Florida Gators basketball preview for South Carolina game

What to know: #19 Florida Gators basketball at #24 South Carolina Gamecocks

Game Information

When: Wednesday, January 18, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. (ET)

Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.

Records: Florida (15-3), (5-0 SEC); South Carolina (14-3), (4-0 SEC)

Coaches: Mike White- 35-18 (2nd season at Florida), 136-58 (6th season overall); Frank Martin- 84-66 (5th season at South Carolina), 201-120 (10th season overall)

TV: SEC Network

Streaming: WatchESPN

Radio: Gator IMG Sports Network

Projected Starters

Florida Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Per Game
Devin Robinson F 6-8 200 Junior 11.4 pts / 5.1 reb
Justin Leon F 6-8 206 Senior 6.7 pts / 3.1 reb
Kevarrius Hayes C 6-9 218 Sophomore 5.4 pts / 3.8 reb
Kasey hill G 6-1 175 Senior 9.5 pts / 4.9 asts
Kevaughn allen G 6-2 183 Sophomore 13.9 pts / 2.4 reb

 

south carolina Pos.  Ht.  Wt.  Class Per Game
malik costar F 6-10 245 Freshman 7.4 pts / 5.5 reb
chris silva F 6-9 223 Sophomore 9.7 pts / 6.3 reb
sindarius thronwell G 6-5 211 Senior 18.0 pts / 7.1 reb
duane notice G 6-2 225 Senior 9.9 pts / 2.5 asts
pj dozier 6-6 205 Sophomore 14.9 pts / 4.8 reb

 

Preview

The Gamecocks enter this game with a perfect SEC record and a four-game winning streak on the line. South Carolina’s four SEC wins include victories over Georgia and Tennessee on the road, which are two teams Florida struggled with at home. Most recently, the Gamecocks defeated Ole Miss 67-56 at home.

Florida comes in with even more on the line. The Gators are riding a six-game winning streak and are 5-0 in SEC play for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Georgia took Florida into overtime at home last time out, but the Gators held on for an 80-76 victory.

Canyon Barry shined in the defeat of Georgia, with a season-high and team-leading 27 points off the bench. His 27 points were the most by an SEC player off the bench this season. Keith Stone scored a career-high 17 in the game and led the team with 14 at Alabama.

The duo of Barry and Stone has been on fire in recent games to give Florida a major boost off the bench. The Gators combined for a 92-22 advantage in points off the bench against Alabama and Georgia, including a 51-5 edge over the Bulldogs.

Sindarius Thornwell leads the Gamecocks with 18.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. He is followed by PJ Dozier, who averages 14.9 points and has a team-leading 52 assists this season. Duane Notice is South Carolina’s biggest long-range threat, with 32 made three-pointers.

South Carolina the SEC in six different defensive categories. It holds the nation’s best three-point percentage defense at just 27.9 percent. The Gamecocks are also in the top 10 in three-point field goals allowed, field goal percentage defense, and scoring defense. South Carolina allows just 59.8 points per game.

Florida leads the series with an all-time record of 43-23, which includes a 21-14 record on the road. The Gators dropped a seven-game winning streak against the Gamecocks with a 73-69 loss in overtime. The streak included four consecutive wins at South Carolina. This is the fourth straight meeting in this series to take place in Columbia. Due to the odd scheduling, it will be the first time Florida has faced an SEC opponent on the road four straight times.

If the Gators pull out a win, it will be fifth 6-0 start to conference play in program history. Mike White would join Billy Donovan as the only other coach to lead Florida to that mark.

Bailiegh Carlton
A lifelong sports fan, Bailiegh Carlton knew from a young age that she wanted to work in sports in some capacity. Before transferring to the University of Florida to study journalism, she played softball at Gulf Coast State College. She then interned for Gator Country for three years as she worked toward her degree. After graduation, Bailiegh decided to explore other opportunities in the world of sports, but all roads led her right back here. In her time away, she and her husband welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world. When she isn't working, she can almost always be found snuggled up with sweet baby Ridley, Cody and her four fur babies.