Gamecocks Begin SEC Tournament Journey Thursday

TAMPA, Fla. — South Carolina (18-12, 9-9 SEC) opens play in the 2022 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday in the second round vs. Mississippi State (17-14, 8-10 SEC). Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. (ET) at Amalie Arena.
 
Tom Hart (pxp), Dane Bradshaw (analyst) and Alyssa Lang (sideline reporter) will be on the call for the SEC Network broadcast.
 
The winner of Thursday night’s game faces No. 9/11 Tennessee, the two seed, in the SEC Tournament Quarterfinals at 6 p.m. on Friday.
 
There will be a sendoff at the team hotel on Thursday at 4 p.m. More information will be released tomorrow morning. Fans are encouraged to attend.
 
VENUE: Amalie Arena (19,092)
BROADCAST: SEC Network (on-site)
  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Tom Hart
  ANALYST: Dane Bradshaw Reporter: Alyssa Lang
RADIO: Gamecock Radio Network
  IN COLUMBIA: 107.5 The Game
  PLAY-BY-PLAY: Derek Scott
  ANALYST: Casey Manning
  SIRIUS: 134 | XM: 190 | SXM APP: 961
WATCH: WatchESPN/ESPN App
LIVE STATS: GamecocksOnline.com
SERIES: State leads, 26-17
  Neutral: tied, 2-2
  SERIES TREND: Mississippi State has won seven of the last ten matchups
  LAST MEETING: 66-56 South Carolina win on Feb. 23, 2022 at Colonial Life Arena
 
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE
> The Bulldogs are led by First Team All-SEC selection Iverson Molinar, who averages 17.8 points per game. He shoots 46.2 percent (190-411) from the field and is an 87.0 percent (147-169) shooter at the free throw line.
> Molinar ranks in the top-50 nationally in both free throw attempts (48^th) and free throws made (21^st). He leads the SEC in minutes per game at 34.
> Big men Tolu Smith (13.8 ppg) and Garrison Brooks (10.5 ppg) both average double figures also for Mississippi State. Brooks, a UNC transfer, is the team’s leading rebounder at 6.7 boards per contest. His 2.7 offensive rebounds per game are fourth in the SEC.
> The Bulldogs lost three of their final four games of the season, all three losses coming on the road. They are 1-9 on the road this season and 2-2 on a neutral floor.
> As a team, the Bulldogs rank 12^th nationally in free throw attempts (663) and 20^th nationally in free throws made (477). They are second in the SEC and 29^th nationally in rebounding margin (+5.8).
 
TIPOFF NOTABLES
 
TAMPA TIME
> South Carolina is 21-29 (.420) all-time in SEC Tournament games. The team’s last win in the event came after defeating Ole Miss 85-84 in the second round in St. Louis in 2018. The Gamecocks are 5-8 under head coach Frank Martin in the conference tournament dating back to his first season in 2012-13. The last time the Gamecocks and Bulldogs squared off in the conference tournament was in Martin’s first season in 2013. Mississippi State was victorious, 70-59 in Nashville. Carolina will be seeking its sixth SEC Quarterfinal berth under Martin (received double bye three times: 2016, 2017 and 2019) on Thursday night.
 
REGULAR SEASON FINALE IN THE JUNGLE
> The Gamecocks dropped a hard-fought 82-71 game at No. 5/5 Auburn, the out-right SEC Regular Season Champions, in the regular season finale on March 5. Carolina trailed by as many as 19 early in the second off and pulled within seven, 78-71, with 1:17 remaining in the game. Jermaine Couisnard continued is standout play with 22 points, going 9-of-12 at the free throw line. James Reese V had 18 points. Josh Gray had his most effective game in league play with seven points, six rebounds and three blocks in 20 minutes of action.
 
MAINE FINDING HIS GROOVE
> Over the past five games, Jermaine Couisnard has been on a tear, averaging 21.4 points, 4.2 assists 2.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. He’s 34-of-76 (44.7 percent) from the field and 29-of-34 (85.3 percent) at the charity stripe during the stretch. The three-year starter leads the team in points (12.2), assists (3.1) and steals (1.1) per game this season. Couisnard is averaging a career-best 40.6 percent from the field (106-of-261) this season for the Gamecocks.
 
