Greetings folks! We’re 17 days away from the beginning of basketball preseason practice, and just 60 days from the beginning of the 2020-21 South Carolina Gamecocks men’s basketball season. With no official schedule being posted yet, and some rumblings of what the season will look like thanks to Covid, it’s hard to give an actual in depth analysis of what this season could look like from a wins and losses standpoint. However, we do have some early predictions from some other sites and stats from returning players that we can look at to start to set some expectations for a season during the year 2020 where expectations have been thrown out the window. Thanks for joining me, and feel free to add your thoughts below.
Experience
Experience has been something the Gamecocks have largely missed since the epic 2017 run to the Final Four, particular at guard. This season the Gamecocks return all but 2 key players (Kotsar and Bolden). That’s 84% of scoring and 79% of rebounding from last season. 4 out of 5 starters are back from last years team. Experience should help in some of the facets of the game where the Gamecocks were, to be frank (pun intended), bad. Experience leads to better understanding which typically leads to being better adjusted to the speed of the game and having a better understanding of what is needed and expected. So to no longer beat around the bush, the garbage play from PG on defense and the awful propensity to foul, should see some improvements this season, particularly if Woods lives up to expectations defensively.
Scary Stat
The Gamecocks had only 2 key players shoot above 30% from 3 last season, AJ Lawson and Jair Bolden. That’s a scary stat with the subtraction of Bolden. The Gamecocks will need to see a couple guys that are capable of making those shots really put that on display this season. Some three point threats on the roster: Lawson, Couisnard, Minaya, Anderson (needs to become consistenct), and Moss (yeah, I know). Mike Green can shoot it (50% last season) but he’s a walk-on so I don’t expect him to impact outside of garbage time.
Break Out Players
Justin Minaya: I’m starting the list with Minaya because he is too often forgotten by fans when talking hoops. It’s fitting too because his play at times can feel so quiet, especially on offense, that you don’t realize just how valuable he really is to the team. He’s the glue guy that every team wants, and before he went down with an injury last season, he had begun to put some nice games together by playing great defense and becoming the teams best rebounder. Yeah, I said best. Sorry Maik. The only thing missing was that sweet three poInt stroke he flashed in his freshman season. If Minaya can add three point shooting consistency back into his game, look out!
Keyshawn Bryant: Like Minaya, an injury impacted his season. Bryant missed the first 8 games, and started out a little slow. If you don’t call what he was doing by the end of last season breaking out, then he’s a candidate for sure this season. Like Minaya, Bryant started watching his game improve by playing good defense and improving his rebounding. Over the final five games of last season, he averaged 15.6 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game becoming the teams best rebounder at that point. All feedback sounds as if Bryant has spent the off-season improving his shot, and is poised for a big junior campaign.
Jermaine Couisnard: Touted as a guy that can make shots from anywhere on the court, Couisnard struggled last year to find Consistency shooting the ball. His 29% 3pt% and 66.9% FT% left a lot to be desired, but those numbers did not deter him from taking (and making) big shots (I’ll never forget that Kentucky game). Besides scoring, Couisnard showed he has the potential to impact the game in other ways. He was 15th in assists, 14th in assists per game, and 10th in assists percentage in the SEC. If Couisnard can become a more efficient offensive player, he could be the biggest breakout player on this team.
Wildens Leveque: The last guy to make my list. Wildens will be thrust into the spotlight the season as the Gamecocks look for some size to make up for what they lose from Kotsar. He’s shown a knack for rim protection (2 blocks at Tennessee and 2 against Mississippi). His athleticism will be needed and if he can stay out of foul trouble, he has a chance to be a great rebounder where he can get some of his scoring on second chance opportunities.
SEC Expectations
Expectations are already being posted concerning where teams are expected to finish in the SEC this season. Jeremy Woo posted his SEC power rankings at the end of July putting the Gamecocks at 7th in conference.
