How to watch/what to watch for: South Carolina enters March Madness in survive and advance mode
South Carolina men’s basketball is finally back in the Big Dance. The Gamecocks, after a 26-7 season, will be in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017.
It’s been a year filled with a lot of highs. But the work isn’t finished yet. They’ll open play in the Round of 64 against Oregon on Thursday in Pittsburgh.
Tip-off is at 4 p.m. on TNT.
Here are some things to watch for.
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Guard play is going to be huge
For South Carolina to have any success the rest of this season, the guards have to play better. Meechie Johnson and Ta’Lon Cooper are the key to going on a deep run.
Historically in March Madness, teams go as far as their guards go. That’s not to say the Gamecocks can’t win in other ways, but it will only help if Johnson and Cooper can play well.
Johnson struggled in the SEC Tournament, finishing with nine points on 4-of-20 shooting over two games. But this week can serve as a fresh start for him, a new season in a way. Plus, he said he’ll have about 20 family members in town to watch the game. So with the lights being bright, this would be a perfect time to get it going.
As for Cooper, he hasn’t been playing bad by any means. He just hasn’t had a breakout game in a little bit. But he does what he has to almost every game and helps the team in more ways than one.
Cooper injured his ankle during the Auburn game last week. But head coach Lamont Paris said he will be “ready to go” for Thursday.
Have to be physical against Dante
When it comes to the game plan, Oregon center N’Faly Dante is at the top of the list for South Carolina. The 6-foot-11 big man tore up the Pac-12 Tournament, winning most outstanding player honors. He’s coming into this tournament hot and could be a big problem in the paint.
However, the Gamecocks should have enough bodies to match up well with Dante. Collin Murray-Boyles will be facing him most of the time. But look for Josh Gray to bring an amount of physicality that’s on the same level as Dante. If they can make him work on every play, that should force Oregon to take more outside shots.
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Start strong
When looking back at the Auburn loss, South Carolina fell behind and then the snowball kept getting bigger. Before they knew it, the Gamecocks were down by 30-plus points in the second half.
That can’t happen again. South Carolina has to hit some early shots and play at its own pace. That’s usually where it finds the best results. And it all starts will getting off to a good start. Set the tone for the game by playing good defense and making plays.
Keep playing with that chip on shoulder
Even after all South Carolina has done this year, there are still many that will pick the Ducks to stay hot and win this game. From talking to some of the players, they know that and still feel that level of disrespect from the outside.
Being doubted has only worked to the Gamecocks’ benefit this season. It’s an underrated part of why they’ve had so much success. Obviously, they need to play good to win the game. But it certainly will help them knowing not everyone is giving them a chance.
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Scouting the opponent
It’s been a wild ride for Oregon this year. The Ducks (23-11, 12-8 Pac-12) came into the Pac-12 Tournament as a four seed and went on a crazy run. This included two straight wins over UCLA and Arizona to advance to the title game. They’d go on to beat Colorado by seven points to earn an outright bid to March Madness.
This is a team that is peaking at the right time, which is what this tournament is all about. Teams that get hot can usually go on a run and go deep into the bracket.
When going down the Ducks’ roster, there’s an immediate name that stands out: Jermaine Couisnard. If that sounds familiar, that’s because Couisnard played under Frank Martin at South Carolina from 2019-22. He transferred to Oregon after Martin was fired and has seen his game continue to grow.
The senior guard is averaging 15.3 points per game on 38.8 percent shooting. He will be a guy to take a lot of the shots for the Ducks in this tournament, and deservedly so. He’s had seven games with at least 20 points this year, including a 39-point showing against Arizona back on March 2.
Freshman guard Jackson Shelstad looks to be the Ducks’ sharp shooter in the starting rotation, outside of Couisnard, of course. He’s averaging 13.1 points per game on 45.5 percent shooting. And he’s been shooting 34.8 percent from three-point range.
Like Couisnard, this is another player who seems to take a lot of shots any given game. Shelstad can be a little sporadic at times, suffering from rough games here and there. But overall, he’s another solid player. And it would make sense that these players, including Dante, will see the bulk of the team’s shots.
Game details
Who: South Carolina (26-7, 13-5 SEC) vs. Oregon (23-11, 12-8 Pac-12)
When: Thursday, March 21 at 4 p.m.
Where: PPG Paints Arena (19,578)
How to watch/listen: TNT/107.5 FM
ESPN gives South Carolina a 54.3 percent chance to win
Odds/predictions for South Carolina vs. Oregon
Coming into this game, South Carolina is a 1.5-point favorite. The Gamecocks are -110 on the moneyline. The Ducks are also -110. The over/under for the game is set at 132.5 points.
