipe Haase (20-22).  The trio has combined to go 82-of-92 (89.1%) from the free throw line during those contests.

COACHES VS. CANCER SUITS AND SNEAKERS WEEK
> It’s Coaches vs. Cancer Suits And Sneakers Week!  Suits and Sneakers Week is a nationwide event that unites coaches across the country to raise funds and awareness about the fight against cancer, and promotes the American Cancer Society as a source of inspiration and hope for those facing cancer. While coaching games this week, Frank Martin and his staff will wear sneakers with their game attire as a visible reminder about the importance of fighting cancer.

THROUGH 18 GAMES…
> In overall games this season, a trio of Gamecocks are averaging double figures, led by rookie guard A.J. Lawson’s 13.2 points per game.  Silva (13.0) and Gravett (11.6) are also in double figures on the year.
> Behind the shot-blocking strength of senior forward Chris Silva, Carolina has emerged as one of the top shot-blocking teams in the league with 5.1 per contest, which ranks tied for seventh in the SEC.
> Gravett continues to post strong numbers on the offensive end.  His 41.5 percent (34-82) from 3-point range is a team best, and he has missed just seven attempts at the free throw line, hitting 41-of-48 at the stripe.
> Following the three-point win over Auburn on Tuesday, Carolina is 4-1 in games decided by five or less points.
> Carolina is 7-1 when scoring 80 or more points this season.
> Six active Gamecocks average at least 7.1 points per game, and seven average at least 21 minutes per game.
> Four Gamecocks have hit 15 or more 3-pointers this season, led by Gravett’s 34, followed by Lawson (27), Campbell (19) and Haase (15)

FRANK MARTIN
> South Carolina head coach Frank Martin is in his seventh season leading the Gamecocks and 12th season overall as a head coach in 2018-19.  Martin, the 2017 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year (CollegeInsider.com), led South Carolina to its first Final Four and a school record 26 wins in 2016-17.  In his 11 complete seasons as a head coach, Martin has led his teams to at least 21 wins seven times.  Martin is a native of Miami, Fla., and a graduate of FIU.
> Prior to his time on the sidelines in the college ranks, Martin spent 15 years in high school coaching in Miami, Fla., including the last seven as a head coach. He was part of five state championships as an assistant at Miami Senior High School (1985-93), before earning two titles as the program’s head coach (1995-98). Highlighting Martin’s stint as the head coach of the program were consecutive 30-win seasons and consecutive Florida 6A State Championships in 1996 and 1997, with his 1997 squad earning a 36-1 overall record and ranking No. 4 in the USA Today Top 25 Poll. He also served as the head coach at North Miami Senior High School (1993-95) and one season at Booker T. Washington High School (1999-2000).
> Among active Division I head coaches, South Carolina’s Frank Martin holds the seventh-highest (tied with Michigan’s John Beilein) NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.667) behind only Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Kentucky’s John Calipari, Kansas’ Bill Self, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo and Villanova’s Jay Wright.
> Martin led team’s are 99-96 (.507) all-time in league play.

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 the 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.
> The Gamecocks are 24-14 (.631) in neutral-site contests under the direction of head coach Frank Martin, including a 3-3 mark last season.
> Carolina was 15-18 (.454) over the course of the last three seasons in away contests (2015-16, 16-17, 17-18).
> Martin is 31-40 (.436) against ranked opponents as a head coach. His teams have four wins over opponents ranked in the top five, and two wins over opponents who are ranked No. 1.
> Senior forward Chris Silva was named to the Preseason All-SEC First Team by both the media and coaches; and also named to the Karl Malone Award Watch List, the Naismith Trophy Watch List and the Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 Watch List.  He was also named a Senior CLASS Award Candidate.

SCOUTING THE GAMECOCKS
> The Gamecocks are 10-8 overall this season and 5-1 in SEC action following Tuesday’s upset of No. 16/15 Auburn.
> In road games this season, Carolina holds a 2-3 record, and is averaging 70.8 points per game.
> Sophomore forward Felipe Haase has been key to Carolina’s success in league games.  He threw the hail mary pass to Silva for the game-winner at Florida, hit a crucial corner 3 to tie the contest with under seven minutes remaining in the come-back win at Vandy, and he hit the game-winning point on a corner 3 vs. Auburn.  In league action, he averages 9.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.  He’s also 18-of-20 at the free throw line in league action.
> Senior guard Hassani Gravett has hit a trio of 3s in each of Carolina’s last three outings.  On the year, he has multiple 3s in 11 contests, and he’s hit three or more seven times.
> In the SEC statistics (overall games), Carolina ranks fifth in turnover margin (+1.9) and sixth in offensive rebounds (11.9).  Individually, Lawson is 19th with 13.2 points per game, Silva is 10th with 6.8 rebounds per contest and tied for fourth with 2.2 blocks per game.
> Eight different Gamecocks reached the scoring column in Tuesday’s victory over Auburn.  
> The 16.0 forced turnovers per contest by the Gamecock defense ranks 45th nationally.
> South Carolina returns seven letterwinners from last season’s 17-16 squad, including senior guard Hassani Gravett and senior forward Chris Silva.
> Carolina welcomes nine newcomers to its roster this season, including transfers and six freshmen student-athletes.  Jair Bolden (transfer/George Washington/guard), redshirt-junior Raymond “Quad” Borup (r-junior/forward), 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).

SCOUTING THE COWBOYS
> Oklahoma State is 8-11 overall this season and holds a 2-5 mark in Big 12 games.  
> At home, OSU is 5-4, while they are just 1-5 on the road and 2-2 in neutral-site games.
> Oklahoma State is led by former Gamecock standout Mike Boynton Jr., in his second season.
> Junior forward Cameron McGriff paces the team in points (13.5) and rebounds (8.1) per game.  
> Lindy Waters (12.2) and Thomas Dziagwa (10.1) also average double figures this season.
> The Cowboys are scoring just 69.3 points per game, but the OSU defense is allowing opponents to score just 69.8 points per game, and holding teams to 41.0 percent from the field.
> Dziagwa is OSU’s 3-point threat, as he is averaging 2.9 makes per game from beyond the arc and has hit 42.7 percent of his attempts.

COMING UP NEXT    
South Carolina returns to Columbia next week and readies to host the nation’s top-ranked team in No. 1 Tennessee at Colonial Life Arena on Tuesday.  Tip time for that contest is set for 6:30 p.m. ET, on the SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Jon Sundvold (analyst) on the call.