The guys over at Three-Man-Weave posted their SEC expectations and have the Gamecocks at 9th in conference.
Jeff Goodman predicts the Gamecocks will finish 9th.
All I have to say to this is
It bewilders me that Ole Miss and Auburn get so much respect after losing the most integral pieces of their teams. Sure, Auburn is bringing in a shiny new recruiting class, and it could be good, especially PG Sharife Cooper, but they will be playing one of the youngest teams in the country this season. Ole Miss lost key starters Breein Tyree and Blake Hinson.Sure they get Shuler back, but it seems reasonable to assume that their season hinges on how far he can take them.
4 out of the last 5 seasons, South Carolina has outplayed their preseason expectations. With what the gamecocks return, I wouldn’t pick against the Gamecocks, but we all know how the media likes only paying attention to the flashy new recruiting classes or transfers.
Talkin about Lawson
Make no mistake about it, Lawson did not take the big leap Gamecock fans had hoped for in his 2019-20 Sophomore campaign where he was on everyNBA draft board picked to be as high as a late first round draft pick. However, looking back on the season, Lawson did show some improvement in his offensive efficiency, believe it or not. His effective field goal percentage was 50.2% up from 48% the season before. Credit his improved efficiency inside the three point line for this increase. His 2p% went from 45.1% to 49.4%, and although his 3pt% decreased, a couple percent, he was still one of the best 3 point shooters on the team. Lawson also improved his free throw percentage nearly 6% from year 1 to year 2 from 66.7% to 72.4%.
Frankly, one of Lawson’s biggest flaws is that he simply has not been a shot creator. He doesn’t have a bevy if moves to get open, and seems to be most effective utilizing a quick first step to straight line drive to get into the paint. He’s efficient enough with the catch and shoot although there is certainly room for improvement.
On the other side of the court, Lawson has been a very good team defender. He is able to communicate and excels as a help defender. His on-ball defense leaves a lot to be desired, however. He is constantly beat off the dribble and it comes from overreacting to what his man is doing (jab steps, changes in direction, etc..). All these things are able to be improved upon, but it’s also why most are higher on Couisnard than Lawson at this time. Lawson will be counted on to show that he’s improved. He will be one of the key, if not THE key player the Gamecocks will need to have playing well if they hope to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Seventh Woods
Let me be clear that these are my thoughts on Woods based on things I’ve read and heard. Let me start by saying, the best thing that could happen to this team is for a point guard to step up. Seventh Woods is my pick for that guy. That would move Couisnard back to his natural 2 guard spot, Lawson to the wing, and create an interesting debate at who would start at 4.
My biggest expectation for Woods, is for him to come in and provide a boost defensively at the position that was the biggest weakness for the Gamecocks defensively. Failure to play good on-ball defense at PG killed the Gamecocks causing bigs to get into foul trouble, bad fouls on the point guards, easy buckets for the opponents thanks to defensive breakdowns, etc. Woods has no issue with playing tough defense.
Woods time at UNC has been labeled a failure by the casual basketball fan. In reality, injuries plagued him and amazing talent played ahead of him early in his Tar Heel career. We caught a glimpse of what Seveth Woods could be against #4 Gonzaga 2 years ago as he scored a career high 14 points with 5 rebounds 2 steals and an assist.
I spoke with a Tar Heel booster after Woods transferred out, and he said losing Woods was a bigger blow to the team than most thought. Woods defense would sorely be missed and thought he may have a chance to really impact the 2019-20 season if he stayed with the Heels.
Woods is still a bit of a mystery. His defense has been the most talked about contribution and could shore up a weak spot for the Gamecocks. Offensively, he has been inefficient with a propensity to turn the ball over, and lack of consistency with his shot. For Woods to be a impactful, he’ll need to cut down on the turnovers, and show aggressiveness using his quickness and athleticism to get into the lane to score and create for his teammates. We’ll also need his defense to help create good offense. If Woods can consistently shoot well, then he could close out his collegiate career in an impactful way.
