Gamecocks Host Wofford Tuesday Night

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (3-1) continues its non-conference homestand when it hosts intrastate rival Wofford (4-1) on Tuesday night at Colonial Life Arena.  The meeting is the first between the former Southern Conference foes since the 2018-19 season.  Dave Weinstein (play-by-play) and John Williams (analyst) will have the call for the 7 p.m. ET tipoff on SEC Network+, while Derek Scott (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (analyst) will be over the air on the Gamecock Radio Network.

GAME INFORMATION
ARENA: Colonial Life Arena (18,000)
BROADCAST: SEC Network+
  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Dave Weinstein
  ANALYST: John Williams
RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network
  IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game
  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott
  ANALYST: Casey Manning
  SIRIUS: – | XM: 190 | SXM APP: 961
WATCH: WatchESPN/ESPN App
LIVE STATS: GamecocksOnline.com
  SERIES: South Carolina leads 44-20
  IN COLUMBIA: Carolina leads 31-8
  SERIES TREND: South Carolina has won eight of the last 10 meetings
  LAST MEETING: 81-61 Wofford win, Nov. 26, 2018, at Colonial Life Arena

TIPOFF NOTABLES
> Rookie guard Devin Carter was clutch at the free throw line, hitting all four of his attempts in the final five seconds of play to clinch a 66-63 Gamecock win over visiting UAB at Colonial Life Arena last Thursday.  The Blazers, who are the preseason pick to win C-USA this season, battled back from a 16-point deficit to make it a one-point game with a minute remaining in the matchup, but Carter sank all four of his attempts late in the contest to secure the Carolina win.  
> Following its first loss of the season, Carolina rebounded with a 75-64 victory over Western Kentucky on Nov. 14 in its final contest at the inaugural Asheville Championship.  Junior guard Jermaine Couisnard and rookie guard Devin Carter led Carolina with 16 points each, and graduate student guard James Reese V tallied a season high 14 points behind four makes from 3-point range.  
> The Gamecocks suffered their first loss of the season on Nov. 12, falling 66-62 to Princeton.  Carolina struggled from the field, hitting just 36.2 percent overall, and just 15.4 percent (4-26) from 3-point range.  Princeton made 11 3-pointers in the win.
> Junior forward Wildens Leveque posted the first double-double of his career with a dominant 12-point, 10-rebound performance vs. Princeton last Friday.  Leveque, who was 6-of-6 from the field, played 32 minutes of action, including 18:52 of the second half.  Four of his rebounds were on the offensive end.
> The Gamecocks improved to 84-30 all-time in season openers when they posted a 78-60 victory over USC Upstate in the 2021-22 opener on Nov. 9 at Colonial Life Arena.  Junior guard Jermaine Couisnard and junior forward Wildens Leveque led the Gamecocks with 14 points each, while Couisnard dished out a game high seven assists in the win.
> Head coach Frank Martin is in his 10th season leading the Gamecocks.  He is assisted by associate head coach Chuck Martin (fifth season), assistant coaches Will Bailey (second season) and Brian Steele (first season), and the director of operations is Andy Assaley (10th season).  
> South Carolina posted a 101-76 exhibition win vs. Benedict on Nov. 4.  James Reese V led all scorers with 21 in the contest.
> The 2021-22 campaign is the 20th season of basketball at Colonial Life Arena.  The facility opened just prior to the 2002-03 campaign.
> South Carolina returns three of its top five scorers from a season ago, including senior forward Keyshawn Bryant (14.4 ppg), junior guard Jermaine Couisnard (10.1 ppg) and junior forward Wildens Leveque (6.1 ppg).
> The Gamecocks welcome nine newcomers to the team this season, including a trio of freshmen in Devin Carter, Ta’Quan Woodley and Jacobi Wright.  Six transfers are also set for their first season at Carolina in Chico Carter Jr. (Murray State), Josh Gray (LSU), Brandon Martin (USC Upstate), James Reese V (North Texas), Erik Stevenson (Washington) and AJ Wilson (George Mason).

SCOUTING THE TERRIERS
> Wofford is led by head coach Jay McAuley in his third season at the helm of the Terrier program.
> The Terriers are 4-1 on the year, with wins over Bob Jones, Erskine, Hampton and most recently, a 70-52 win over Georgia Southern on Sunday to claim the Terrier Classic crown.
> Wofford’s lone loss of the season came in a 76-68 road contest at Clemson on Nov. 12.
> Three Terriers average double-figure points on the season entering Tuesday’s contest, led by Max Klesmit’s 14.2 points per outing.  B.J. Mack (12.6) and Ryan Larson (11.4), who scored a team high 19 in the win over Georgia Southern on Sunday, are also in double figures for the year.
> The Terriers hold a +24.4 scoring margin over their opponents this season, which ranks ninth nationally.
> Wofford’s 50.8 percent from the field this season is also among national leaders, ranking eighth.
> In the Southern Conference preseason poll, Wofford was picked to finish fifth by the league head coaches, and third by the media.

