South Carolina @ Mississippi preview
The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss
Last Meeting ( Mar 4, 2017 ) South Carolina 70, Mississippi 75
After up-and-down showings during the non-conference portion of the schedule, it’s anyone’s guess how South Carolina and Ole Miss will fare in the SEC. The teams might provide a bit of clarity Sunday, when the Rebels host the Gamecocks to open conference play.
The Rebels already have suffered five losses – although three were in overtime – but they’ve notched back-to-back blowout wins and are coming off an 82-59 triumph over Bradley. The Gamecocks tuned up with a 74-45 rout of NCAA Division II Limestone on Wednesday, erasing the memory of an ugly 64-48 loss at Clemson eight days earlier. Ole Miss holds a narrow 19-18 advantage in the all-time series but is 13-2 at home against the Gamecocks. The home team has won 15 of the last 18 meetings, including both clashes last season.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, ESPN2
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (9-3): The Gamecocks are not the guard-centric team that advanced to the Final Four for the first time a season ago. Chris Silva (12.8 points, eight rebounds) and Maik Kotsar (9.8, 4.7) give South Carolina a strong post duo that could be a handful for an undersized Ole Miss lineup. Guard Frank Booker (11.1 points) is the team’s only other double-digit scorer, but freshman guard David Beatty scored a season-high 16 points against Limestone.
ABOUT OLE MISS (7-5): Guards account for more than 70 percent of the Rebels’ scoring, with Terence Davis (16.1 points) and Deandre Burnett (14.4 points, 4.8 assists) leading the way. Memphis transfer Markel Crawford (10.5 points) also averages double digits in points despite his early struggles from the outside, hitting just 27.7 percent from 3-point range. Despite the guard-centric lineup, the Rebels don’t defend the perimeter well, allowing opponents to shoot 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.
TIP-INS
1. The Gamecocks are 4-10 all-time in league openers on the road but have begun conference play with road wins each of the last two seasons.
2. The Rebels have used eight different starting lineups, with 10 players making at least one start.
3. South Carolina is 9-0 when scoring at least 70 points but has averaged just 57.7 in its three losses.
PREDICTION: South Carolina 75, Ole Miss 72