Final Note
The basketball schedule should be released soon. Once that is released, I’ll take a look at each out of conference opponent and provide thoughts about each game like I did last year. Thanks for reading! Hope y’all have a great Sunday!
Experience
Experience has been something the Gamecocks have largely missed since the epic 2017 run to the Final Four, particular at guard. This season the Gamecocks return all but 2 key players (Kotsar and Bolden). That’s 84% of scoring and 79% of rebounding from last season. 4 out of 5 starters are back from last years team. Experience should help in some of the facets of the game where the Gamecocks were, to be frank (pun intended), bad. Experience leads to better understanding which typically leads to being better adjusted to the speed of the game and having a better understanding of what is needed and expected. So to no longer beat around the bush, the garbage play from PG on defense and the awful propensity to foul, should see some improvements this season, particularly if Woods lives up to expectations defensively.
Scary Stat
The Gamecocks had only 2 key players shoot above 30% from 3 last season, AJ Lawson and Jair Bolden. That’s a scary stat with the subtraction of Bolden. The Gamecocks will need to see a couple guys that are capable of making those shots really put that on display this season. Some three point threats on the roster: Lawson, Couisnard, Minaya, Anderson (needs to become consistenct), and Moss (yeah, I know). Mike Green can shoot it (50% last season) but he’s a walk-on so I don’t expect him to impact outside of garbage time.
Break Out Players
Justin Minaya: I’m starting the list with Minaya because he is too often forgotten by fans when talking hoops. It’s fitting too because his play at times can feel so quiet, especially on offense, that you don’t realize just how valuable he really is to the team. He’s the glue guy that every team wants, and before he went down with an injury last season, he had begun to put some nice games together by playing great defense and becoming the teams best rebounder. Yeah, I said best. Sorry Maik. The only thing missing was that sweet three poInt stroke he flashed in his freshman season. If Minaya can add three point shooting consistency back into his game, look out!
Keyshawn Bryant: Like Minaya, an injury impacted his season. Bryant missed the first 8 games, and started out a little slow. If you don’t call what he was doing by the end of last season breaking out, then he’s a candidate for sure this season. Like Minaya, Bryant started watching his game improve by playing good defense and improving his rebounding. Over the final five games of last season, he averaged 15.6 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per game becoming the teams best rebounder at that point. All feedback sounds as if Bryant has spent the off-season improving his shot, and is poised for a big junior campaign.
Jermaine Couisnard: Touted as a guy that can make shots from anywhere on the court, Couisnard struggled last year to find Consistency shooting the ball. His 29% 3pt% and 66.9% FT% left a lot to be desired, but those numbers did not deter him from taking (and making) big shots (I’ll never forget that Kentucky game). Besides scoring, Couisnard showed he has the potential to impact the game in other ways. He was 15th in assists, 14th in assists per game, and 10th in assists percentage in the SEC. If Couisnard can become a more efficient offensive player, he could be the biggest breakout player on this team.
Wildens Leveque: The last guy to make my list. Wildens will be thrust into the spotlight the season as the Gamecocks look for some size to make up for what they lose from Kotsar. He’s shown a knack for rim protection (2 blocks at Tennessee and 2 against Mississippi). His athleticism will be needed and if he can stay out of foul trouble, he has a chance to be a great rebounder where he can get some of his scoring on second chance opportunities.
SEC Expectations
Expectations are already being posted concerning where teams are expected to finish in the SEC this season. Jeremy Woo posted his SEC power rankings at the end of July putting the Gamecocks at 7th in conference.
The guys over at Three-Man-Weave posted their SEC expectations and have the Gamecocks at 9th in conference.
Jeff Goodman predicts the Gamecocks will finish 9th.
