Looking to win back-to-back SEC games for the first time this season, the South Carolina men’s basketball team (14-14, 5-11 SEC) faces the challenge of playing No. 18 Arkansas Thursday at Colonial Life Arena on Senior Night.
With only two regular-season games remaining for both teams, Arkansas, led by head coach Mike Anderson, appears to be on its way to an NCAA tournament appearance for the first time since 2008, while the Gamecocks are trying to finish the regular-season on a good note before playing in next week’s SEC tournament.
The Razorbacks brought the heat in the last meeting between these two teams in early February, with Arkansas winning 75-55 on its home court.
Sophomore guard Sindarius Thornwell led the Gamecocks with 16 points in that game, while South Carolina struggled mightily as a team on offense, making only 27.9 percent of its shots.
Arkansas sophomore forward Bobby Portis scored 18 points and the Gamecocks also had a hard time keeping him off the boards, as he grabbed 13 rebounds.
Both teams have played many games since their last encounter in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and the Razorbacks are arguably coming off of their toughest game of the year.
Arkansas (23-6, 12-4) suffered an 84-67 loss to the number one team in the nation, Kentucky, last Saturday. The Razorbacks were held to 37.5 percent shooting and trailed the entirety of the game. Despite the loss, the Razorbacks remain in second place in the SEC.
On the other hand, South Carolina recently beat Mississippi State 81-68 in Columbia.
South Carolina guard Tyrone Johnson, the Gamecocks’ lone senior, led head coach Frank Martin’s team with 28 points in the win over the Bulldogs, and Martin was pleased with the performance he got from one of his most experienced seniors.
Johnson averages only 9.9 points per game, but he made 70 percent of his shots from the field against Mississippi State while making 13 of his 15 free throws.
"To see him play like this in his second-to-last home game of the year — it's good to see him play that way," Martin said.
South Carolina had one of its high shooting percentages of conference play (46.3) against Mississippi State, and the Gamecocks’ 81 points were their most against an SEC opponent this season.
The Gamecocks also excelled in other aspects of the game, out-rebounding 33-27 while committing only five turnovers.
However, South Carolina’s scoring attack will have to enjoy another successful night in order to keep pace with Arkansas.
The Razorbacks score 79.1 points per game, considerably more than the season average of 65.2 for the Gamecocks.
But South Carolina was able to upset Arkansas in last season’s SEC tournament and Johnson said that South Carolina is beginning to gain its confidence back after going through a rough patch.
“We’ve been down, but our spirits are back where they were the first half of the season,” Johnson said.
In addition to honoring Johnson on senior night, the Gamecocks will recognize junior walk-on guard Austin Constable, who has decided to move on to other things after this season.