SENIOR NIGHT SENDOFF
> South Carolina fended off a scrappy Missouri squad in a 73-69 Senior Night victory earlier in the week. Jermaine Couisnard and Devin Carter each scored 17 points to lead the team. James Reese V also scored in double figures with 13 points. Carter had several key buckets late and while also going 6-for-7 at the free throw line. Couisnard matched his season high for the third time with seven assists. He had just one turnover. The Gamecocks were 17-for-21 (81.0 percent) at the free throw line in the game. Over the last four games, Carolina has gone 54-for-65 at the free throw line (83.0 percent). The Gamecocks have won five of their last six, going 2-1 on the road.
 
STREAK SNAPPED
> The Gamecocks saw their four-game win streak in league play come to an end Feb. 26 at No. 24/25 Alabama, falling 90-71 to the Crimson Tide. After trailing by 22 at halftime, Carolina stormed back and cut the defecit to just six, 58-52, with 12:05 remaining. Alabama was able to push the lead back to double-digits after three quick buckets, including a pair of 3s.  Erik Stevenson led Carolina with 17 points, six assists and five rebounds.
 
MONEY TIME
> For the first time in program history since joining the SEC in 1992, South Carolina won four-straight league games in the month of February with wins at Georgia (Feb. 12), at Ole Miss (Feb. 15), vs. LSU (Feb. 19) and vs. Mississippi State (Feb. 23).The Gamecocks had a pair of three-game win streaks in SEC play in the team’s 1997 SEC Championship season with a 77-74 loss at Georgia (2/12/97) sandwiched in-between.  Carolina also played a pair of nonconference games in February that season (at Cincinnati and at The Citadel).  It’s the second win streak of three or more victories for the team in SEC action this season (posted three-straight wins from Jan. 22-29 with victories vs. Georgia, vs. Vanderbilt and at Texas A&M).
 
ANOTHER BULLDOG, ANOTHER VICTORY
> South Carolina was dominant from start to finish in a 66-56 home victory over Mississippi State (Feb. 23). The Gamecocks never trailed and led by as many as 19 with 9:39 to go in the second half. Jermaine Couisnard was the start again with 22 points. He was a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Keyshawn Bryant also scored in double figures with 14 points, his fourth double-figure outing in the last five games. The Carolina defense limited the Bulldogs to just 35.7 percent (19-for-53) from the fielding, including 0-for-14 from behind the arc.
 
MORE COUIS, COUIS PLEASE
> Jermaine Couisnard was sensational in a 77-75 comeback victory over LSU with a career high 33 points on 12-of-18 shooting (5-for-10 from 3). His 12 made field goals were a career high and his five made 3s tied a career high. Couisnard became the first Gamecock since Laimonas Chatkevicius (15 FGs vs. High Point (3/15/16) ) to make 12 or more FGs in a game. Carolina trailed 58-47 with 13:16 remaining in the second half, outscoring the Tigers 30-17 the remainder of the game. The Gamecocks shot 51.0 percent (26-of-51) as a team and improved to 14-0 when outshooting their opponents this season (6-0 when shooting 50.0 percent or higher). Erik Stevenson had 15 points (8-for-8 at the FT line) and Devin Carter had 10 off the bench to join Couisnard in double figures. The victory snapped a three-game losting streak to LSU.
 
LEGENDS WEEKEND
> South Carolina recently held its annual Legends Weekend as a part of the team’s game vs. LSU (Feb. 19). There was a reception Friday night at Carolina Coliseum and the program celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ’71 ACC title team (postponed to this year because of COVID-19) and the 25th anniversary of the ’97 SEC Championship squad. Program greats were honored with an on-court recognition at halftime of the Saturday contest vs. the Tigers.
 