All I have to say to this is
It bewilders me that Ole Miss and Auburn get so much respect after losing the most integral pieces of their teams. Sure, Auburn is bringing in a shiny new recruiting class, and it could be good, especially PG Sharife Cooper, but they will be playing one of the youngest teams in the country this season. Ole Miss lost key starters Breein Tyree and Blake Hinson.Sure they get Shuler back, but it seems reasonable to assume that their season hinges on how far he can take them.
4 out of the last 5 seasons, South Carolina has outplayed their preseason expectations. With what the gamecocks return, I wouldn’t pick against the Gamecocks, but we all know how the media likes only paying attention to the flashy new recruiting classes or transfers.
Talkin about Lawson
Make no mistake about it, Lawson did not take the big leap Gamecock fans had hoped for in his 2019-20 Sophomore campaign where he was on everyNBA draft board picked to be as high as a late first round draft pick. However, looking back on the season, Lawson did show some improvement in his offensive efficiency, believe it or not. His effective field goal percentage was 50.2% up from 48% the season before. Credit his improved efficiency inside the three point line for this increase. His 2p% went from 45.1% to 49.4%, and although his 3pt% decreased, a couple percent, he was still one of the best 3 point shooters on the team. Lawson also improved his free throw percentage nearly 6% from year 1 to year 2 from 66.7% to 72.4%.
Frankly, one of Lawson’s biggest flaws is that he simply has not been a shot creator. He doesn’t have a bevy if moves to get open, and seems to be most effective utilizing a quick first step to straight line drive to get into the paint. He’s efficient enough with the catch and shoot although there is certainly room for improvement.
On the other side of the court, Lawson has been a very good team defender. He is able to communicate and excels as a help defender. His on-ball defense leaves a lot to be desired, however. He is constantly beat off the dribble and it comes from overreacting to what his man is doing (jab steps, changes in direction, etc..). All these things are able to be improved upon, but it’s also why most are higher on Couisnard than Lawson at this time. Lawson will be counted on to show that he’s improved. He will be one of the key, if not THE key player the Gamecocks will need to have playing well if they hope to make it to the NCAA Tournament.
Seventh Woods
Let me be clear that these are my thoughts on Woods based on things I’ve read and heard. Let me start by saying, the best thing that could happen to this team is for a point guard to step up. Seventh Woods is my pick for that guy. That would move Couisnard back to his natural 2 guard spot, Lawson to the wing, and create an interesting debate at who would start at 4.
My biggest expectation for Woods, is for him to come in and provide a boost defensively at the position that was the biggest weakness for the Gamecocks defensively. Failure to play good on-ball defense at PG killed the Gamecocks causing bigs to get into foul trouble, bad fouls on the point guards, easy buckets for the opponents thanks to defensive breakdowns, etc. Woods has no issue with playing tough defense.
Woods time at UNC has been labeled a failure by the casual basketball fan. In reality, injuries plagued him and amazing talent played ahead of him early in his Tar Heel career. We caught a glimpse of what Seveth Woods could be against #4 Gonzaga 2 years ago as he scored a career high 14 points with 5 rebounds 2 steals and an assist.
I spoke with a Tar Heel booster after Woods transferred out, and he said losing Woods was a bigger blow to the team than most thought. Woods defense would sorely be missed and thought he may have a chance to really impact the 2019-20 season if he stayed with the Heels.
Woods is still a bit of a mystery. His defense has been the most talked about contribution and could shore up a weak spot for the Gamecocks. Offensively, he has been inefficient with a propensity to turn the ball over, and lack of consistency with his shot. For Woods to be a impactful, he’ll need to cut down on the turnovers, and show aggressiveness using his quickness and athleticism to get into the lane to score and create for his teammates. We’ll also need his defense to help create good offense. If Woods can consistently shoot well, then he could close out his collegiate career in an impactful way.
Final Note
The basketball schedule should be released soon. Once that is released, I’ll take a look at each out of conference opponent and provide thoughts about each game like I did last year. Thanks for reading! Hope y’all have a great Sunday!
