Michigan's final marquee non-conference match-up of the season is a return home to square off with South Carolina this Saturday, the eighth, at noon. Michigan remains undefeated but seeing South Carolina on the opposite side of the court will surely bring up memories of the meeting in 2016 where USC's stifling defense locked down the Wolverines. They will hope to erase that from their minds and continue onward to a 10-0 start to the season.
South Carolina -- An Overview:
South Carolina have struggled mightily at 4-4 to start the season. They will be coming off a road game in Wyoming that resulted in a tough nine point loss that saw the Gamecocks outscored by thirteen in the second half. Fans have been frustrated with the quality of the side this season with claims online on fan forums that players and coaching have regressed. Their losses this season also include a pair of home losses to Stony Brook and a blow-out against Wofford, two solid mid-majors but two tough defeats, along with Providence on a neutral site. They are also now without the services of key wing Justin Minaya, whose right knee underwent surgery and is out indefinitely. Despite the struggles, the team's defensive field goal percentage is 33rd in the nation at 38.3% and any team coached by Frank Martin will have strong defensive principles ingrained into their system.
Starting Five:
Chris Silva is the main man for South Carolina. A preseason All-SEC First-Team player and a popular pick to be considered for SEC Player of the Year, that level of expected dominance has not been reached by the 6'9" forward. Silva has found himself in consistent foul trouble which has limited his minutes not just this season but throughout his career. His accolades speak for themselves as a First-Team All-SEC pick last season and Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the conference, but Silva's stats have all decreased over this season. His percentage shooting twos is down (from 47% to 41%) along with his FG% as a whole (46.7% to 39.7%). While he's at about two blocks per game, he is averaging a full two rebounds less than last season and is down from 14.3 to 10.3 points per game. He is quick and strong both on offense and defense and presents a real tough match-up for Michigan's bigs, but the game against Wyoming was his first performance of over thirty minutes (he played 36) and even then he shot just three-for-fourteen on the night. His performance against George Washington (twenty points, ten rebounds, two-for-two from three, seven-for-ten shooting, two blocks, thirty minutes) was his peak and he's able to get there. He needs to now on a more nightly basis for the Gamecocks to turn this season around.
Thus far, South Carolina has been led by freshman wing A.J. Lawson. Ranked as the 91st best freshman of the 2018 class, Lawson has been a key to the limited success USC has found. Standing at 6'6", Lawson leads the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game to go with a team high 3.4 assists, and also a solid five rebounds. He's been the Gamecocks leading shot-taker by far with a 41.3% mark (38-for-92) on the season. Additionally, he's just 29.5% from long range, but will hope to improve on that as the season goes on. A four minute, zero-for-five, four foul game against Wofford really hindered his 'per game' stats, but subtracting that poor performance he has scored in double figures in every game but the season opener. He averages 11.5 shots per game and is a high volume shooter, but some of those shots certainly show that he's a freshman still. Despite the down games throughout the year, he is definitely a bright spot for the future of South Carolina basketball.
Junior Maik Kotsar starts alongside Silva in the paint for South Carolina. At 6'10", the junior made a huge impact his freshman season as a regular starter and with a big game against Florida in the Elite Eight. Since then, he has leveled out and currently averages nearly eight points and five rebounds per game. While he can shoot from deep every now and then, Kotsar is much more comfortable in the post and is a strong and physical presence down low. His two-point percentage made a leap up to 48% so far this season, up almost thirty-percent from last year, and as he gets more comfortable down low he will continue to make post moves. That said, he has looked hesitant in some instances and unwilling to make a mistake, therefore unable to fully contribute to the side. Part of that is surely fear that Frank Martin will pull him from the game, but Kotsar needs to be willing to work past that worry and do what he can to help his side out.
Despite missing the first two games with injury, freshman T.J. Moss has become a piece to the starting five puzzle. Standing at 6'4", Moss, like Lawson, can run the point guard position, which Martin likes -- that is, having a couple players who can play point. Moss has slid into the starting five in place of Tre Campbell for the past two games, but needs to still find his footing within the line-up. Over the two games he's started, he's shot just four-for-fifteen, including a poor one-for-eight night in his debut as a starter. He's a tough player who passes the ball well, but he needs to limit his turnovers as well with eleven assists to twelve turnovers. Putting Moss in as a starter signals a bit of youth development for the coming seasons and could pay off in the long-term. Moss is averaging seven points with almost two assists per game.
