Missouri @ South Carolina preview
Colonial Life Arena
Last Meeting ( Jan 28, 2017 ) South Carolina 63, Missouri 53
South Carolina has been perfect at home, but the Gamecocks face their most threatening visitor yet when they host Missouri on Wednesday. It’s the SEC opener for the Tigers, while South Carolina is trying to avoid an 0-2 start to conference play.
The Gamecocks are 5-0 at home, but they had trouble holding off UMass and Coastal Carolina at Colonial Life Arena, and they’ve yet to welcome a Power Five opponent. The Tigers have had plenty of problems on the road – their win at Central Florida on Nov. 30 was their first road victory since Jan. 28, 2014. South Carolina opened SEC play with a 74-69 loss at Ole Miss on Sunday and has dropped two of its last three. Missouri hasn’t played since Dec. 23, when the Tigers had a five-game winning streak snapped with a 70-64 loss to Illinois.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ESPN2
ABOUT MISSOURI (10-3, 0-0 SEC): The Tigers are one of the nation’s most improved teams in their first season under Cuonzo Martin, as graduate transfer Kassius Robertson (15.1 points) and a talented freshman class have reinforced the roster. Returners Jordan Barnett (14.8 points, 6.2 rebounds) and Kevin Puryear (10.2 points, 4.9 rebounds) have teamed with freshmen big men Jeremiah Tilmon (9.6 points, 5.2 rebounds) and Jontay Porter (7.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, two blocks) to give Missouri a wealth of talented forwards. Barnett is averaging 18.8 points and 7.9 rebounds over the past eight games and is 25-of-53 from 3-point range during that stretch.
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (9-4, 0-1): The Gamecocks are getting good production from big man Chris Silva (13.4 points, 8.4 rebounds) and graduate transfer guard Frank Booker (11.8 points), but they’ve struggled to find consistency elsewhere on the floor. Freshman forward Justin Minaya showed flashes of emerging as a consistent scorer but has totaled just eight points in the past three games. The Gamecocks also are searching for an answer at point guard due to injuries; graduate transfer Wesley Myers made his first start against Ole Miss and has totaled 11 assists and six turnovers in the past two contests.
TIP-INS
1. Silva notched his fourth double-double of the season with 21 points and 13 rebounds against Ole Miss.
2. Missouri’s 123 3-pointers are the most in program history through 13 games.
3. The Tigers have outrebounded 12 of their 13 opponents, while the Gamecocks have won the battle of the boards in 10 of their 14 games.
PREDICTION: Missouri 72, South Carolina 68