Men's Hoops Set To Host Rider Sunday Afternoon

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina (4-1) concludes its three-game homestand on Sunday afternoon when it hosts Rider (3-4) in non-conference play.  The meeting is the third all-time between the two schools and the first since the 2012-13 season.  Dave Weinstein (play-by-play) and John Williams (analyst) will have the call for the 2 p.m. ET broadcast 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: The series is tied at 1-1
  IN COLUMBIA: The series is tied at 1-1
  SERIES TREND: South Carolina won the most recent meeting in Columbia
  LAST MEETING: 88-76 Gamecock win in Columbia on Nov. 19, 2012 (part of the Hoops For Hope Classic)

TIPOFF NOTABLES
> Carolina captured a big win over visiting Wofford on Tuesday at Colonial Life Arena, posting an 85-74 victory over the Terriers.  Senior guard Erik Stevenson had his best performance this season, hitting nine field goals, including five 3-pointers, en route to a 25-point performance.  His six rebounds were also a team best.
> Following Sunday’s contest, Carolina will play two of its next three away from home, beginning on Wednesday when the Gamecocks travel to face Coastal Carolina for a 7 PM matchup in Conway.
> 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 on Nov. 18.  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 on Nov. 12.  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 BRONCS
> Rider is led by head coach Kevin Baggett in his 10th season at the helm of the Broncs program.
> Rider is 3-4 this season, just returning from a two-game stretch at the Cancun Challenge last week.
> The Broncs three wins this season have come against Coppin State, Delaware State and most recently, an 85-79 win vs. Bucknell in Cancun.
> Rider has actually already played Bucknell twice this season, as the Broncs suffered an 81-74 road loss to Bucknell on Nov. 17.
> Senior guard Dwight Murray Jr., averages a team high 16.0 points per game this season.  Graduate student guard Dimencio Vaughn is also in double figures at 12.3 points per game this season.
> A Preseason All-MAAC First Team honoree, Murray has scored in double figures in all seven games this season for the Broncs.

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
8-12 – Senior guard Erik Stevenson is 8-of-12 (67.0%) from 3-point range over the couse of the last two games.  His five 3s in the win over Wofford on Tuesday were just one shy of matching his career high.  He has 10 total makes from 3-point range this season.
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 19-of-26 (73.1%) of his attempts at the line.
11-19 – Over the course of the last three games, graduate student guard James Reese V has connected on 11 of his 19 (57.8%) attempts from 3-point range.  His 13 3-pointers this season are a team best, and his season percentage of 48.1% from beyond the arc ranks second in the SEC and 36th nationally.
34.4% – The Gamecocks held UAB to an opponent season low 34.4 percent (21-61) from the floor on Nov. 18.

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
> Carolina travels to Coastal Carolina for a Dec. 1 matchup at the beach.  The contest is the Gamecocks’ first true road trip of the season.  Jeff McCarragher (play-by-play) and Nate Ross (analyst) will have the call for the ESPN+ broadcast.