C
Collyn Taylor
Guest
South Carolina lost 85-80 Saturday to LSU, going to 3-3 and 1-1 in the SEC.
--South Carolina played poorly down the stretch, but give the Gamecocks a lot of credit for fighting hard and competing the way they did. LSU is a good team and South Carolina had a chance to win. There were a few questionable lineups late without a few key pieces and more battling foul trouble. Gamecocks needed more production from AJ Lawson late and more time with Couisnard on the floor. I'll say this, though, the Gamecocks have a chance to be good if they can get more practice time and consistent games instead of starting and stopping every other week. Saturday showed they have the moxie and talent to compete with some of the better teams in the SEC.
--That might have been the best start I've seen a South Carolina team have. The Gamecocks went with the hot hand, incorporating AJ Lawson into the game as much as possible and it worked. The Gamecocks went up 19-9 and looked like one of the best teams in the SEC doing it. If they can consistently play like that—and they could with more practice time—it's a very dangerous team.
--Keyshawn Bryant had maybe his most productive game as a Gamecock with a career high 26 points, seven rebounds and a career high four blocks. He had a tendency to get out of control and play too fast, but when he played at the right pace and within his game, he's a special player. The Gamecocks need him to continue playing at this pace right now. When he's on the court and healthy, Bryant's a way to space the floor and gives the Gamecocks another rebounder and rim protector without sacrificing athleticism. Bryant needs to play like this, or at least close to, every night.
--South Carolina lost this game with some clunky execution to end the game. After the game was tied at 76 with less than four minutes to play, LSU finished the game on a 9-4 run and South Carolina wasn't very good on either end of the court. The Gamecocks committed bad fouls defensively and hit just 1 of their final 13 shots, including having a scoring drought of over three minutes. The Gamecocks simply didn't execute and played some bad basketball down the stretch to give away the game.
--Wildens Leveque continue give the Gamecocks big minutes at the center spot and came up huge in the front court with 10 points (including a few big dunks) and gives the team a spark most of the bigs right now aren't giving them. He brings a presence to the paint and is explosive enough to rebound at a very high level. Gamecocks aren't asking him to do too much, and it's helping him settle into his game a little bit more. If he can give the Gamecocks quality minutes and enough offensively, his athleticism and rim protection is going to make him a valuable member of this team.
--Getting Couisnard in foul trouble early in the game and again to start the second half really hurt South Carolina. The Gamecocks had Couisnard for just 17 minutes. The Gamecocks needed him on the court to run point and provide a swagger and edge, and they never got that. Not playing him earlier in the second half with the game teetering was a choice, but Couisnard was in for crunch time and the Gamecocks weren't able to withstand LSU.
--South Carolina's biggest flaw right now offensively is a lack of a consistent point guard. Seventh Woods didn't have a great game and Jermaine Couisnard was sidelined with foul trouble, playing just 17 minutes. If South Carolina wants to be the offense it does, the point guard play will need to continue to get better. Far too many turnovers there and inconsistent play and it resulted in the loss.
--The Gamecocks need a closer, and right now there isn't one of those guys outside of maybe AJ Lawson. Lawson, after 18 first half points, had just two in the second half and struggled offensively. The Gamecocks need someone like a Sindarius Thornwell who can take over games, and they don't have those right now. The season will dictate a lot of that, but it has to be a leader like Lawson or Couisnard.
--South Carolina played poorly down the stretch, but give the Gamecocks a lot of credit for fighting hard and competing the way they did. LSU is a good team and South Carolina had a chance to win. There were a few questionable lineups late without a few key pieces and more battling foul trouble. Gamecocks needed more production from AJ Lawson late and more time with Couisnard on the floor. I'll say this, though, the Gamecocks have a chance to be good if they can get more practice time and consistent games instead of starting and stopping every other week. Saturday showed they have the moxie and talent to compete with some of the better teams in the SEC.
--That might have been the best start I've seen a South Carolina team have. The Gamecocks went with the hot hand, incorporating AJ Lawson into the game as much as possible and it worked. The Gamecocks went up 19-9 and looked like one of the best teams in the SEC doing it. If they can consistently play like that—and they could with more practice time—it's a very dangerous team.
--Keyshawn Bryant had maybe his most productive game as a Gamecock with a career high 26 points, seven rebounds and a career high four blocks. He had a tendency to get out of control and play too fast, but when he played at the right pace and within his game, he's a special player. The Gamecocks need him to continue playing at this pace right now. When he's on the court and healthy, Bryant's a way to space the floor and gives the Gamecocks another rebounder and rim protector without sacrificing athleticism. Bryant needs to play like this, or at least close to, every night.
--South Carolina lost this game with some clunky execution to end the game. After the game was tied at 76 with less than four minutes to play, LSU finished the game on a 9-4 run and South Carolina wasn't very good on either end of the court. The Gamecocks committed bad fouls defensively and hit just 1 of their final 13 shots, including having a scoring drought of over three minutes. The Gamecocks simply didn't execute and played some bad basketball down the stretch to give away the game.
--Wildens Leveque continue give the Gamecocks big minutes at the center spot and came up huge in the front court with 10 points (including a few big dunks) and gives the team a spark most of the bigs right now aren't giving them. He brings a presence to the paint and is explosive enough to rebound at a very high level. Gamecocks aren't asking him to do too much, and it's helping him settle into his game a little bit more. If he can give the Gamecocks quality minutes and enough offensively, his athleticism and rim protection is going to make him a valuable member of this team.
--Getting Couisnard in foul trouble early in the game and again to start the second half really hurt South Carolina. The Gamecocks had Couisnard for just 17 minutes. The Gamecocks needed him on the court to run point and provide a swagger and edge, and they never got that. Not playing him earlier in the second half with the game teetering was a choice, but Couisnard was in for crunch time and the Gamecocks weren't able to withstand LSU.
--South Carolina's biggest flaw right now offensively is a lack of a consistent point guard. Seventh Woods didn't have a great game and Jermaine Couisnard was sidelined with foul trouble, playing just 17 minutes. If South Carolina wants to be the offense it does, the point guard play will need to continue to get better. Far too many turnovers there and inconsistent play and it resulted in the loss.
--The Gamecocks need a closer, and right now there isn't one of those guys outside of maybe AJ Lawson. Lawson, after 18 first half points, had just two in the second half and struggled offensively. The Gamecocks need someone like a Sindarius Thornwell who can take over games, and they don't have those right now. The season will dictate a lot of that, but it has to be a leader like Lawson or Couisnard.
