Gamecocks Host Georgia In Midweek Matchup

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (3-5, 1-3 SEC) hosts Georgia (9-5, 2-5 SEC) in a midweek matchup on Wednesday night at Colonial Life Arena.  Tip time for the 117th meeting between the two schools is set for 7 p.m. ET.  Tom Hart (play-by-play) and Jimmy Dykes (analyst) will have the call for the ESPN2 broadcast, while Derek Scott (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (analyst) will have the call over the air on the Gamecock Radio Network.

GAME INFORMATION
Arena: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
Broadcast: ESPN2
  Play-By-Play: Tom Hart
  Analyst: Jimmy Dykes
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
  In Columbia: 107.5 The Game
  Play-By-Play: Derek Scott
  Analyst: Casey Manning
  Sirius: – | XM: 191 | Internet: 962
Watch: WatchESPN/ESPN App
Live Stats: GamecocksOnline.com
Georgia Series: The series is tied, 58-58
  In Columbia: Carolina leads 35-19
  Series Trend: The Gamecocks have won eight straight
  Last Meeting: 94-90 Gamecock win in overtime on Feb. 26, 2020, in Columbia

TIPOFF NOTABLES
> South Carolina continues SEC action versus former SEC East foe Georgia on Wednesday at Colonial Life Arena.  The meeting between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs marks the 117th in the series, which is tied at 58-58 entering mid-week play.  Carolina is scheduled to make the return trip to Athens on Feb. 27.
> The Gamecocks have won eight straight over UGA, and look to match their longest win streak in the series of nine games on Wednesday.  Carolina won nine consecutive matchups vs. the Bulldogs from 1942-1947, with five of those wins in Columbia.
> Carolina and Auburn traded points early in the matchup at Colonial Life Arena last Saturday, but Auburn used an 11-1 run to take a double-digit lead midway through the first half, and out-scored the Gamecocks the rest of the way in the win.  Junior forward Keyshawn Bryant continued his hot streak on the offensive end, leading Carolina with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field.  Classmate AJ Lawson matched his career high with six made 3-pointers vs. the Tigers, and r-sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard dished out a season high six assists.
> Missouri jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first three minutes of last Tuesday’s contest, and the Gamecocks weren’t able to overcome the early deficit in the 11-point loss to the 19th-ranked Tigers.  Missouri hit 58.3% from the field in the 81-70 win.
> Sophomore forward Trey Anderson had a breakout performance at Mizzou.  The San Diego native played a career high 25 minutes off the bench, hitting 7-of-9 from the floor, including a pair of 3s, en route to a career high 17 points.  His five rebounds were also a career best.
> Carolina held a four-point lead at halftime of its matchup at LSU behind 18 first-half points from junior guard AJ Lawson, but, the Tigers out-scored the Gamecocks 51-42 in the second half to close the home win on Jan. 16.  Lawson finished with 22, his third-straight game with 20+, and junior forward Keyshawn Bryant scored a career high 26 in the loss.

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.

SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
> Georgia is 9-5 on the year and 2-5 in SEC games.  The Bulldogs most recently suffered a home loss to Florida last Saturday.
> Tom Crean is in his third season leading the Bulldogs.
> Prior to its loss vs. Florida, Georgia had won its previous two SEC matchups, at Ole Miss and a last second home win over Kentucky.
> Five players average double-figure points for the Bulldogs, led by K.D. Johnson’s 15.3 points per game. 
> Sahvir Wheeler, the sophomore point guard for UGA, paces the SEC with 7.6 assists per game, which ranks fourth nationally.  Wheeler is also averaging 13.9 points per game and has five double-doubles on the year.
> In the SEC stats, UGA is fourth in scoring offense (78.9 ppg), third in field goal percent (46.7%), first in assists per game (15.6) and third in steals per game (8.7).

