Three things to watch for as South Carolina hosts The Citadel on Saturday

South Carolina begins a stretch of three games against in-state competition on Saturday with a home game against the Citadel Bulldogs at 7 p.m. ET.

Following the Saturday evening contest, the Gamecocks make a Tuesday trip to Clemson, then return home for a home matchup against South Carolina State the following Monday.

Here are three things to watch for before South Carolina (6-3) tips off against the Bulldogs (3-7).

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Handling business against the bottom of the barrel Bulldogs

The Southern Conference (SoCon) has always been a conference that produces challenging games for the high-major competition. That will not likely be the case this Saturday. South Carolina’s opponent, the Citadel Bulldogs, sits No. 362 of 365 teams nationally according to KenPom. The ranking puts them one spot behind South Carolina’s future opponent, 0-10 South Carolina State.

The Bulldogs’ best win this season came in a 70-57 victory over Division II North Greenville. The Citadel enters Saturday 0-7 against Division I competition, with their closest game coming in a 72-65 loss to the Southland’s Houston Christian Huskies.

Scoring-wise, the Bulldogs score an average of 64.9 points per game and give up an average of 80.3. Their scoring mainly comes from their pair of forwards, Braxton Williams and Christian Moore. The duo is the only two players on the team averaging ten or more points per game, averaging 10.8 and 10.3, respectively.

To quote Jon Rothstein, a buy game loss is the epitome of brutality. However, if the Gamecocks lose this one, it might be one of the worst in program history. South Carolina should have no issue handling its in-state foe with their biggest rival on the horizon.

Carrying three-point shooting momentum into Clemson

South Carolina put together its strongest three-point shooting game of the season against the Stetson Hatters. For a team that shoots almost half of its shots from beyond the three-point line, the guys must see their shots falling and gain confidence with another test coming up.

Through the opening nine games, the Gamecocks are averaging a lowly 32.8 percent from three as a team. The majority of the attempts for the Gamecocks from three come above the break, according to CBB Analytics. An “Above the Break” three is any three taken from the top of the key to the wing. While 33.8 percent of the team’s shots come from ATB three-pointers, only 13.1 percent come from the corner.

Head coach Lamont Paris recently said during Carolina Calls that he’s been happy with the team’s shot selection even in losses. While the Gamecocks have struggled to make the shots, they’ve mainly been good looks.

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Against the Hatters, South Carolina shot a season-high 44 percent from three, making 12 of 27 attempts. A lot of the Gamecocks’ good shooting came from freshman Grant Polk, who made four of his six three-point attempts. Paris recently said he’s had to check himself with Polk, because he expects the freshman guard to make his open looks every time. His efficiency from deep has been helpful throughout the early season for South Carolina.

Additionally, fifth-year guard Meechie Johnson shot a perfect game against Stetson, going 5-5 from the field, 2-2 from three and 5-5 from the free throw line. For a player that the Gamecocks are deeply dependent on, carrying momentum and having another good game on Saturday is essential to chase a win at Clemson.

Missing: Consistency inside the perimeter

Paris recently voiced his concerns about the lack of consistency among his forwards through the early portion of the season. The struggles for consistency led to him taking the redshirt off of freshman EJ Walker.

Against Stetson, he new starting lineup on Saturday with Jordan Butler and Christ Essandoko starting alongside each other in the post. It was the first time all season Paris opted to go with the two-big lineup to start the game.

The group of Johnson/Sharvjamts/Knox/Butler/Essandoko has not played much time together, playing only 12 possessions across three games according to CBB Analytics, but Paris believes it’s a lineup that can prove critical success.

The duo inside works in an era of college basketball that is getting taller and taller by the season. It especially fits the mold of having a tall stretch four in Butler and a strong seven-footer inside in Essandoko. Whether or not the two will reach Paris’s expectations for them remains unseen, but it is imperative to the Gamecocks’ success that they do, according to the head coach.

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