Gamecocks Travel To No. 16/16 Auburn Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (10-7, 2-2 SEC) looks for its third-straight conference win when it travels to face No. 16/16 Auburn (15-2, 3-2 SEC) on Wednesday night at Auburn Arena.  Tip time is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU for the matchup between the Gamecocks and Tigers.

GAME INFO
Arena:  Auburn Arena (9,121)
Broadcast: ESPNU
  Play-By-Play: Tom Hart
  Analyst: Andy Kennedy
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
  In Columbia: 107.5 The Game
  Play-By-Play: Derek Scott
  Analyst: Casey Manning
  SIRIUS: – | XM: 382 | INTERNET: 972
Watch: WatchESPN/ESPN App
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Tickets: Auburn Arena Box Office
Series: Auburn leads, 25-19
  In Auburn: Auburn leads 11-8
  Trend: Carolina has won three of the last five meetings
  Last Game: 73-64 Auburn win on March 15, 2019, in Nashville (SEC Tournament Quarterfinals)

TIPOFF NOTABLES
> South Carolina is back on the road for a Wednesday matchup at No. 16/16 Auburn.  The Gamecocks ride a two-game SEC win streak, while the Tigers have lost two straight.
> The Gamecocks won their second-straight and captured their first SEC road win last Saturday with a dominant victory at Texas A&M.  Carolina matched its school record with 16 made 3-pointers in the contest, behind a career high five from R-junior guard Jair Bolden.
> R-sophomore forward Justin Minaya scored a career best 18 points in Carolina’s win vs. the Aggies.  He hit six baskets, including four 3s, also dished five assists and pulled down eight rebounds in a career best 40 minutes.  He became the first Gamecock to play all 40 minutes of a contest since Duane Notice hit the mark – also vs. the Aggies – on Feb. 21, 2015.
> R-freshman guard Jermaine Couisnard followed up his standout performance vs. Kentucky with another strong outing vs. A&M.  He hit seven baskets, including three 3-pointers, for 17 points,and also dished three assists. 
> Couisnard was named the SEC Freshman of the Week on Monday following his standout week vs. Kentucky and Texas A&M.
> Carolina is 4-1 on the road this season, which is the most wins by any SEC squad.  LSU and Arkansas both have three road wins each.
> South Carolina collected its first win of the 2020 SEC campaign last Wednesday night in style, as R-freshman guard Jermaine Couisnard sank a long 3-point buzzer-beater to give the Gamecocks an 81-78 upset win over No. 10/12 Kentucky at Colonial Life Arena.  The win was Carolina’s second this season over a top-10 opponent.
> Couisnard led four Gamecocks in double figures with a season high 26 in the win over UK.  TJ Moss added 10, his first double-figure outing of the season, Justin Minaya scored 11 and sophomore forward Keyshawn Bryant had a season high 15 points.
> In home games this season, Carolina is averaging 71.2 points per outing and 41.1 percent from the field.
> Since the beginning of the 2016 SEC campaign, Carolina is 27-11 (.710) in conference home contests.
> In its 10 wins, the Carolina defense is holding opponents to just 36.1 percent from the field and 27.7 percent from 3-point range.
> Martin is 33-44 (.428) 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.
> The Gamecocks are 4-1 on the road this season, and are 26-34 (43.3%) in road contests dating back to the 2014-15 campaign.

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 17 GAMES …
> Sophomore guard AJ Lawson paces the Gamecocks with 13.8 points per game.  Lawson also has a team high 30 3-pointers on the year and is dishing out 2.1 assists per game.
> Senior forward Maik Kotsar has scored 161 points through the first 17 games, and is 153 points away from 1,000 for his career..  His 6.4 rebounds per game lead the team and rank 16th in the SEC.
> The Gamecocks are holding opponents to just 38.4 percent from the floor, which ranks third in the SEC is and 28th nationally.
> Carolina has dished at least 13 assists in 12  games, including 22 in the Jan. 18 road win at Texas A&M.
> R-freshman guard Jermaine Couisnard is averaging a team high 2.6 assists per game.  
> Carolina has held its opponent to less than 40 percent from the field on eight occassions, including holding Wyoming to 23.1 percent and only nine made field goals.
> Sophomore forward Alanzo Frink has hit a team best 56.5 percent (35-62) of his shot attempts (at least 50 attempts).
> The Gamecocks are 9-2 in games in which they lead at the half.
> Carolina is 8-2 in games in which Jair Bolden scores in double figures.

