For the third time this season, the South Carolina men’s basketball team (8-3) will play a Big 12 opponent when facing No. 9/9 (AP/USA Today Coaches’ Poll) Iowa State (10-1) Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The first two matchups served as look-in-the-mirror type games. An early season 69-65 loss to Baylor showed that the Gamecocks could compete with a talented program while a dominant 75-49 win over Oklahoma State highlighted what this team is capable of when firing on all cylinders.
The Gamecocks have enjoyed sustained success throughout December thanks to stellar play on defense as well as the emergence of shooting guard Duane Notice.
Winners of its past six games, South Carolina is working on its longest winning streak of the Frank Martin era and has bolstered its NCAA Tournament hopes while doing so.
Kenpom.com, an analytical website ran by statistical guru Ken Pomeroy, has South Carolina as the 31st best team in the country, while ESPN’s Basketball Power Index ranks the Gamecocks at 37th in the nation.
A win or even a strong showing against the Cyclones could strengthen South Carolina’s resume, but Iowa State is probably better than any team the Gamecocks have faced to date.
Earning a win against the Cyclones will be an uphill battle for South Carolina, but it’s definitely doable. Here are some keys to the game for the Gamecocks.
1. Slow the game down
While the South Carolina defense is allowing only 57.9 points per game, 27th best in the country, Iowa State’s offense is one of the nation’s best, averaging 84.5 points per game.
Most college teams prefer to play at a slower pace, but Iowa State loves to speed things up.
Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg’s teams have traditionally loved to run the floor and score in transition.
It will be important for South Carolina to take care of the ball and work for good shot selection to prevent Iowa State from turning the game into a track meet.
The Gamecocks will also need to do an adequate job of protecting the rim while getting back on defense.
If South Carolina can force Iowa State to play in more of a half-court game, it could take the Cyclones out of their element.
2. Contain Georges Niang
What Sindarius Thornwell is to South Carolina Georges Niang is to Iowa State. Like Thornwell, Niang is counted on to finish possessions as the the junior standout takes 17.8 percent of Iowa State’s shots when he’s on the floor.
Despite his 6-foot-8-inch and 230 lbs frame, Niang shoots 38.2 percent from beyond the arc, rebounds well, averages 3.9 assists per game and is an 86.3 percent free throw shooter.
Needless to say, Niang is a big part of the Cyclone offense, and his unique skill set makes him hard to defend.
That’s not to say there aren’t other major threats for Iowa State because point guard Monte Morris and shooting guard Naz Long are both among some of the nation’s most efficient players, but you could argue that Niang is the centerpiece of the Cyclone offense.
Finding a way to defend Niang will be a difficult task for South Carolina, but Thornwell might be the most suitable Gamecock to do so.
It may not be a coincidence that Niang shot just 28 percent from the field in Iowa State’s only defeat this year.
Slowing down Niang could certainly strengthen South Carolina’s chances of upsetting the Cyclones.
3. Knock down the three
While South Carolina has made its hay by playing tough defense, the Gamecock offense is a little overlooked.
Martin’s team makes 51.2 percent of their two-point field goal attempts, and the Gamecocks do well at the free throw line as well.
South Carolina’s achilles heel on offense has been its three-point shooting. It was a key reason for the home loss to Baylor, a game which the Gamecocks shot just 23.8 percent from three-point range in a four point defeat.
The Gamecocks have made just 31.1 percent of their three-point shots, coming in 254th nationally.
However, South Carolina is shooting 35.6 percent from three-point range in its last four games.
Notice, South Carolina’s outside shooter, has made 44.2 percent of three-point shots.
Meanwhile, Thornwell has taken more three-pointers than any other Gamecock (44), but he’s connected on only 20.5 percent of those shots.
If South Carolina can manage to have a surprisingly effective day from downtown, the Gamecocks could have a better chance keeping pace with Iowa State’s high-scoring offense.