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South Carolina has been on a tear recently as they are coming off a four game win-streak and look to continue that play against Alabama.
Quick Stats
- South Carolina is 17-10 on the season and 4-5 on away games like tomorrow’s against Alabama
- Alabama is 18-10 on the season coming off a close win against Vanderbilt
- South Carolina could end a six game losing streak to Alabama and be the first game they win at Coleman Coliseum since 2009
- Alabama’s squad is ranked #14 in the NCAA for scoring and is averaging 80.2 ppg compared to Carolina’s 71.6
South Carolina
The Gamecocks have had a successful season and made a playoff push winning their last four games in February. These wins were against SEC teams, including front runners like Kentucky and LSU. This season, South Carolina’s team has stepped up on both offense and defense to be a playoff contender. South Carolina has six players with at least 10 blocks this season, and the team cumulatively has 134 blocks.
Hope y'all didn't think we were done posting this… 😅
🚀 @kiddbryant25 🚀#Gamecocks🐔🏀 // #ForeverToThee pic.twitter.com/zFWQuVitxo
— Gamecock Men's Basketball (@GamecockMBB) February 24, 2022
South Carolina is a team that has excelled on the fast break with great passing that leads to quick uncontested buckets. The leading scorer for the Gamecocks is Erik Stevenson. Stevenson is a great shooter and playmaker with 69 total assists on the season and shooting 32.5% from three-point range. Stevenson is one of the six players with 10 or more blocks and leads his team in steals with 29 on the season. Jermaine Couisnard has been making a splash recently as well. Couisnard scored back-to-back 20 plus point games with a 22 point outing against Mississippi State, then a personal best 33 point game against LSU where the gamecocks won 77-75.
South Carolina has proved itself this month against the best of the SEC. They must adapt in-game to Alabama’s unstoppable offense and suffocating defense to win.
Alabama
Alabama is a powerhouse and has shown its prowess in the SEC, winning against teams like LSU. The squad is 12-2 when playing at home, and their game against Carolina will be their second to last home game of the season. Alabama is a team with great rhythm on the court and players that can always get themselves a bucket. Players like Jaden Shackelford, the Tide’s leading scorer, is a monster on the glass for a guard but also can shoot the lights out on 39.9% shooting. Shackelford has 158 rebounds this season, only six less than the teams leading rebounder guard Keon Ellis.
With two of the fastest and most offensively lethal guys on the team, grabbing the boards and immediately running the offense on transition is a crucial factor in Alabama’s proliferate scoring. Playmaking has been another pillar for the Alabama offense, with guards JD Davidson and Jahvon Quinerly averaging four or more assists a game. Davidson and Quinerly have 237 assists on the season, over half of the team’s total 405 assists.
JQ 👀👀 @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/VYfbD6ehRb
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) February 23, 2022
Most of Alabama’s players are multifaceted and can play well on offense and defense. They are especially strong in transition and fast break scenarios. Keon Ellis, guard for Alabama and rebound leader for the team, is another crucial piece of the playmaking ability for the team. He is a significant component of the transition. Defensively Alabama is no joke either. Averaging 5.2 blocks a game, the team also does a great job defending the perimeter from teams with great shooting.