KOTSAR CONTINUES STRONG SENIOR CAMPAIGN
> Senior forward Maik Kotsar is such a strong component for the Gamecocks on the defensive end, but during his senior campaign, his offense and rebounding have been key.  
> Kotsar has led or shared the team lead in scoring  six times this season, including in two of Carolina’s SEC games.  He has also scored in double figures in 10 of the last 14 contests.
> Earlier in non-conference play, Kotsar scored in double figures in a career-best five-straight contests, starting with 14 points vs. Boston U (Nov. 19). He scored 11 points vs. Gardner-Webb (Nov. 22), before leading the Gamecocks with 12 points, three assists, two blocks and three steals, while also pulling down seven rebounds vs. Wichita State (Nov. 26), and he was strong again vs. UNI (Nov. 27), scoring 12 with two blocks, en route to Cancun Challenge All-Tournament Team honors.  
> Kotsar returned to Columbia to pace Carolina with 17 points, nine rebounds and another two-block performance in the home win over George Washington (Dec. 1).  He was near perfect from the field, hitting 8-of-9 attempts from the floor, and he also collected Carolina’s only steal in the game vs. the Colonials.  
> Kotsar also led the Gamecocks with 35.4 minutes per game during that stretch.
> Kotsar snapped his double-figure streak at UMass, however, he scored nine points, pulled down a team high nine rebounds, dished five assists and had three steals in 27 minutes of action.  He also collected a crucial lose ball late in the contest on the defensive end.
> Kotsar has scored in double figures vs. Houston,  and in the win at Clemson, while also scoring 11 vs. Stetson.
> In SEC games, Kotsar is averaging 10.3 points, and team highs of 8.0 rebounds (T-10th in the SEC), 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals (T-4th in the SEC) per game.
> Kotsar continues to be the SEC’s active leader with 581 career rebounds.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
> Auburn began the season with 15 straight victories, rising to as high as No. 4 in the AP poll, before suffering losses at Alabama and at Florida last week.
> The Tigers are led by head coach Bruce Pearl in his sixth season in Auburn.  
> Auburn had three-straight league wins to open the 2020 campaign, at Mississippi State, and home wins vs. Vanderbilt and Georgia.
> The Tigers are a perfect 9-0 at home, and are averaging 86.1 points per game in those contests.  Auburn has scored 80+ in eight of those games.
> The Tigers recorded just 47 points in the loss at Florida, their lowest offensive output of the season.
> Samir Doughty leads four who average double figures with 14.6 points per outing.  Isaac Okoro (12.8), J’Von McCormick (10.9) and Austin Wiley (10.6) also average 10+ per game.
> Wiley’s 9.2 rebounds lead the team and rank second in the SEC.

FRANK MARTIN
> South Carolina head coach Frank Martin is in his eighth season leading the Gamecocks and 13th season overall as a head coach in 2019-20.  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 12 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 eighth-highest (tied with Villanova’s Jay Wright) NCAA Tournament winning percentage (.667) behind only Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina’s Roy Williams, Texas Tech’s Chris Beard, Kentucky’s John Calipari, Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Kansas’ Bill Self and Virginia’s Tony Bennett.