Rounding out the starting five is a third freshman, Keyshawn Bryant. The 6'6" wing came in, like Moss, after the Wofford thumping. With Justin Minaya's injury, he is a logical choice to fill back in for the more veteran winger in the line-up. Martin joked that he just wants to "keep getting balder" as a reason for starting three freshmen, but Bryant offers a needed dose of athleticism and energy in the line-up. He announced his collegiate debut against USC Upstate with 21 points but, like many Gamecock players, he has trouble with staying away from fouls. He fouled out against Wyoming in just sixteen minutes. He needs to keep attempting to reign that in so he may stay on the court and help out his team. He's averaging eight points and 3.6 rebounds per game, very solid numbers for a freshman who came into college less heralded as the other two he now starts with.
Bench Rundown:
A key name to know for South Carolina as a whole is 6'2" senior guard Hassani Gravett. The former junior-college player, Gravett currently leads the Gamecocks in minutes played while having started just one game this season, the one against Wofford. Despite standing just 6'2", Gravett's skill set combined with the ability of multiple USC players to play the point allows him to operate off the ball as a shooting guard. He is the third leading scorer on the team with an even ten points per game. He also leads South Carolina players with more than five three-point attempts in field-goal percentage with a 42.4% mark from downtown (14-for-33). He has been much improved from last season where his three-point mark was 32.2% and field goal percentage as a whole was a shade under 40%. He will come off the bench and likely play a large role for Frank Martin's team.
Also key off the bench for South Carolina is 6'9" sophomore Felipe Haase. From Chile, Haase has the ability to camp out in the middle of the paint and hit midrange jumpers. This skill is effective for the two-big line-up of South Carolina as it allows Kotsar or Silva to man the blocks. Still working on getting stronger, Haase, one could argue, has been the biggest positive on this Gamecocks team in the early goings of the season. His two-point percentage has gone from a poor 26.6% to a better 38.5%. He has range, going 8-for-23 so far this season from three, as well. He's averaging a little over seven points per game. His development over the course of the season is going to be important for providing optimism to the South Carolina fanbase.
Tre Campbell has lost his spot in the starting line-up but is still important to watch for. Campbell is a grad student who transferred over from Georgetown having sat out last season. Standing 6'0", he offered a true point guard in the starting line-up, but now provides that off the bench. He's done well to limit turnovers -- thirteen assists to just six turnovers -- but his shooting percentages are where he's struggled. He's shooting 30% on the season, coinciding with a barely-over-28% clip from downtown. He's averaging 5.8 points per game, but his more limited minutes and limited shots may highlight his abilities better.
Finally, we have freshman forward Alanzo Frink. Standing 6'6" and weighing 265 pounds, Frink made his debut against Coastal Carolina after suffering through a knee injury. He has made appearances in the past two games, though, and offers another man for South Carolina to sub in at forward (to go a bit smaller) or at wing (to play a little bigger). His bigger frame is a bonus, he's a strong freshman who's only going to improve through his career. He's played fifteen minutes in his career, but he offers more than just bruising play, he's willing to shoot the three too.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Despite the fact that three of South Carolina's four losses are to non-Big Six conference teams, there is still some to be hesitant about. If Chris Silva can stay out of foul trouble, surely he cannot lay another egg in back-to-back games. Silva also represents a real tough match-up for Michigan where they risk getting burned by putting Ignas Brazdeikis on Silva, or they could try their luck with Charles Matthews, but give up considerable strength on Silva. The offense South Carolina ran against Wyoming included a ton of two big sets, either one on the block and one running the free throw line, or two on the free throw line. This set struggles in efficiency when you lack shooters because if someone like Silva or Maik Kotsar tries to drive, then you let a wing player guarding a weak shooter collapse and double the drive from the free throw line to the block, or a straight double on the block. I think this means Hassani Gravett will see a ton of minutes alongside A.J. Lawson in order to keep Michigan honest on the outside.
