Desperately needed victory for a desperate team
South Carolina vs. Ole Miss
Date: Tuesday, January 17th
Time: 6:30 PM
Channel: SECN
Where: Colonial Life Arena – Columbia, SC
South Carolina is looking to bounce-back from one of the worst losses in program history against the Ole Miss Rebels. The Rebels currently match South Carolina sitting at 8-9, so the Gamecocks must take advantage.
Ole Miss is currently ranked 90th in KenPom’s latest advanced metric ratings, which is the lowest of remaining opponents South Carolina has this year. This means that this is a must-win game, with this being the easiest game remaining on a very tough SEC schedule
The Rebels have not won a basketball game in exactly a month, going on a 6-game losing streak dating back to December 17th. However, the Rebels do have one key win, that being Florida Atlantic, who is currently ranked 24th in the AP Poll at 17-1. Contrary to this, Ole Miss have showed little signs of life since then.
The Key to this game defensively for the Gamecocks is to stop Matthew Murrell. Murrell is the only player on Ole Miss averaging points in double figures at 15.1, while also leading the team in assists and swiping a steal a night. The Gamecocks also have to look out for Myles Burns, who leads the team in rebounds per game at 6.4 while also leading the team in steals per game at 2.2.
Once again, Meechie Johnson Jr. or Chico Carter Jr. have to have a great game for the Gamecocks to even sniff competition in the SEC. In both 40 point home blowouts, both scored under double figures while shooting subpar from the field. They both have been playing pretty well recently despite of that, but considering this is the most bipolar team in the country, you never know what you’re going to get.
There has been no word on whether Hayden Brown will return against the Rebels or not. Brown missed last game vs. Texas A&M with a deep th only igh bruise, and the Gamecocks clearly missed him. However, this did allow Zachary Davis to show his true potential, which has sparked excitement for Gamecock fans.
GG Jackson has got to have a good game tonight or I’m going to start to get a little worried. Over his last five games, Jackson is only putting up 11.6 points per game, including a 0 point performance against Tennessee, while shooting a lackluster 34% from the field. Jackson is the highest rated recruit in program history, and he needs to play like it.
KenPom is giving South Carolina a 32% chance to get the victory against Ole Miss with a score prediction of South Carolina 62, Ole Miss 67
My Prediction: South Carolina 58, Ole Miss 62