South Carolina-Arkansas basketball: How, what to watch for in Fayetteville
South Carolina (11-8, 3-3 SEC) travels to Arkansas (15-4, 3-3) on Wednesday at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville. Tip-off is 8:30 p.m. SEC Network will broadcast.
USC-ARKANSAS STORYLINES
1. This Bud’s for the Gamecocks?
South Carolina has won once in its last six trips to Bud Walton Arena. The good news for the Gamecocks is they’re entering Wednesday’s game with a 4-2 record in true road contests, with one of those losses coming by a point to Tennessee. The bad news is the Razorbacks are 11-1 at home this season and USC’s most recent performance away from Columbia wasn’t a good one.
“The game was impacted by the energy in the building at Auburn,” said Carolina coach Frank Martin, referring to last Wednesday’s 80-67 loss in front of a near-capacity crowd at Auburn Arena.
Kentucky is the only opponent to win at Bud Walton in 2019-20. The Razorbacks, off to a hot start under first-year coach Eric Musselman, are a No. 8 seed in Joe Lunardi’s most recent NCAA Tournament projection posted to ESPN.com.
2. Size matters?
According to college basketball analytics guru Ken Pomeroy, Arkansas is the shortest team in the SEC. The average Razorback stands 6-foot-3. Average height of a South Carolina player is 6-5. The Gamecocks are the second-tallest team in the SEC.
Length aside, the Razorbacks lead the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage defense and steals. They’re last in rebound margin.
The system transition from Mike Anderson, who coached Arkansas for eight seasons, to Musselman has been a smooth one, Martin said.
“Muss is real similar to Mike,” Martin said. “If Muss was a 2-3 zone, passive, kind of play slow coach, then I could see where it would be an adjustment period. Or if Mike was that way. But they’re very similar with how they play. They’re very aggressive offensive teams, very aggressive defensive teams.
“So style of coaching, even though it’s new, fits the personnel that had been recruited.”
In league games only, the Razorbacks are fourth in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing just over 69 points per game. USC averaged 84 points per game in its three SEC wins and 63 in its three losses.
3. Eyes on Joe
Isaiah Joe, a reigning SEC all-freshman team member and Arkansas’ second-leading scorer, missed the Razorbacks’ last game with knee inflammation and is considered questionable to play against the Gamecocks.
Should Joe go, USC is dealing with a 6-5 guard who is averaging over 16 points per game. If Joe sits, USC goes a second straight game without having to deal with one of the league’s elite guards. Vandy’s Aaron Nesmith, the SEC’s leading scorer, missed Saturday’s USC win as he continues to recover from a foot injury.
ARKANSAS
Coach: Eric Musselman (125-38 in five seasons as a college coach; first season at Arkansas — 15-4)
Projected starters: G Jimmy Whitt (15.3 ppg), G Mason Jones (18.4), G Jalen Harris (4.3), F Reggie Chaney (4.1), F Adrio Bailey (6.5)
Last game: Beat TCU 79-67 on Saturday at home
KenPom ranking: 28 (No. 86 in offense efficiency, No. 11 in defense efficiency)
NET: 28
SOUTH CAROLINA
Coach: Frank Martin (257-168 in 13 seasons overall; eighth season at USC — 140-114)
Projected starters: G A.J. Lawson (13.7), G Jermaine Couisnard (10.7), F Justin Minaya (8.1), F Keyshawn Bryant (8.2), C Maik Kotsar (9.6)
Last game: Beat Vanderbilt 90-64 on Saturday at home
KenPom ranking: 92 (No. 126 in offense efficiency, No. 85 in defense efficiency)
NET: 88
Game info
Who: South Carolina (11-8, 2-3) at Arkansas (15-4, 3-3)
When: 8:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Arkansas
TV channel: SEC Network
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
Series: Arkansas leads 20-14
Last meeting: Feb. 9, 2019 — South Carolina 77, Arkansas 65
KenPom prediction: Arkansas 76, South Carolina 66