NOTES TO KNOW
> South Carolina is led by eighth-year head coach Frank Martin.  Martin, the 2017 Jim Phelan National Coach of the Year, owns a 256-167 record in his 13th season as a head coach, and a 139-113 record in his eighth season at Carolina.
> Joining Martin on the sidelines is a veteran staff, including assistant coaches Perry Clark (seventh season), Chuck Martin (third season) and Bruce Shingler (fourth season), director of basketball operations Andy Assaley (eighth season) and strength and conditioning coach Scott Greenawalt (eighth season), and several support staff members.
> South Carolina returns a core group from last season’s squad, while welcoming seven newcomers to Columbia, including five freshmen – Trey Anderson, Jalyn McCreary, Trae Hannibal, Wildens Leveque and Mike Green, transfer Seventh Woods (North Carolina/not eligible this season due to NCAA transfer rules) and graduate transfer Micaiah Henry (Tennessee Tech/immediately eligible).
> Carolina’s top returning scorer, and 2019 SEC All-Freshman Team honoree, is sophomore guard AJ Lawson, who scored 13.4 points per outing last season, while dishing 2.9 assists per game.  Over the summer, Lawson competed for Team Canada at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece, leading the Canadians with 16.7 points per outing, including an event-high 31 points vs. Senegal.
> South Carolina returns 43.9 percent of scoring from a year ago, 48.3 percent of its made field goals, and 45.7 percent of its rebounding, following the graduation of All-SEC forward Chris Silva, who led the Gamecocks with 15.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, and 150 made field goals last season.
> Sophomore guard AJ Lawson is Carolina’s top returning scorer after contributing 13.4 points per outing last season.  Lawson, who was named to the Jerry West Award Watch List in October, posted 18 double-figure scoring games last season, including six 20-point performances.
> Carolina improved to 2-0 on the young season when it posted a 66-32 victory over Wyoming at Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 10.  Four were in double figures for the Gamecocks, but the story of the game was the Carolina defense, which held Wyoming to just nine made field goals in the contest, the fewest made field goals during the Frank Martin era.
> Sophomore guard AJ Lawson hit seven buckets, including a pair of 3s, and was a career best 12-of-13 at the foul line to post a new career high 28 points in leading the Gamecocks over Cleveland State on Nov. 15 at Colonial Life Arena.  Classmate Alanzo Frink posted the first double-double of his career as well, scoring 11 with 10 boards, including eight on the offensive glass.
> South Carolina suffered a 70-47 loss to Wichita State in its opening neutral-site game at the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 26 at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. Senior forward Maik Kotsar was the only player in double figures for Carolina, finishing with 12 points. He also had seven rebounds, three assists and a pair of blocks in a team-high 36 minutes.
> Sophomore guard AJ Lawson scored 20 points, his third 20+ outing of the season, against UNI (Nov. 27).  Lawson connected on his first four shot attempts in the game, and finished with eight made field goals, matching his career high.  
> Senior forward Maik Kotsar was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Cancun Challenge, after scoring 12 points in each matchup at the event.  
> Carolina snapped its two-game losing streak when it posted a 74-65 victory over George Washington on Dec. 1 in Columbia.  Senior forward Maik Kotsar continued his stretch of strong play, leading the Gamecocks with 17 points and 9 rebounds, pushing his double-figure scoring streak to five-straight games, the longest such stretch of his career.  
> An 84-80 win at UMass marked the first road victory of the season for the Gamecocks Dec. 4 in Amherst.  Sophomore forward Keyshawn Bryant made his season debut, scoring 13 points, and guard Jermaine Couisnard matched his season high with 16 points, as the duo provided a spark on both ends of the court off the bench in the win.
> Sophomore guard AJ Lawson posted his fourth 20-point game of the season with a game-high 24 on eight bade baskets and six made free throws in the win at UMass.  
> The Gamecocks suffered a home loss to Houston on Dec. 8.  The Carolina offense hit just 32.3 percent from the field, and the Cougars claimed the road win.  Senior forward Maik Kotsar led Carolina with 12 points, and sophomore guard AJ Lawson added 10 in the loss.  Carolina hit six 3s vs. Houston, it’s highest output from beyond the arc since hitting 7-of-19 attempts from range vs. Northern Iowa.  
> Carolina claimed a Palmetto Series point with a big road win over instrastate rival and ACC opponent Clemson Dec. 15 at Littlejohn Coliseum.  The 67-54 victory snapped a three-game Tiger win streak in the series, and was Carolina’s first at Littlejohn since 2011.  
> In that Clemson victory, sophomore guard AJ Lawson scored a team high 20, along with 11 from senior forward Maik Kotsar and 10 from r-junior guard Jair Bolden to round out the Gamecocks in double figures.  The 20-point effort was the fifth of its kind this season for Lawson, who is 11th in the SEC and leads the squad with 16.3 points per outing thus far.
> Prior to the break for the holidays, Carolina upset No. 9 Virginia in Charlottesville with a 70-59 victory on Dec. 22.  The win improved the Gamecocks to 3-0 on the road this season, and it snapped a 22-game home non-conference win streak for the Cavaliers.
> R-junior guard Jair Bolden led four Gamecocks in double figures vs. UVA with a season high 22 points on eight made field goals, including four makes from 3-point range.  AJ Lawson (14), Justin Minaya (12) and Keyshawn Bryant (10) also posted double figures in the win.
> Bolden was named the SEC’s co-Player of the Week following his standout performance vs. Virginia.  It marked Bolden’s first weekly award as a Gamecock.
> The victory on the road vs. the Cavaliers was Carolina’s first on the road over a top 10 opponent since an 81-78 victory at No. 8/8 Texas A&M on Feb. 6, 2016.
> Carolina suffered a 63-56 loss to Stetson in the non-conference finale on Dec. 30.  Only Maik Kotsar (11 points) registered double figures, and the Gamecocks connected on just 20-of-54 (37.0%) attempts from the floor and only 12-of-24 (50.0%) attempts at the free throw line.
> Rookie guard Trae Hannibal scored a season high eight points, with four rebounds, two assists and two steals vs. Stetson.  
> South Carolina suffered an 81-68 loss at home to Florida in its SEC opener on Jan. 7.  Senior forward Maik Kotsar continued his strong play, pacing the Gamecocks with team highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.
> Kotsar (18) and sophomore forward Keyshawn Bryant (14) both turned in season highs in points vs. Florida.    
> South Carolina suffered a 56-55 loss at Tennessee Jan. 11 in its first SEC road contest of the season.  Senior forward Maik Kotsar concluded a monster week with a 17-point, eight-rebound performance, and r-freshman guard Jermaine Couisnard led all bench scorers with 15.  

