A&M plans to stick to script to avoid upset vs. sneaky South Carolina
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A mere syllable is the difference between victor and victim. It’s even closer for Southeastern Conference basketball games at South Carolina.
The Gamecocks’ last three home games have been separated by the narrowest of margins. Losses to No. 1 Auburn, No. 5 Florida and No. 14 Mississippi State were decided by a combined nine points. The 65-60 loss to Mississippi State last week went into overtime.
Those close encounters suggest South Carolina (10-11, 0-8) is much better than its modest record indicates.
That’s the message Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams delivered to the No. 13 Aggies (16-5, 5-3) as they head to Columbia for a 7:30 p.m. CT tilt on Saturday night.
The Aggies are 2-2 on the road in SEC play. They had furious second-half rallies to secure their two road wins over Oklahoma and Ole Miss, so they don’t expect anything to be easy.
“Because of what’s transpired in the month of January, our guys are beginning to be very accepting that wherever we play and whoever we play, it’s going to be a one- or two-possession game,” Williams said.
To ensure South Carolina doesn’t get its first SEC win, the Aggies’ defense must contain South Carolina leading scorer Collin Murray-Boyles, a 6-foot-7 forward who averages 15.2 points. He averaged 16.3 points vs. Auburn, Florida and Mississippi State.
A&M must also limit the Gamecocks’ bench production, which has gotten a boost from 5-foot-11 guard Jamarii Thomas. He sprained his right knee in practice on Jan. 10, which forced him to miss four games, including those against Auburn and Florida.
But since returning to the lineup, he’s scored 19 points in back-to-back games vs. Mississippi State and Georgia.
Also, the Aggies must have success at the foul line, which has been a major factor in their success. They hit 29 of 35 free throws in the 75-68 victory over Oklahoma on Tuesday.
But Auburn, Florida and Mississippi State combined for just 39 free throw attempts vs. South Carolina. They converted 25.
The Aggies will also aim to maintain their dominance on the boards. A&M continues to lead the nation in offensive rebounding with an average of 16.7 per game. But South Carolina is effective on the defensive boards.
“I think in conference play, they’re third in defensive rebounding percentage. I believe in conference play, we’re second,” Williams said. “That means there’s going to be a lot of unclean rebounds and a lot of fouls while the ball is in the air that an official can’t officiate. I think that will probably determine (the outcome).”
Along with rebounding, A&M would be well served to duplicate the balanced scoring showed against Oklahoma.
Though guards Zhuric Phelps and Wade Taylor IV typically lead A&M’s offense, they were among six players who scored at least nine points against the Sooners.
Forwards Pharrel Payne, Henry Coleman III and Andersson Garcia were extremely effective in the paint.
“I would love for it to be like it was against OU with guys like Andy and Pharrel scoring,” Phelps said. “That helps me and Wade a lot. It takes a big weight off our shoulders when they do that.”
