SEC Basketball Notebook
By Randy Rosetta
WagerWeb.com Contributing Writer
South Carolina’s hopes of a third consecutive postseason bid of any kind are quickly unraveling, and things don’t get any easier as the Gamecocks hit the road for four of the next six games.
The Gamecocks (10-6, 0-3 SEC) have dropped by consecutive games to then-No. 2 Florida and Kentucky by a combined 82 points. In fact, over the last four games, USC has been outscored by 112 points. The losses to the Gators and Wildcats are the Gamecocks’ worst since 1915.
Tennessee is also struggling with three straight losses after stubbing a toe at Auburn Wednesday. The No. 22 Volunteers seemed to have the game with the Tigers in control before AU hit an 18-0 surge to turn the tide.
UT coach Bruce Pearl picked up a costly technical foul in the closing minute, in part due to a timeout granted Auburn. But Peal was also miffed by the fact that the Tigers shot 23 second-half free throws (making 18) to three for the Vols.
South Carolina’s struggles are across the board. The Gamecocks rank 12th in the SEC in scoring offense (62.6 points a game), field-goal shooting (41.7 percent), 3-point shooting (31.1 percent), rebounding margin (-1.7), assists (11.1 per game) and steals (4.4 per game).
Tennessee is in much better shape, topping the SEC in scoring offense at 84.2 points a game. Junior sharpshooter Chris Lofton leads the SEC with 22.5 points and 3.4 3-pointers a game with freshman JaJuan Smith also providing a boost with 14.2 points and 35.5 percent shooting (44 of 124) from outside the arc.
Tre’ Kelley has been the only consistent scoring threat for South Carolina, despite an ongoing battle with a knee injury. Kelley is the Gamecocks’ leader in scoring with 16.5 points a game (third in the SEC) and 4.5 assists a contest.
The Volunteers swept the season series with USC last year, but the Gamecocks knocked off UT in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. UT is a 15-point favorite tonight.
GEORGIA at No. 10 ALABAMA (1:30 p.m. EST): The Crimson Tide get back home where they should be safe from another blowout. Alabama has lost seven of its last eight SEC road games dating back to last season, including blowouts at Arkansas and Vanderbilt this year. At Coleman Coliseum, though, the Tide (14-3, 1-2) is 9-0 this season and has rattled off 16 wins in a row. Alabama coach will celebrate his 42nd birthday against the Bulldogs, who stunned Arkansas 67-64 on Wednesday. Georgia (11-5, 3-1) trailed the Razorbacks 62-55 and 64-58 in the closing moments but scored nine unanswered points on 3-pointers – the last on Steve Newman’s 26-footer as time expired. The Bulldogs knocked off ’Bama 88-79 last season despite Tide guard Ronald Steele’s career-high 26 points, but haven’t won in Tuscaloosa since 2003. Alabama’s frontcourt of Jermareo Davidson (14.2 points, 9.3 rebounds per game) and Richard Hendrix (14.9, 8.8) should be too much for Georgia. The Tide are 5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.
AUBURN at MISSISSIPPI STATE (3 p.m. EST): The Tigers broke through for an 83-80 triumph against 22nd-ranked Tennessee Wednesday, Auburn’s first victory against a ranked foe since 2004. Junior Frank Tolbert led AU (12-7, 2-2) with a career-best 24 points and provided the exclamation point with a fast-break slam dunk. Quan Prowell added 21 points for the Tigers, 21 in the second half when Auburn uncorked an 18-0 blitz to stagger the Volunteers. The Tigers are off to their best SEC start since 2003. Mississippi State (10-6, 1-2) is back in action after a week off following a tough-to-swallow 64-60 loss at Kentucky last weekend. The Bulldogs have been one of the tougher defenses to shoot against, limiting opponents to 37.3 percent overall shooting (second in SEC) and 27 percent from 3-point range (first in SEC). Freshman guard Barry Stewart is coming on for State with 21 points in the last two games and is shooting 40.4 percent (36 of 89) from 3-point land.
No. 16 LSU at ARKANSAS (3:45 p.m. EST): The Tigers struggled to get past Auburn and Ole Miss at home, but stand in first place in the SEC West as they enter the first of their two annual grudge matches with the Razorbacks. LSU (13-4, 2-1) is averaging only 62.7 points a game in league play, but has offset that by beating foes on the backboards by an average of 7 rebounds a game. Sophomore swingmen Tasmin Mitchell and Terry Martin have emerged as the Tigers’ secondary scoring options behind Glen Davis (18.7 ppg). Mitchell is producing 16.7 points a game in SEC play (14.6 overall), while Martin overcame a goose egg in his SEC debut vs. Alabama with a career-best 23 points against Auburn and 15 against Ole Miss. Martin has hit 9-of-18 3-pointers in SEC play. Arkansas is reeling with three losses in a row by a total of 12 points. The Hogs (12-6, 1-3) have led in the final 35 seconds in three their losses by four points or less. Junior center Steven Hill notched a career-high 15 points against Georgia and has connected on his last 12 field goals. LSU swept the Razorbacks last season and has won seven of the last eight games with Arkansas. The last four games of the series have been settled by a total of 12 points. The Hogs are 2.5-point favorites on WagerWeb.com.