ROAD DAWGS
> The Gamecocks have won four true road games this season, all in league play ; the last time Carolina notched four SEC road wins was the 2018-19 season ; the 2016-17 Final Four squad won five SEC games on the road, the most in the Frank Martin era ; the team’s back-to-back road wins at Georgia (Feb. 12) and at Ole Miss (Feb. 15) were its first back-to-back SEC victories away from home since beating Florida (Jan. 5) and Vanderbilt (Jan. 16) during the 2019 season
 
MADE THE ONE THAT MATTERED MOST
> With 2.1 seconds to go in overtime, Jermaine Couisnard fired a pass to midcout finding James Reese V, who banked in a halfcourt buzzer beater to take down Ole Miss, 77-74, for the team’s second straight win on the road in SEC play. Reese was 0-for-5 from 3 in the game before sinking the game-winner. Ole Miss led by as many as eight in the second half but the Gamecocks hung tough. Erik Stevenson hit back-to-back triples late and gave Carolina its first lead of the second half, 68-66, with 25 seconds remaining. J Joiner scroed a tough two with 1.7 on the clock to send the game to OT. Keyshawn Bryant and Devin Carter both had another impressive outing. Bryant was 7-of-12 with 16 points and seven rebounds. Carter had 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for his first double-double. The team was +8 when both players were on the floor.
 
HOTTY TODDY GOSH ALMIGHTY
> Carolina’s dramatic win at Ole Miss was just the team’s third ever in Oxford (second under head coach Frank Martin). Ironically the team’s last win was also a 77-74 victory in OT on Jan. 19, 2016. The victory was the Gamecocks’ first at The Pavilion at Ole Miss, which opened in 2017.
 
GAMECOCKS LIKE BULLDOGS (JUST KIDDING)
> The Gamecocks snapped a three-game losing skid in league play with an 80-68 victory at Georgia on Saturday. It was the program’s 12-straight win over the Bulldgos dating back to Jan. 4, 2017. Carolina used another big run, this time in the first half, to take control of the game. Georgia built a seven-point lead, 21-14, with 11:18 to go in half one. Carolina then went on a 20-0 run to take a 13-point lead, 34-21, with 6:46 remaining on the clock in the opening half. Keyshawn Bryant continued his standout play, leading the team with 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting. It was his first 20-point outing of the season. Devin Carter came off the bench and scored 21 points. It marked just the second time all season the Gamecocks had a pair of 20-point scorers in the same game (last happened vs. Army back on Dec. 22). Carolina shot 51.6 percent (32-of-62) in the game, improving its record to 12-0 this season when out-shooting its opponent.
 
HAD A SHOT VS. TOP-FIVE CATS
> South Carolina battled from start to finish in a tough, 86-76 home loss to No. 5/4 Kentucky (Feb 8). The Gamecocks trailed by as many as 11 in the first half and battled back to make it a five point game at the break. Carolina tied the game at 43-43 with 16:04 remaining but was unable to take the lead as Kentucky went on a 15-4 run over a 5 minute stretch to retake control of the game. Keyshawn Bryant led the team with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds (7 offensive, 7 defensive). Jermaine Couisnard added 17 off the bench. Wildens Leveque had his best game in a long stretch finishing with 16 points (8-for-9 FGs) and seven rebounds. UK shot 56.7 percent and was lights out in the final 20 minutes, going 18-of-29 (62.1 percent). Carolina was 31-of-82 (37.8 percent) and just 5-of-20 (25.0 percent) from behind the arc.
 
KEYS TO SUCCESS
> When Keyshawn Bryant (8-1) or Jermaine Couisnard (10-4) score 10 or more points this season the Gamecocks are a combined 16-4. The duo has scored in double figures in the same game five times (vs. Rider, vs. Georgia, at Texas A&M, vs. Kentucky and vs. Mississippi State).
 
RARE TOUGH FINAL 20 AT HOME VS. THE VOLS
> The Gamecocks were outscored 48-28 in the second half in a 81-57 loss to No. 22/20 Tennessee on Saturday. Carolina led 28-26 with 4:48 to go in the first half, which was a back-and-forth, physical affair. The Volunteers made 14 3s and shot 51.9 percent from behind the 3-point line. Carolina was just 17-of-54 in the game, shooting a season-low 31.5 percent. Tough shooting has been a consistent theme in the team’s seven league losses. The Gamecocks are a combined 159-for-435 (36.6 percent) in those games. Carolina is 0-8 when shooting less than 39 percent this season.
 
