How to watch/what to watch for: South Carolina hits road to face Alabama

After picking up a big win in the SEC opener, South Carolina will begin a two-game road trip. The Gamecocks (13-1, 1-0 SEC) will face Alabama (9-5, 1-0 SEC) on Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa.

Tip-off is at 7 p.m. on SEC Network.

Here are some things to watch for.

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What can this team do in a hostile SEC environment?

South Carolina has had the benefit of playing majority of its games at home so far this year. It has played in two neutral sites and won a tough road game against East Carolina. But nothing too hard yet.

Once the Gamecocks step onto the floor at Coleman Coliseum, that should change. With how much better Alabama has gotten over the years, the crowds have also become louder. It should be a good test to see what this team is really made of. If things get tough, what’s going to happen next? South Carolina can’t let things get out of hand.

It’s time for BJ Mack to be the man

So far, it’s been an up and down year for Mack, who transferred in from Wofford. He’s had some great outings but a lot of rough ones as well. Most recently against Mississippi State, he scored five points on 1-of-9 shooting.

It’s a good thing there are so many good shooters around him that can make up for a bad game. Because his misses would be a lot more glaring otherwise. But he’s got to step it up and find some level of consistency.

He’s got all the tools to make that happen. He can shoot from deep, play big in the paint and hit shots. It’s just a matter of whether or not he’s up for the challenge.

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Don’t be afraid to take shots

Echoing some famous words from Michael Jordan, “You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.” That line couldn’t be more true for South Carolina.

There were times on Saturday where the Gamecocks had chances to shoot but opted to make an extra pass. That’s not necessarily a bad thing by any means. It’s always good to pass more in hopes of finding a better shot opportunity. However, they have to shoot more.

When Mississippi State’s defense was on point, it was hard for South Carolina to hit anything. Luckily, things turned around as the game went on. But it felt like there was some hesitation in taking shots. That has to change.

Keep being aggressive down low

One of the underrated ways South Carolina won last Saturday came down to how it rebounded. Even with Mississippi State having some really good bigs, the Gamecocks won that battle and were able to create a lot of second-chance points.

Its well-known South Carolina can win with the way it shoots. But it will go a long way if it can play well in the paint and crash to the boards.

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Scouting the opponent

It hasn’t been a fantastic year for Alabama. After winning the SEC last season, the Crimson Tide are off to a 9-5 start. In all fairness, they have played one of the tougher schedules in the country with losses coming against Ohio State, Clemson, Purdue, Creighton and Arizona.

Their best win came against Oregon back on Nov. 25. Even despite the losses, Alabama is ranked No. 10 in KenPom and shouldn’t be taken lightly.

The Tide are led by senior guard Mark Sears, who is having an amazing season. He’s averaging 19.4 points on 53 percent shooting from the floor. He’s been lethal from three-point range, shooting nearly 47 percent.

Alabama also has senior forward Grant Nelson, who is averaging 13.8 points per game. He leads the team with 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game.

There’s also senior guard Aaron Estrada, another big scorer for the Tide. He’s averaging 13.2 points per game on 44.6 percent shooting. His stats are down compared to last year when he was scoring more than 20 points per game. But he’s still a threat to have a good game.

Alabama is one of the best scoring teams in the country, leading all with a 124.8 adjusted offensive efficiency rating. The Tide are also top 20 in effective field goal percentage. This is a team that could possibly route the Gamecocks if things aren’t going well. But otherwise, this should be a high-scoring affair.

Game details

Who: South Carolina (13-1, 1-0 SEC) at Alabama (9-5, 1-0 SEC)

When: Tuesday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m.

Where: Coleman Coliseum (15,316)

How to watch/listen: SEC Network/107.5 FM

ESPN gives South Carolina an 8.8 percent chance to win

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