Gamecocks Host Ole Miss Tuesday Night

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (13-12, 8-4 SEC) hosts (RV/RV) Ole Miss (18-7, 8-4 SEC) on Tuesday night at Colonial Life Arena.  The meeting is the only between the two schools this SEC regular season.  Tip time is set for 7 p.m. ET on the SEC Network with Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Dane Bradshaw (analyst) on the call.

STARTING FIVE
> South Carolina wraps a two-game homestand when it hosts Ole Miss on Tuesday night in the first and only meeting between the two schools this SEC regular season.  The team’s also met just once last season, with the Rebels winning what was the SEC opener for both schools, 74-69, at The Pavilion.
> Senior forward Chris Silva had a monster week last week, averaging 19.5 points, 14.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game, while hitting 50.0 percent from the field, 60.0 percent from three and 90.9 percent at the line.  He posted double-doubles vs. both top-ranked Tennessee and Texas A&M, pulling down a career best 15 rebounds, along with 17 points against the Vols, while playing a career high 39 minutes.  He followed with 22 points and 14 rebounds – including five on the offensive glass – vs. A&M.  He almost tallied a double-double in the second half alone, scoring 10 with nine rebounds over the final 20 minutes of action in the comeback win.  It marked Silva’s seventh and eighth double-doubles of the season and the first time this season he has posted double-doubles in consecutive contests.
> Graduate student guard Tre Campbell has been on a tear from 3-point range in conference contests, hitting 51.0 percent (25-49) from 3, including hitting 15-of-25 attempts (60.0%) over the course of the last five games.  He’s averaging 8.8 points and a team high 2.8 assists per game in SEC action.
> Senior guard Hassani Gravett is having his best season in the Garnet and Black in 2018-19.  The Villa Rica, Ga., native leads the Gamecocks with 50 3-pointers on the year, behind a team best 42.4 percent from beyond the arc.  In his first two seasons combined at Carolina he was 43-of-156 (27.5%) FROM 3-point range.
> After beginning league play with four-straight wins, the Gamecocks have traded wins and losses since.  Carolina has gone 5-1 in its weekend SEC contests, most recently posting an 84-77 win over Texas A&M on Saturday.  Carolina has shot well overall, and from beyond the arc in league action, hitting 44.7 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from 3.  The Gamecock defense has been strong in conference play, holding opponents to just 44.4 percent overall (seventh in the league), and just 33.8 percent from 3-point range (fifth).

COACHES VS. CANCER 3-POINT CHALLENGE
> Frank Martin and the Gamecock men’s basketball team has joined forces with the NABC and the American Cancer Society for the Coaches vs. Cancer 3-Point Challenge, which will take place during the month of February. During the month, every 3-pointer the Gamecocks make will help raise money to beat cancer.  The 3-Point Challenge is a nationwide program that unites basketball teams and their fans for a common cause — ending cancer. Fans can join the 3-Point Challenge and help beat cancer on the court by pledging a donation for every 3-pointer the Gamecocks make in February by visiting http://www.pledgeit.org/cvc19-south-carolina.  During the month, Gamecock fans can keep up with the leaderboard at www.3pointchallenge.org.

POWELL NAMED SEC LEGEND
> Former South Carolina standout Carlos Powell has been named Carolina’s 2019 SEC Legend.  It was announced by the conference office on Friday, Feb. 15.  Powell earned four letters in the Garnet and Black and ranks eighth all-time in scoring with 1,541 career points.  He was part of Carolina’s 2004 NCAA Tournament team, and helped the Gamecocks capture the 2005 Postseason NIT championship.  His senior season he averaged 53.0 percent from the field, scoring 540 points and averaging 16.4 points per game.  He led the Gamecocks in scoring as a sophomore, junior and senior, while also leading the team in rebounds per game his final two campaigns.  Following his career at Carolina, Powell has had a successful professional career on the hardwood.  

THROUGH 25 GAMES…
> The Gamecocks are 13-12 overall this season, with a 9-5 mark at home, a 3-6 record on the road and 1-1 in neutral-site matchups.
> Rookie guard A.J. Lawson has led or shared the team lead in scoring a team high 11 times this season, including his team best 23 in the win over A&M.
> Senior guard Hassani Gravett has 16 games this season with multiple made 3-point baskets.
> The Gamecocks are 6-2 when having 15 or more assists.
> Carolina is 10-6 when making six or more 3-point baskets.
> Senior forward Chris Silva has a team high 51 blocks, which already matches his career high for a season (51 in 37 games in 2016-17).
> The Gamecocks are 10-3 when outrebounding their opponent, including a 6-0 mark when outrebounding opponents in SEC play.
> Carolina is 8-2 this season when leading at the half.

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 103-99 (.509) 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 31-43 (.418) 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
> It’s a big one on Tuesday night in looking ahead to seeding for the upcoming SEC Tournament in Nashville.  The Gamecocks and Rebels are locked in a tie for fourth place in the league standings with 8-4 records.
> The Gamecocks are 5-1 in SEC home games and have won their last two at Colonial Life Arena (Arkansa, Texas A&M).
> Three average double-figure points for Carolina, led by SEC Player of the Year candidate Chris Silva’s 14.2 per game.  That number jumps to 15.8 points per game in league play.
> Rookie guard A.J. Lawson is also in double figures with 13.8 points per outing.  He has a team high six 20-point scoring games this season.
> In home games, Carolina averages 76.6 points per game, led by Silva’s 15.6 points per game.
> Seven active Gamecocks average at least 6.6 points or higher.
> 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 REBELS
> Ole Miss is led by head coach Kermit Davis in his first season with the Rebels and his 24th season overall as a head coach.  He has never faced the Gamecocks before.
> The Rebels ride a four-game win streak into Tuesday’s meeting with Carolina, and have won two-straight on the road (at Georgia, Auburn).
> Junior guard Breein Tyree (18.4) and senior forward terence Davis (15.6) are in double-figures in overall games this season.  It’s the same in league play, as those numbers rise to 19.2 and 15.7 points per game, respectively in conference contests.
> One of Ole Miss’ strengths is its free throw shooting, as the Rebels have hit 77.3 percent from the line this season, an SEC best (overall games).
> Irmo native Devontae Shuler is averaging 9.7 points and a team high 1.9 steals per game this season.
> Ole Miss is 5-3 overall on the road this season and 4-2 in league road games.

COMING UP NEXT
Carolina hits the road on Saturday, facing Mississippi State for the second time this season.  Tip time in Starkville is set for 6 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.  The Gamecocks posted an 87-82 overtime win over the 14th-ranked Bulldogs on Jan. 8 in Columbia.