THERE’S NO WRONG WAY TO PLAY A REESE
> In a three-game stretch from Jan. 26 to Feb. 1, James Reese averaged 18.0 points and 2.3 assists per game. He was 20-for-30 (64.5 percent) from the field and 7-for-14 from behind the arc. He averaged 33.7 minutes per contest and had just one turnover. Reese leads the team in points (11.8) and minutes (31.4) in nine SEC games.

FAMILY ROAD TRIP
> The Gamecocks traveled 1,845 air miles over the course of a five-day road trip (Jan. 28-Feb. 1) through College Station and Starkville.
 
TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
> South Carolina used a late 16-1 run to pull within 12 with 38 seconds remaining but it was too little too late as Mississippi State snapped the Gamecocks’ three-game win streak with a 78-64 win at Humphrey Coliseum on Feb. 1 ; the Bulldogs led 45-23 at the break on the heels of 60 percent shooting (18-30) the opening 20 minutes of the game
 
BOUNCE BACK TO GET .500 IN THE LEAGUE
> The Gamecocks won three-straight in league play from Jan. 22-29 vs. Georgia, vs. Vanderbilt and at Texas A&M to bounce back from a 1-4 start ; it marked the first three-game win streak in SEC action since 2019-20 when the team did it twice that year winning six-of-seven games from Jan. 25-Feb. 15.
 
RUNNING, RUNNING, RUNNING
> South Carolina used three big second half runs in the team’s recent three-game win streak (Jan. 22-Jan. 29) to take control in winning efforts ; after trailing by as many as 11 with 14:04 remaining vs. Georgia (Jan. 22), the Gamecocks went on a 24-0 run, outscoring the Bulldogs 30-6 the final 10:23 ; Carolina used a 15-1 run from the 13:28 to 8:35 in the second half vs. Vanderbilt (Jan. 26) ; after trailing by double digits the first half at Texas A&M (Jan. 29), the Gamecocks used a 17-1 run over a 4:21 stretch to build an 11-point lead, 54-43, with 9:27 to go at Reed Arena
 
FINISHING STRONG
> In the team’s recent three-game win streak (Jan. 22-29), Carolina outscored its opponents by an average of 17.0 points in the final 20 minutes of the game ; the Gamecocks are 46-of-93 (49.5 percent) from the field and 16-for-34 (47.0 percent) from 3 in the stretch
> In home wins against Georgia (Jan. 22) and Vanderbilt (Jan. 26), South Carolina outscored its foes 59-20 in the final 10 minutes of the second half ; the team shot 64.5 percent (20-of-31) in the stretch while limiting the Commodores and Bulldogs to just 38.9 percent (7-of-18) and forcing 11 turnovers
 
TEXAS TRIFECTA
> South Carolina grabbed its first lead of the game at Texas A&M, 46-43, on a made 3 by Jermaine Couisnard with 11:34 remaining and did not look back, winning the team’s third-straight (sixth overall over the Aggies) at Reed Arena, 74-63 on Jan. 29 ; James Reese scored a season high 20 points ; Couisnard (13), Erik Stevenson (13) and Keyshawn Bryant (12) finished in double figures as well as the Gamecocks shot 53.8 percent (14-of-26) from the field and 63.6 percent (7-of-11) from downtown the final 20 minutes ; after going 3-of-8 at the FT-line the first half, Carolina was 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) in half two
 
FIVE-STRAIGHT OVER VANDY AT COLONIAL LIFE
> The Gamecocks notched the team’s fifth-straight win at Colonial Life Arena (dating back to 2014) over Vanderbilt, 70-61, on Jan. 26), James Reese V led the team with 19 points after going 3-of-6 from long range, his eighth game of the season with three or more makes from downtown ; Jermaine Couisnard (14) and Erik Stevenson (13) joined Reese in double figures ; Couisnard scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half off the bench ; as a team, the Gamecocks had just two turnovers and pulled down 14 offensive rebounds in the second half
 