EXHIBITION RECAP
> South Carolina posted a 101-76 win over Benedict Nov. 4 at Colonial Life Arena in exhibition action.
> Gamecock guard James Reese V led all scorers with 21 points, behind nine made field goals, including a trio of 3s in the contest.
> Senior guard Erik Stevenson added 14, connecting on a game high four makes from 3-point range. Rookie guard Devin Carter added 13, and sophomore forward Josh Gray scored 10.
> Gray was dominant on the boards, collecting 12 rebounds including four on the offensive glass.
> Returning junior forward Wildens Leveque battled foul trouble in the matchup, but he was 4-of-4 from the floor, with four rebounds and two blocks in 15 minutes of action.
> As a team, Carolina hit 56.6% from the floor, connecting on 43-of-76 attempts.  The Gamecocks were also solid at the free throw line, hitting 6-of-7 (85.7%) from the stripe.

DID YOU KNOW?
> First-year assistant coach Brian Steele is one of 28 assistants nationally who are 30 or younger.  Steele just turned 28 on Nov. 10.  A three-year letterwinner for the Gamecocks on the hardwood (2012-15), Steele saw action in 50 career games in the Garnet and Black, with four starts. After knee injuries dotted his first three seasons on the court, Steele opted to serve as a student assistant coach during the 2015-16 campaign.  He did the same during the historic 2016-17 season that saw Carolina reach the Final Four, and then was a graduate assistant manager the following year.

BY THE NUMBERS
4-4 – South Carolina rookie guard Devin Carter posted the game-winning free throws and was a perfect 4-of-4 from the line in the final five seconds of play in the win vs. UAB.  Overall this season, Carter has hit 17-of-24 (70.8%) of his attempts at the line.
8-14 – Over the course of the last two games, graduate student guard James Reese V has connected on 8-of-14 (57.1%) of his attempts from 3-point range.  His 10 3-pointers this season are a team best, and his season percentage of 45.5% from beyond the arc ranks fourth in the SEC.
8 – Senior forward Brandon Martin earned the first start of his Gamecock career in the win vs. UAB, and matched his career high with a team high eight rebounds.  He also dished out an assist and blocked a shot vs. the Blazers.
34.4% – The Gamecocks held UAB to an opponent season low 34.4 percent (21-61) from the floor last Thursday.

FATHER AND SON DUOS
> South Carolina head coach Frank Martin, and his son, senior forward Brandon Martin, are one of 23 father-son  coach-player duos in Division I this season.  See below for the full list (school: head coach, son):

Boise State: Leon Rice, Max Rice
UConn: Dan Hurley, Andrew Hurley
Detroit Mercy: Mike Davis, Antoine Davis
Illinois-Chicago: Luke Yaklich, Griffin Yaklich
Iowa: Fran McCaffery, Connor/Patrick McCaffery
Liberty: Ritchie McKay, Gabriel McKay
Memphis: Penny Hardaway, Jayden Hardaway
Michigan: Juwan Howard, Jace Howard
Michigan State: Tom Izzo, Steven Izzo
Milwaukee: Pat Baldwin, Patrick Baldwin Jr.
Miss. Valley State: Lindsey Hunter, Caleb Hunter
Nebraska: Fred Hoiberg, Sam Hoiberg
Oklahoma: Porter Moser, Jacob Moser
South Carolina: Frank Martin, Brandon Martin
South Carolina State: Antonio Madlock, Antonio Madlock Jr.
USC Upstate: Dave Dickerson, Dave Dickerson III
Southern: Sean Woods, DeSean Woods
Syracuse: Jim Boeheim, Buddy/Jimmy Boeheim
Texas Southern: Johnny Jones, John Jones
Utah State: Ryan Odom, Connor Odom
Western Illinois: Rob Jeter, III Rob Jeter IV
WKU: Rick Stansbury, Noah Stansbury
Wright State: Scott Nagy, TJ Nagy

COMING UP NEXT
> South Carolina concludes its three-game homestand on Sunday when it hosts Rider for a 2 p.m. matchup at Colonial Life Arena.  The meeting between the Gamecocks and Broncs is the first since the 2012-13 campaign, and just the third overall.