Defensively, South Carolina's aggressive man-to-man could also cause some problems. They are able to trap and press, but did not do a ton of that against Wyoming. Michigan has carved up several presses and Zavier Simpson handles traps rather well. You could see a bit more trapping defense on Eli Brooks, who is slightly more susceptible to the trap, but the key is going to be running the offense and not forcing bad shots. I feel comfortable saying you can put the records aside for this game. South Carolina's keys will be to stay out of foul trouble and finding joy from three. If they can get shots to fall throughout the game at a clip higher than their season average of about 31%, and move that closer to 45-50%, they have a definite shot at the game. If not, Michigan could impose their will in front of another packed Crisler crowd.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
South Carolina -- An Overview:
South Carolina have struggled mightily at 4-4 to start the season. They will be coming off a road game in Wyoming that resulted in a tough nine point loss that saw the Gamecocks outscored by thirteen in the second half. Fans have been frustrated with the quality of the side this season with claims online on fan forums that players and coaching have regressed. Their losses this season also include a pair of home losses to Stony Brook and a blow-out against Wofford, two solid mid-majors but two tough defeats, along with Providence on a neutral site. They are also now without the services of key wing Justin Minaya, whose right knee underwent surgery and is out indefinitely. Despite the struggles, the team's defensive field goal percentage is 33rd in the nation at 38.3% and any team coached by Frank Martin will have strong defensive principles ingrained into their system.
Starting Five:
Chris Silva is the main man for South Carolina. A preseason All-SEC First-Team player and a popular pick to be considered for SEC Player of the Year, that level of expected dominance has not been reached by the 6'9" forward. Silva has found himself in consistent foul trouble which has limited his minutes not just this season but throughout his career. His accolades speak for themselves as a First-Team All-SEC pick last season and Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the conference, but Silva's stats have all decreased over this season. His percentage shooting twos is down (from 47% to 41%) along with his FG% as a whole (46.7% to 39.7%). While he's at about two blocks per game, he is averaging a full two rebounds less than last season and is down from 14.3 to 10.3 points per game. He is quick and strong both on offense and defense and presents a real tough match-up for Michigan's bigs, but the game against Wyoming was his first performance of over thirty minutes (he played 36) and even then he shot just three-for-fourteen on the night. His performance against George Washington (twenty points, ten rebounds, two-for-two from three, seven-for-ten shooting, two blocks, thirty minutes) was his peak and he's able to get there. He needs to now on a more nightly basis for the Gamecocks to turn this season around.
Thus far, South Carolina has been led by freshman wing A.J. Lawson. Ranked as the 91st best freshman of the 2018 class, Lawson has been a key to the limited success USC has found. Standing at 6'6", Lawson leads the team in scoring with 14.9 points per game to go with a team high 3.4 assists, and also a solid five rebounds. He's been the Gamecocks leading shot-taker by far with a 41.3% mark (38-for-92) on the season. Additionally, he's just 29.5% from long range, but will hope to improve on that as the season goes on. A four minute, zero-for-five, four foul game against Wofford really hindered his 'per game' stats, but subtracting that poor performance he has scored in double figures in every game but the season opener. He averages 11.5 shots per game and is a high volume shooter, but some of those shots certainly show that he's a freshman still. Despite the down games throughout the year, he is definitely a bright spot for the future of South Carolina basketball.
Junior Maik Kotsar starts alongside Silva in the paint for South Carolina. At 6'10", the junior made a huge impact his freshman season as a regular starter and with a big game against Florida in the Elite Eight. Since then, he has leveled out and currently averages nearly eight points and five rebounds per game. While he can shoot from deep every now and then, Kotsar is much more comfortable in the post and is a strong and physical presence down low. His two-point percentage made a leap up to 48% so far this season, up almost thirty-percent from last year, and as he gets more comfortable down low he will continue to make post moves. That said, he has looked hesitant in some instances and unwilling to make a mistake, therefore unable to fully contribute to the side. Part of that is surely fear that Frank Martin will pull him from the game, but Kotsar needs to be willing to work past that worry and do what he can to help his side out.
Despite missing the first two games with injury, freshman T.J. Moss has become a piece to the starting five puzzle. Standing at 6'4", Moss, like Lawson, can run the point guard position, which Martin likes -- that is, having a couple players who can play point. Moss has slid into the starting five in place of Tre Campbell for the past two games, but needs to still find his footing within the line-up. Over the two games he's started, he's shot just four-for-fifteen, including a poor one-for-eight night in his debut as a starter. He's a tough player who passes the ball well, but he needs to limit his turnovers as well with eleven assists to twelve turnovers. Putting Moss in as a starter signals a bit of youth development for the coming seasons and could pay off in the long-term. Moss is averaging seven points with almost two assists per game.