SECOND HALF TRIO
> South Carolina was dominant in the second half en route to a 83-66 comeback victory over Georgia (Jan. 22) ; Erik Stevenson (20), Keyshawn Bryant (19) and Jermaine Couisnard (15) scored in double figures and combined for 39 of the team’s 47 second half points ; the trio scored all the points during the team’s 24-0 run as well ; it was the team’s 11th-straight victory over Georgia dating back to 2017, the longest win streak in the series all-time
 
SEC GAUNTLET
> The Gamecocks lost their third-straight in league play at Bud Walton Arena, falling 75-59 to Arkansas on Jan. 18 ; Carolina led 40-33 at the half but was outscored 42-19 the final 20 minutes ; the team shot 33.9 percent marking the third-straight contest shooting below 35 percent ; true freshman Devin Carter was a bright spot with 20 points in his first career start
> Carolina fell at home in the team’s last game at CLA, 71-63, to Florida (Jan. 15) ; the Gamecocks had another tough day shooting the ball, finishing the game 26-of-75 (34.7 percent) ; Carolina had just nine turnovers (season low against NCAA D1 competition) and pulled down 21 offensive rebounds in the game (season high against NCAA D1 competition)
> The Gamecocks had a tough second half on the road at No. 22/23 Tennessee on Tuesday (Jan. 11), falling 66-46 after trailing by only six at halftime ; outside of James Reese V (15 points, 6-of-11 FG), Carolina struggled shooting the ball (17-for-49, 34.7 percent) ; the team also was plagued by 23 turnovers
 
GRITTY IN THE MUSIC CITY
> South Carolina bounced back with a big road win, 72-70 at Vanderbilt (Jan. 8) ; it was a balanced effort for the Gamecocks as all 11 players who saw action in the game scored and had a rebound ; the team shot 54.9 percent (28-for-51), the highest percentage under head coach Frank Martin on the road in league play (second highest in SEC play under Martin only trailing 57.7% vs. Arkansas on 1/26/13) ; Carolina improved to 4-0 when shooting 50 percent or higher this season with the win ; James Reese V limited the SEC’s leading scorer, Scotty Pippen Jr., to just 4-of-11 shooting while forcing seven turnovers
 
LEAGUE PLAY BEGINS
> The Gamecocks fell at home, 81-66, to No. 9 Auburn in the team’s first league game earlier this week (Jan. 4) ; Carolina trailed by as many as 21 and rallied late to pull within eight but fell short ; Erik Stevenson matched his season high with 25 points ; he was 5-for-8 from downtown while also pulling down five rebounds and leading the team with four assists
 
CASH MONEY CARTERS
> South Carolina bounced back with a 105-75 win over Army on Dec. 22 ; the team eclipsed the century mark for the second time this season (first time to score 100+ on multiple occasions since 1995-96) ; the Carters (Devin and Chico) combined for 42 points as the team shot 58.6 percent from the floor (41-of-70) ; the team’s 61 points in the first half marked the team’s first time scoring 60+ in a half since tallying 65 in the Second Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament vs. Duke in Greenville, S.C.
 
SHORTHANDED IN THE UPSTATE
> The Gamecocks fell on the road at in-state rival Clemson, 70-56, on Dec. 18 ; Carolina limited the Tigers to just 33.3 percent shooting, but also struggled offensively with a 32.7 percent shooting clip (second lowest of season) and a season-low four assists ; Chico Carter Jr. led the team with a season-high 21 points (2-for-4 3FGs, 9-for-10 FTs) ; the Gamecocks were shorthanded missing several key players in COVID protocols
 
YOU GET A BUCKET, YOU GET A BUCKET AND YOU GET A BUCKET…
> South Carolina scored the most points in the Frank Martin era and its most points in a game since 1995  (won 112-61 vs. The Citadel on 12/21/95) in a 110-51 victory vs. Allen (Dec. 14) ; the 15 players suited up for Carolina each scored in the game ; Brandon Martin had his first career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds – he also had a career-high five assists ; the Gamecocks dished out 31 assists total, the second best mark in program history (school record is 33 in win over Georgia Southern in 1976)
 