GAMECOCK NOTES TO KNOW
> Head coach Frank Martin is in his ninth season leading the Gamecocks in 2020-21.  He is joined by assistant coaches Will Bailey, Chuck Martin and Bruce Shingler, while Andy Assaley is the director of operations for the squad.
> Martin is 33-47 (.412) 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.
> A pair of Gamecocks collected preseason honors from both the media and SEC coaches during the preseason.  Junior guard AJ Lawson earned preseason All-SEC Second-Team accolades from the media, while Lawson (First Team) and Couisnard (Second Team) were honored by the SEC coaches on the preseason teams.
> Junior guard AJ Lawson is Carolina’s top returning scorer after pacing the team with 13.4 points per game last season.  He averaged the same during his rookie campaign, and is just 80 points away from reaching 1,000 for his career.
> Five who started the majority of SEC games last season return to the court for Carolina.  Lawson, sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard, who paced the team in league play at 12.1 points per game, junior forward Keyshawn Bryant, junior forward Justin Minaya (missed nine SEC games due to injury last season) and junior forward Alanzo Frink.  
> From last season, the biggest absence from the lineup will be graduated four-year starter Maik Kotsar.  Kotsar had a career year, averaging 11.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while also leading the Gamecocks in blocks (1.1 per game) and steals at 1.5 per outing in 2019-20.  Kotsar, who was a starter during his rookie season on Carolina’s 2017 Final Four squad, also played a team high 30.4 minutes per game a year ago.
> R-sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard led Carolina with 20 points in the win vs. Tulsa (Nov. 29).  It marked the third 20-point outing of his career.  
> Junior guard AJ Lawson was named to the Hall of Fame Classic All-Tournament Team after a pair of double-figure scoring outings at the event.  Lawson led the Gamecocks with 12 vs. Liberty (Jan. 28), before a 17-point outing behind four 3s in the win over Tulsa.  On the weekend, Lawson was 6-of-13 (46.2%) from range, while also dishing out three assists and collecting three steals.
> The Gamecocks held a halftime lead on the road at No. 10 Houston (Dec. 5), however, the Cougars battled back in the second half and closed a 77-67 win.  Junior forward Justin Minaya hit all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and led Carolina with 13 points in the loss.  
> South Carolina returned to the court for the first time since Dec. 5 when it hosted Florida A&M on Jan. 2.  The contest marked the Gamecocks’ first game in 28 days due to a combination of positive COVID-19 tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the South Carolina program.
> The Gamecocks posted a 78-71 win over Florida A&M on Jan. 2 in their home opener, using a 9-2 run over the final five minutes to secure the win.  Junior guard AJ Lawson’s then-career high nine made field goals saw him post a team best 25 points in the win, sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard added 15, and junior forward Justin Minaya posted his first double-double of the season with 10 points and a team high 10 rebounds.  The Gamecocks had nine players available for the contest.  
> Carolina opened SEC play on Jan. 6 with a 78-54 win over visiting Texas A&M at Colonial Life Arena.  Junior guard AJ Lawson scored a career high 30 points in the win, R-sophomore guard Jermaine Couisnard added 15 points and sophomore forward Wildens Leveque scored a season high 10 points for the Gamecocks.
> Due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols, South Carolina head coach Frank Martin, assistant coach Chuck Martin, and Doug Edwards, who handles student-athlete development for the team, did not travel with the team to Baton Rouge on Jan. 16.  Assistant coach Bruce Shingler was the acting head coach for the matchup vs. the Tigers, along with assistant coach Will Bailey, video coordinator Brian Steele, and special assistant to the head coach John Reynolds.

LOOKING AHEAD
> Following Wednesday’s matchup vs. Georgia, Carolina begins a two-game road swing at Vanderbilt on Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.  
> Entering mid-week action, Vandy is 4-7 overall this season but 0-5 in SEC games.  The Commodores are at Florida on Wednesday night.
> Next week, Carolina’s travels to face Florida, who is receiving votes in both the AP and coaches polls this week.  The Gators have won two straight and three of their last four entering mid-week play.

MINAYA STRONG ON THE GLASS
> R-junior forward Justin Minaya is having a career year on both ends of the floor this season.  Minaya paces the Gamecocks with 7.9 rebounds per contest, which is +2.6 rebounds per game over his career average.  He has three double-doubles on the year, and also paces the Gamecocks with 3.25 offensive rebounds per game, which is third in the SEC and 32nd nationally.
> In strictly SEC games, Minaya’s 8.8 boards per game leads the league.  He has two double-doubles in league games, and pulled down a season best 11 rebounds at No. 19 Mizzou.

BY THE NUMBERS
10 – The Gamecocks hit a season high 10 3-pointers in the win vs. Texas A&M on Jan. 6, with half of those on the career high performance of five by Jermaine Couisnard.  Lawson added three, and Minaya hit a pair as well.  
73.4% – South Carolina returns 73.4 percent of its scoring from last season, including leading scorer, junior guard AJ Lawson who averaged 13.4 points per game.
13 – Redshirt-junior forward Justin Minaya led the Gamecocks with a season high 13 points in the Dec. 5 matchup at Houston.  Minaya was a combined 1-of-8 from 3 in the first two games of the season, but he was perfect from range vs. the Cougars, hitting all three of his attempts.
17 – The Gamecocks dished a then-season high 17 assists in the win vs. Texas A&M, led by five from R-junior forward Justin Minaya, which matched his career high.
+14 – The Gamecocks out-rebounded Texas A&M (Jan. 6) by 14, its highest margin on the glass this season.  It was the highest margin in an SEC contest since a +13 margin over Ole Miss on Dec. 31, 2017 in the SEC opener.  

GAMECOCKS ADD TRE-VAUGHN MINOTT
> Tre-Vaughn Minott, a freshman center from Montreal, has joined the Gamecocks and is immediately eligible for competition.  Minott has been at the NBA Academy Latin America since Sept. 2019.  During his time at the Academy, his squad competed at the National Prep School Invitational in Rhode Island and at The Skill Factory Tournament of Champions in Atlanta in 2020.  

COMING UP NEXT
> After two straight at home, the Gamecocks are back on the road for a pair beginning with a weekend trip to Vanderbilt.  Tip time on Saturday is set for 8:30 p.m. ET vs. the Commodores at Memorial Gym in Nashville with the matchup set for broadcast on the SEC Network.