Strong start: Three observations as Gamecocks move to 3-0 with win over VMI
After a sharp-shooting opening night last week at Colonial Life Arena, the South Carolina men’s basketball team’s home game Monday against VMI wasn’t nearly the same nothing-but-net-style of offense.
But it was a win, 74-64, and an important one at that.
The Gamecocks are now 3-0 for the first time since the start to the 2019-20 season, and for the first time in the Lamont Paris era. It wasn’t perfect and was the Gamecocks’ worst offensive showing of those three games, but it hinted at USC’s ability to get a scrappy win.
If the shots don’t fall immediately, South Carolina has to find another way to make it work. Monday, the Gamecocks did just that.
“Today there were just some times the guys just walked into a three-inch shot at right in our face,” Paris said.
Limiting personal fouls, or not
VMI had 10 fouls by halftime, five of which came before the first timeout of the game. South Carolina finished the half with seven. VMI picked up 10 more fouls in the second half, and USC added six more.
The large number of VMI fouls sent USC to the free throw line 25 times, scoring 17 points.
The only USC players who had any foul trouble were forward Stephen Clark and Ta’Lon Cooper, who finished the game with three. After Myles Stute and BJ Mack both played through Friday’s game with three fouls each, the two weren’t called for any against the Keydets.
Mack said the physicality during the game can have a direct impact on how many fouls get called on him. On Monday, he felt there were more calls on guards than forwards, while Friday was the other way around.
“I’m just playing and feeling out the game, seeing how the refs are calling the game,” Mack explained. “Compared to this game, they weren’t as physical from the bigs’ standpoint.”
The Gamecocks kept a large enough lead during the game to prevent the Keydets from mounting a comeback, but Paris still chose to play Mack in the final moments to help solidify the win.
Mack made sure not to foul. Clean defense is possible.
Sparkman sets it up, Mack finishes it off
Paris elected to make a new substitution in the first half — putting sophomore guard Eli Sparkman in for Jacobi Wright. Sparkman hadn’t played in the first half of either game prior to Monday night, and Paris needed the Gamecocks’ offense to start clicking.
“It’s like you’re driving and it looks like it’s a little foggy, and next thing you know, as you go, maybe 10 more seconds, you’re in the middle of all this fog, and you can’t see forwards, backwards or sideways,” Paris explained. “That’s what it was. It’s like, this is awful a little bit.”
Maybe it’s the magic of Sparkman’s presence, but the move worked and the Gamecocks came alive — particularly Mack, who finished the game with the first USC double-double of the season.
Mack has come close to a double-double against USC Upstate and Virginia Tech, along with Stute, they’ve been a rebound or two off from hitting that mark. South Carolina finished Monday’s game with four players in double-digits, and nine players scored. USC has had at least three players reach double-digits in all three games this season.
Sparkman finished his game with two points, scoring the lone bucket midway through the second half. Paris said there’s a unique energy about the sophomore guard, and could easily play increased minutes if it weren’t for his shorter stature.
Still, Sparkman’s selflessness has given Paris enough confidence to let him play when the Gamecocks need a spark.
“He’s got a lot of reliability in what he does,” Paris said. “So, you know, I think it just inspired some guys and when we went on a nice run, he was a key piece to it.”
Shots don’t fall as often
Let the rest of South Carolina’s nonconference opponents be warned: If you give the Gamecocks time and space to take a 3-pointer, they’re going to shoot the ball. And once USC gets into a rhythm, it can start raining very quickly.
After going 0-for-6 beyond the arc for the first seven minutes, South Carolina connected on five of its next six 3-pointers. It’s become the Gamecocks’ go-to play and thus far has been successful. There weren’t nearly as many successful treys in the second half. That single spurt was enough to propel the Gamecocks to a large enough lead from which the Keydets couldn’t catch up.
Of USC’s 71 shots, 23 were 3-point attempts. South Carolina finished the game 35% from the field and 30% in triples. It was the first time in three games where the Gamecocks shot under 50%.
“You’re gonna have some nights like that with no matter what kind of quality shot you get,” Paris said. “But I just think it was more, our stuff around the basket was just impacted by the fact that they were being physical.”
Wright and Paris both called the Gamecocks’ Monday start “flat,” and Paris added that he wasn’t expecting USC to have a slower start this early in the season. The Gamecocks can’t rely on the long-range shot for the entire season, particularly in conference play.
“Coach was harping on it in the locker room,” Wright said. “We just kind of came out flat and that’s not what we expect of ourselves as a team. That’s definitely something we have to fix in the near future.”
South Carolina’s next four games
- vs. DePaul (Arizona Tip Off) - 11:30 p.m. (CBS Sports Network)
- vs. Grand Caynon/San Franscico (Arizona Tip Off) - TBA (CBS Sports Network)
- vs. Notre Dame (ACC/SEC Challenge) - 7 p.m. (SEC Network)
- vs. George Washington - 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
This story was originally published November 13, 2023 at 9:02 PM with the headline "Strong start: Three observations as Gamecocks move to 3-0 with win over VMI."
