Jackson, paint play key win
South Carolina established itself in some unfamiliar territory in its season opener against Western Carolina.
USC dominated on the inside, scoring 46 points in the paint en route to a 75-50 rout of WCU at Colonial Life Arena on Friday night. After finishing last week's exhibition against Kentucky Wesleyan with 24 points in the paint, USC posted 26 in the first half alone.
"Easy baskets make everything easier," said coach Darrin Horn. "They make shots when you have to run offense and execute go down better. I think getting those easy baskets, whether it's in transition or at the basket at half-court, is obviously a huge help."
Both teams struggled to score in the opening minutes, with the Gamecocks missing six of their first seven shots. But with the game tied at 16 midway through the first half, USC took off on a 17-6 run, building a lead it would not relinquish.
The Gamecocks took advantage of 18 offensive rebounds to score 20 second-chance points. Junior Lakeem Jackson led all players with 10 boards, eight on the defensive glass. But Horn said that defensive rebounding is still a concern for the team overall.
"Rebounding wasn't good early," Horn said. "I think on the whole, because we rebounded so well on the offensive end, it made up for it in terms of numbers. But I think that's going to remain a focus. It's not the kind of thing that if it goes good one game, we figured it out."
Jackson, who is transitioning from the wing to point guard, says he is becoming more comfortable with his new position. At 6-foot-5, he is unusually tall for a point guard, but he has turned his height into an advantage for the Gamecocks.
"I run it in practice all the time," Jackson said. "It's nothing different, just going in, knowing my role, doing what I need to do, picking my spots and keeping the ball. Just be patient, not force anything — that's the main thing I've been trying to focus on in practice. Just staying calm. And all these little point guards — keep them on my hip."
Horn said he has not emphasized any particular aspect of the game to Jackson as he adjusts to his new role.
"The only basketball-specific thing was just to make the simple play," Horn said. "One of the things Lakeem is good at is he has great court vision and really good transitions on the floor, finding guys and that kind of thing. He occasionally gets into trouble trying to make the tough pass. But other than that, be yourself and have fun.
"I don't want Lakeem Jackson to be some type of particular point guard. I want him to be Lakeem Jackson. I think that's good for us and I think he did that tonight."
Jackson said contributions from every player on the team have already boosted the Gamecocks' confidence.
"Our confidence level is at an all-time high right now," Jackson said. "Everybody's bringing energy. Everybody's feeding off each other. When Coach brought the first five in, when he brought the second five in, the level stayed up. I think the confidence level is really good right now."