40-MINUTE FIGHT
> Rookie guard Devin Carter had 16 points and he pulled down a team-best seven rebounds, while James Reese V scored 13 – all in the second half – as South Carolina overcame a 16-point first-half deficit to post a 66-65 win over Florida State on Dec. 12 at the No Room For Racism Classic in Rock Hill ; Reese turned the tides in the game with a 10-0 run all by himself ; following his standout performance in the win over the Seminoles, Devin Carter earned his first-career SEC Freshman of the Week award on Monday, Dec. 13
 
WIRE-2-WIRE
> Carolina posted a convincing 80-67 win over Georgetown at Colonial Life Arena Dec. 5 in non-conference action ; the Hoyas never led in the contest, and the Gamecock defense held Georgetown to just 32.9 percent (23-70) from the floor
 
AN OFF NIGHT IN CONWAY
> The Gamecocks fell 80-56 in their first true road contest of the season at Coastal Carolina on Dec. 1 ; CCU led for the majority of the first half, before the Gamecocks pulled to within one at halftime, however, the Chanticleers out-scored Carolina 44-21 in the second half to capture the non-conference win
 
FOUR-STRAIGHT IN NON-CON
> The Gamecocks trailed for the majority of their contest with Rider at Colonial Life Arena on Nov. 28, but a 3-pointer from senior forward Keyshawn Bryant tied the contest at 36-all with 12:30 to go, and Carolina was able to maintain its lead the remainder of the game to close the 65-58 non-conference win for it’s fourth-straight
> Erik Stevenson hit five 3s to lead Carolina to an 85-74 victory at home over Wofford (Nov. 23)
> 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 UAB Nov. 18 at CLA ; 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
> 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 ; Jermaine Couisnard and Devin Carter led Carolina with 16 points each, and James Reese V tallied a season high 14 points behind four 3s
 
THEY WERE HOT… WE WERE NOT…
> The Gamecocks suffered their first loss of the season on Nov. 12, falling 66-62 to Princeton in a neutral site matchup at the Asheville Championship; 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 ; Wildens Leveque posted his first career double-double in the game with 12 points and 10 rebounds on 6-of-6 shooting
 
THAT WINNING FEELING
> The Gamecocks improved to 84-30 all-time in season openers with a 78-60 victory over USC Upstate on Nov. 9 at Colonial Life Arena ; Jermaine Couisnard and Wildens Leveque led the Gamecocks with 14 points each, while Couisnard dished out a game high seven assists in the win
 
PRESEASON QUICK HITTERS
> Head coach Frank Martin is in his 10th season leading the Gamecocks ; he’s 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) 
> The 2021-22 campaign is the 20th season of South Carolina 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 in 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 in 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)
 