Rounding out the starting five is a third freshman, Keyshawn Bryant. The 6'6" wing came in, like Moss, after the Wofford thumping. With Justin Minaya's injury, he is a logical choice to fill back in for the more veteran winger in the line-up. Martin joked that he just wants to "keep getting balder" as a reason for starting three freshmen, but Bryant offers a needed dose of athleticism and energy in the line-up. He announced his collegiate debut against USC Upstate with 21 points but, like many Gamecock players, he has trouble with staying away from fouls. He fouled out against Wyoming in just sixteen minutes. He needs to keep attempting to reign that in so he may stay on the court and help out his team. He's averaging eight points and 3.6 rebounds per game, very solid numbers for a freshman who came into college less heralded as the other two he now starts with.
Bench Rundown:
A key name to know for South Carolina as a whole is 6'2" senior guard Hassani Gravett. The former junior-college player, Gravett currently leads the Gamecocks in minutes played while having started just one game this season, the one against Wofford. Despite standing just 6'2", Gravett's skill set combined with the ability of multiple USC players to play the point allows him to operate off the ball as a shooting guard. He is the third leading scorer on the team with an even ten points per game. He also leads South Carolina players with more than five three-point attempts in field-goal percentage with a 42.4% mark from downtown (14-for-33). He has been much improved from last season where his three-point mark was 32.2% and field goal percentage as a whole was a shade under 40%. He will come off the bench and likely play a large role for Frank Martin's team.
Also key off the bench for South Carolina is 6'9" sophomore Felipe Haase. From Chile, Haase has the ability to camp out in the middle of the paint and hit midrange jumpers. This skill is effective for the two-big line-up of South Carolina as it allows Kotsar or Silva to man the blocks. Still working on getting stronger, Haase, one could argue, has been the biggest positive on this Gamecocks team in the early goings of the season. His two-point percentage has gone from a poor 26.6% to a better 38.5%. He has range, going 8-for-23 so far this season from three, as well. He's averaging a little over seven points per game. His development over the course of the season is going to be important for providing optimism to the South Carolina fanbase.
Tre Campbell has lost his spot in the starting line-up but is still important to watch for. Campbell is a grad student who transferred over from Georgetown having sat out last season. Standing 6'0", he offered a true point guard in the starting line-up, but now provides that off the bench. He's done well to limit turnovers -- thirteen assists to just six turnovers -- but his shooting percentages are where he's struggled. He's shooting 30% on the season, coinciding with a barely-over-28% clip from downtown. He's averaging 5.8 points per game, but his more limited minutes and limited shots may highlight his abilities better.
Finally, we have freshman forward Alanzo Frink. Standing 6'6" and weighing 265 pounds, Frink made his debut against Coastal Carolina after suffering through a knee injury. He has made appearances in the past two games, though, and offers another man for South Carolina to sub in at forward (to go a bit smaller) or at wing (to play a little bigger). His bigger frame is a bonus, he's a strong freshman who's only going to improve through his career. He's played fifteen minutes in his career, but he offers more than just bruising play, he's willing to shoot the three too.
Pre-Game Thoughts:
Despite the fact that three of South Carolina's four losses are to non-Big Six conference teams, there is still some to be hesitant about. If Chris Silva can stay out of foul trouble, surely he cannot lay another egg in back-to-back games. Silva also represents a real tough match-up for Michigan where they risk getting burned by putting Ignas Brazdeikis on Silva, or they could try their luck with Charles Matthews, but give up considerable strength on Silva. The offense South Carolina ran against Wyoming included a ton of two big sets, either one on the block and one running the free throw line, or two on the free throw line. This set struggles in efficiency when you lack shooters because if someone like Silva or Maik Kotsar tries to drive, then you let a wing player guarding a weak shooter collapse and double the drive from the free throw line to the block, or a straight double on the block. I think this means Hassani Gravett will see a ton of minutes alongside A.J. Lawson in order to keep Michigan honest on the outside.
Defensively, South Carolina's aggressive man-to-man could also cause some problems. They are able to trap and press, but did not do a ton of that against Wyoming. Michigan has carved up several presses and Zavier Simpson handles traps rather well. You could see a bit more trapping defense on Eli Brooks, who is slightly more susceptible to the trap, but the key is going to be running the offense and not forcing bad shots. I feel comfortable saying you can put the records aside for this game. South Carolina's keys will be to stay out of foul trouble and finding joy from three. If they can get shots to fall throughout the game at a clip higher than their season average of about 31%, and move that closer to 45-50%, they have a definite shot at the game. If not, Michigan could impose their will in front of another packed Crisler crowd.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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