The South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the No. 8 Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday to move into second place in the SEC standings—one game behind LSU. The Tigers, who are 15-8 overall, remain atop the SEC standings by one game, giving the Gamecocks a chance to take sole possession of first place.
If South Carolina can execute these three tasks, it has a legitimate shot to win:
Control Ben Simmons:
The 6-foot-10 forward is the top pick in nearly every NBA mock draft for a reason. Simmons has point guard skills at a center’s height, similar to Magic Johnson when he played at Michigan State.
LSU doesn’t always give Simmons the keys to the offense; however, when he is the primary ball handler, the Tigers’ offense thrives. Simmons is currently averaging 19.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and five assists per game, all while shooting 56.7 percent from the field. So shutting down the point-forward isn’t exactly a plausible game plan, but containing him is.
The main problem with Simmons is his shooting. He’s attempted just three three-pointers this season, which poses a major point of exploitation. Also, at 225 pounds, Simmons isn’t somebody that can overpower his opponent. Therefore, the Gamecocks should aim to rough Simmons up, shut down the lane and force him to be a jump shooter, and maybe he won’t drop a triple-double.
Beware of Hornsby:
Playing second fiddle to Simmons is guard Keith Hornsby. The junior is coming of one of his better games this season, scoring 25 points in 28 minutes against Mississippi State.
Unlike Simmons, Hornsby’s game is predicated on the outside shot. Like most of the great shooters, Hornsby’s shot is hot and cold, so it’s essential to knock him off his course from the start. PJ Dozier and Sindarius Thornwell will likely split coverage on Hornsby, both of whom possess a size advantage.
The two guards must close out on Hornsby to prevent a repeat of the Riley Norris Alabama game when he hit eight three-pointers to sink South Carolina last month.
Put LSU on Notice:
After the Alabama game on Jan. 30, head coach Frank Martin attributed shooting guard Duane Notice’s poor shooting with a recent death in the family. As expected, Notice has struggled with his game, averaging six points over a three-game span, while shooting 33.3 percent from three. Martin hasn’t limited the junior’s minutes, though, as he’s averaged just over 26 minutes per game in the previous three games.
South Carolina desperately needs Notice’s outside shooting to open the floor for his teammates. Three-point shooting is the Gamecocks’ most glaring weakness, shooting 35.1 percent as a team, with Michael Carrera the only starter shooting over 40 percent. If Notice can spread the floor, South Carolina’s bench unit will thrive.