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
3,018 – South Carolina’s six incoming transfer student-athletes combined to score 3,018 points during their college careers prior to joining the Gamecocks, led by Erik Stevenson’s 826 career points. 
212 – AJ Wilson saw action in 114 games during his career at George Mason.  As a junior, Wilson set GMU’s all-time record for blocks in a single season with 92, and he concluded his career as the school’s all-time record holder in the category with 212 blocks. 
87.3% – James Reese V entered action this season having hit 62 of his 71 career attempts at the foul line, 87.3 percent.  Reese was 15-of-16 (93.8%) at the line as a freshman at Buffalo, 23-of-24 (95.8%) as a junior at North Texas, and he was 24-of-31 (77.4%) at the free throw line for the Mean Green last season.
60.3% – Wildens Leveque is 76-for-126 from the field so far during the 2021-22 season, good for nearly 61 percent. He leads the team with 24 dunks.
98.3% – Erik Stevenson is 57-for-58 at the FT-line so far this season. He had a streak of 34-straight makes at the foul line dating back to last season that was snapped in the team’s win vs. Georgia (Jan. 22) ; he’s made 26-straight since his second half miss vs. the Bulldogs
8-for-8 – Rookie guard Devin Carter was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line in the win vs. WKU (Nov. 14). He had 16 points, dished out a team high four assists and also had eight rebounds.
32 & 45 & 41 – Carolina made 32 field goals against Georgetown (Dec. 5), then a season high, and followed that up with 45 made shots vs. Allen (Dec. 14), the most ever in the Frank Martin era. The team then made 41 shots vs. Army (Dec. 22), the second most in the Martin era.
20 – The Gamecocks dished out 20 assists in the win over the Hoyas, the most since posting 20 in a road win at Georgia last season (Feb. 27, 2021).
31 & 59 – Carolina had 31 assists in the win over the Yellow Jackets on Dec. 14, the most in the Frank Martin era and second most in program history. The team also had 59 rebounds, which was the most in the Martin era by six.
110 – Carolina’s 110 points vs. Allen were its most since 1995.
15 – 15 different Gamecocks scored in the Allen win, including five players in double figures: D. Carter (12), Leveque (12), Green (11), Bryant (10) and Martin (10).
105 – Carolina scored 105 points in a 30-point rout vs. Army  (Dec. 22), marking the first time since 1995-96 the team has scored 100 or more on multiple occasions.
22 – Devin Carter scored a career-high 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting vs. the Black Knights.
11 – South Carolina has held 11 opponents below 40 percent shooting this season.
54.9% – South Carolina shot 54.9 percent (28-for-51) from the floor in its win at Vanderbilt (Jan. 8). That marks the highest FG percentage in league play on the road under head coach Frank Martin. It’s the second highest FG percentage under Martin in SEC play behind only 57.7 percent in a 75-54 win over Arkansas on Jan. 26, 2013 – his first season in Columbia.
11 – All 11 players scored and had a rebound for South Carolina in the team’s win against the Commodores. Six different players recorded an assist, eight different players tallied a steal and five different players recorded a block in the team victory.
24-0 – The Gamecocks used a 24-0 second half run in the team’s comeback victory over Georgia (Jan. 22). The team ended the game on a 30-6 run the final 10 minutes after trailing by double-digits with just over 14 minutes to play.
39 of 47 –  Erik Stevenson (15), Keyshawn Bryant (14) and Jermaine Couisnard (10) scored 39 of the team’s 47 points in the second half of the 83-66 victory over the Bulldogs (Jan. 22).
59-20 – In back-to-back league wins over Georgia (Jan. 22) and Vanderbilt (Jan. 26), the Gamecocks outscored their opponents 59-20 the final 10 minutes of the game.
14 – After pulling down just one offensive rebound the first 20 minutes, Carolina had 14 offensive rebounds in the second half of its win over the Commodores (Jan. 26).
22 – The Gamecocks had a season-high 22 offensive rebounds vs. No. 5/4 Kentucky (Feb. 8), led by Keyshawn Bryant’s seven.
21 – The team dished out 21 assists in an 80-68 win at Georgia (Feb. 12), a season-high against NCAA Division I competition.
16 & 11 – Devin Carter had his first career double-double with 16 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the team’s 77-74 OT win at Ole Miss (Feb. 15) 
33 – Jermaine Couisnard had a career-high 33 points in a 77-75 win vs. LSU (Feb. 19)
22 – Couisnard followed up his career-best performance with 22 to lead the team to a double-digit home win over Mississippi State (Feb. 23). He was a perfect 8-for-8 at the charity stripe.
13.1 – Carolina is averaging 13.1 offensive rebounds per game this season, which is third in the SEC and is 12th in the country.
14-3 – The Gamecocks have lost just three times when scoring 70 or more points this season.
15-0 – South Carolina is 15-0 this season when out-shooting its opponent from the field. The team is 6-0 when shooting greater than 50 percent from the floor.
6-0 – The Gamecocks are 6-0 when scoring 80 or more this season.
 
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

UP NEXT
> The winner of Thursday night’s game faces No. 9/11 Tennessee in the SEC Quarterfinals on Friday at 6 p.m. (ET). Tom Hart (pxp), Dane Bradshaw (analyst) and Alyssa Lang (sideline reporter) will be on the call again. The Vols earned the second seed in the tournament after going 14-4 in league play.
 
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