The South Carolina basketball teams have gotten off to a great start this season, as both the men’s and women’s squads have opened the season undefeated. The women have quality wins over then-sixth-ranked Ohio State and 2015 WNIT champion UCLA. The men have taken down four mid-major opponents, putting them in the championship of the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam against Tulsa.
For the women, the schedule doesn’t get any easier, as they open the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown on Friday with No. 16 Arizona State. The Sun Devils had a great deal of success last season, losing by just a point in the Sweet 16 to Florida State, finishing with a 29-6 record. The Gamecocks will close out the round-robin tournament with CSU Bakersfield and Hawai'i on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
Friday’s game should be the biggest challenge of the weekend, as the Sun Devils have a daunting frontcourt duo of juniors in forward Sophie Brunner and center Quinn Dornstauder. The two combined are averaging 27.5 points and 10 rebounds per game, while shooting 50 percent from the field.
However, if any team in the country is equipped to handle the pair of six-footers, it would be South Carolina. The Gamecocks have an impressive pairing of their own in sophomore forward A’ja Wilson and junior center Alaina Coates. The South Carolina duo averages five blocks per game, while combining for 27.1 points and 19.3 rebounds. The key matchup will likely be in the paint, which could free up space for the team’s leading scorer Tiffany Mitchell (15 points per game) on the outside.
The men’s team, fresh off a first place finish at the Paradise Jam, will take on Lipscomb in Colonial Life Arena on Friday. Lipscomb is an average team from a mediocre Atlantic Sun Conference, and the game should be an opportunity for the Gamecocks to continue to find their rhythm and build momentum. The team has had no shortage of offense this season, averaging 84.2 points per game and having five players in double figures.
The Gamecocks have a lot of depth, with seven players playing at least 18 minutes per game in their first four contests. Junior guard Duane Notice has thrived as the team’s sixth man, averaging 12.2 points per game and shooting 55.5 percent from beyond the arc. The big men continue to impress, as Laimonas Chatkevicius and Mindaugas Kacinas are together averaging 30.6 points and 11.4 rebounds per game.
If both teams can continue solid play in the paint, it is likely that the Gamecock basketball programs will remain undefeated after the weekend. The men and women have enjoyed phenomenal starts and are looking to build momentum heading into December.