Three things to watch for as South Carolina hosts Albany

South Carolina men’s basketball closes non-conference play on Tuesday, hosting the Albany Great Danes. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on the SEC Network.

Here are three things to watch for as the Gamecocks take on the Great Danes.

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Avoid the trap and handle business

Saturday evening’s contest is the Gamecocks’ final game before kicking off Southeastern Conference play against No. 11 Vanderbilt. Already through this holiday stretch, multiple programs have fallen victim to buy-game losses. On Dec. 28, Colorado lost 86-81 to Northern Colorado, and Richmond lost a buy-game to Charleston Southern. Additionally, on Dec. 21, Notre Dame lost to Purdue Fort Wayne.

South Carolina, having already lost four times before January, needs to keep its nose clean as much as possible and take an easy win into SEC play.

Albany enters at 4-10, taking losses to Frank Martin’s UMass and Shaka Smart’s Marquette. The Great Danes enter coming off a loss to Cornell, 83-75, and have only one win over Division I competition. Their strongest player is Amir Lindsey, a sophomore guard in his second year with Albany.

Lindsey averages a team-high 16.5 points per game. His high usage has seen him play over 90% of the team’s minutes this season, ranking seventh in the nation in that regard. Additionally, Lindsey has scored over 20 points in his last two games and will be a threat to keep an eye on.

Build momentum into conference play

It’s been a repeated talking point throughout the non-conference portion of South Carolina’s season; however, building high momentum on Tuesday is necessary for the Gamecocks to get off to a good start in SEC play.

The Gamecocks open conference play against No. 11 Vanderbilt. The Commodores rank among the nation’s best in KenPom, ranking an SEC-best No. 8. In its last two games against inferior competition, the Gamecocks struggled in multiple areas.

Against The Citadel, the Gamecocks shot a season-worst 3-23 from deep, not pulling away until after the under-8 timeout. Then, against South Carolina State, the Gamecocks again struggled to take a large lead until the second half. To build the right kind of momentum, South Carolina needs to take command early and pull a dominant win from start to finish.

Will Myles Stute break out before conference play?

South Carolina forward Myles Stute has had a difficult start to the season. His 6.9 points per game average is the third-worst of his career, only being above his 3.9 ppg as a true freshman at Vanderbilt and 5.4 during the 2024-25 season that ended early due to blood clots in his lower left leg.

However, against South Carolina State, he put together season-highs in points (15) and rebounds (7). The game also marked his second of the season in which he scored in double figures. Stute’s struggles offensively begin with his difficult start to the season shooting the ball. Inside the perimeter, Stute shoots a strong 9-13 from the field. However, beyond the three-point line, he is an abysmal 12-43 through nine games.

For his team to find success in a difficult conference like the SEC, Stute needs to find his own success on the floor. Whether Stute’s performance against the Bulldogs is the start of a turnaround or another flash in the pan will be key heading into conference play.

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