MORE NUMBERS
43.9% – South Carolina returns 43.9 percent of its scoring from last season following the departure of All-SEC forward Chris Silva, who led Carolina with a total of 486 points – 15.2 points per game – last season.
17/11 – In his return to the court for the first time in almost a year after missing the final 27 games of last season due to injury, r-sophomore forward Justin Minaya posted team highs of 17 points and 11 rebounds for the first double-double of his career vs. North Alabama on Nov. 6.
12 – Rookie forward Wildens Leveque was a perfect 4-of-4 from the floor and 4-of-5 from the free throw line for the first double-digit outing of his career, as he posted 12 points in Carolina’s Nov. 15 win over Cleveland State.
7 – Carolina committed just seven turnovers in the win over Gardner-Webb.  It was the fewest this season, and tied for the fifth-fewest under the direction of head coach Frank Martin.
22 – R-junior guard Jair Bolden scored 20 points for the first time in a Carolina uniform in the upset road win at No. 9 Virginia on Dec. 22 with a team high 22.  
14 – South Carolina matched a season high, and a Frank Martin era high, when it collected 14 steals vs. UVA in the win on Dec. 22.  Both Maik Kotsar and Trae Hannibal led the Gamecocks with three steals each.
28.0% – The Gamecock defense held Clemson to just 28.0 percent (14-50) from the field in the Dec. 15 road win vs. the Tigers.  That mark was the lowest by an opponent in Carolina’s previous eight games, the lowest since Wyoming’s (Nov. 10) 23.1 percent (9-39) from the floor.
8 – Rookie guard Trae Hannibal scored a season high eight points, while also dishing two assists with two steals and five rebounds in matching a season high with 19 minutes played vs. Stetson.
19 – South Carolina forced 19 Virginia turnovers in the road win on Dec. 22.  It was the most turnovers in a game by the Cavaliers since also having 19 vs. West Virginia on Dec. 8, 2015.
55.1% – Virginia entered the Dec. 22 matchup vs. Carolina as the nation’s leader in field goal percent defense, holding opponents to just 32.1 percent from the field.  The Gamecocks hit 55.1 percent from the field in the win, a UVA opponent season high.
18/10 – Senior forward Maik Kotsar recorded his first double-double of the season with team highs of 18 points and 10 rebounds vs. Florida on Jan. 7.  It marked the third double-double of his career.
25.9% – South Carolina held Tennessee to just 25.9 percent from the floor (14-of-54) on Jan. 11.  It marked the lowest percentage from the field by an opponent in SEC play since Georgia hit just 22.0% (11-of-50) on Jan. 31, 2015.

THROWBACK JERSEYS VS. HOUSTON
> South Carolina debuted its throwback jerseys for the first time this season for the Dec. 8 matchup vs. Houston.  Fans can visit the official online store at GamecocksOnline.com to purchase the full line of throwback gear.  
> The uniforms are inspired by the look of the uniforms from the 1970’s era of Gamecock basketball.  
> The Gamecocks got their first win in their throwback uniforms in the upset victory over No. 10/12 Kentucky on Jan. 15.

COMING UP NEXT
> After a two-game road swing, Carolina returns to Colonial Life Arena on Saturday to host Vanderbilt at 8 p.m. ET.  The matchup will be broadcast on the SEC Network with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Joe Kleine (analyst) on the call.