Advertisement

Arkansas basketball at South Carolina: Scouting report, score prediction

christina long, fort smith times record
·2 min read
1

FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas basketball is 0-5 in true road games this season, but the Razorbacks have a shot at their first win away from home when they play South Carolina.

The Razorbacks (15-7, 4-5 SEC) have won three straight conference games. South Carolina (8-14, 1-8) has lost six in a row.

A season ago, Arkansas beat South Carolina by 20. Here's what to know about this year's matchup before tipoff Saturday (2:30 p.m. CT, SECN).

LAST TIME OUT:Arkansas basketball beats Texas A&M, hands Aggies second SEC loss

FOOTBALL RECRUITING:Live updates on Arkansas Razorbacks football recruiting on 2023 national signing day

ARKANSAS BASEBALL:Unpacking a starting lineup for opening day? Our predictions for 2023

South Carolina's struggles

The Gamecocks are sitting at the bottom of the SEC, tied with Ole Miss for the worst record in conference play. They are last in the league in numerous statistical categories, including field goal percentage both offensive (39.4%) and defensive (47.3%), points per game (63.7) and scoring margin (minus-9.41).

South Carolina's lone SEC win was a 71-68 victory over Kentucky on Jan. 10, and the Gamecocks haven't won since.

Player to watch: GG Jackson II

Freshman forward Gregory "GG" Jackson II is South Carolina's leading scorer and rebounder by a large margin. He averages 16.1 points per game, the fifth-best mark in the SEC. His 6.6 rebounds per game are No. 8 in the league.

Jackson was the No. 1 player in the Class of 2023 before reclassifying to become part of the Class of 2022. The Columbia, S.C., native ranked No. 6 and was the No. 1 power forward in the class, per 247 Sports Composite.

Gamecocks' 3-point shooting

South Carolina hasn't been a good shooting team overall, but its 3-point shooting has been solid. The Gamecocks have shot 31.5% from beyond the arc against SEC opponents, good for No. 5 in the league. For comparison, Arkansas has shot 29.7% in conference play. The Razorback defense has allowed SEC opponents to shoot 34.2% so far.

Sophomore guard Meechie Johnson is South Carolina's second-leading scorer with 11.9 points per game. His 2.25 made 3-pointers per game rank No. 8 among SEC players.

Score prediction

Arkansas 75, South Carolina 62 — Arkansas' defense has played two of its best games coming into this one. If the Razorbacks keep up the defensive play, they should overwhelm South Carolina's ineffective offense. On the flip side, Arkansas' offense can take advantage of the Gamecocks' weaknesses, and the Razorbacks will get their first road win.

Christina Long covers the Arkansas Razorbacks for the Southwest Times Record and USA Today Network. You can follow her on Twitter @christinalong00 or email her at clong@swtimes.com.

This article originally appeared on Fort Smith Times Record: Arkansas basketball at South Carolina: Scouting report, score prediction