Boston U @ South Carolina preview

For years South Carolina coach Frank Martin has been known as an intense, defensive-minded basketball coach both at South Carolina and Kansas State. However, his team picked up the pace last year, and the Gamecocks are running even more this season and seek to remain undefeated when it hosts Boston University on Tuesday in a campus game of the Cancun Challenge.

With a stable of talented and athletic players, Martin's squad has steamrolled its first three opponents by an average of 27.7 points, including a 90-63 rout over Cleveland State on Friday. Sophomore A.J. Lawson scored a career-high 28 points and the Gamecocks pulled down 26 offensive boards - matching the most under the direction of Martin - with sophomore forward Alanzo Frink collecting eight and senior forward Maik Kotsar seven. The Gamecocks have held each of their three opponents this season to under 40 percent from the floor and just 8-of-49 from 3-point range. Boston University, which is opening a six-game road trip, is coming off an 84-70 victory over New Hampshire behind 20 points apiece from Max Mahoney and Javante McCoy.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN3

ABOUT BOSTON UNIVERSITY (2-2): Mahoney (11.8 points, 7.3 rebounds) shot 8-of-10 from the field to reach 20 points for the first time this season and 16th time in his career, and he added nine rebounds. Sophomore Walter Whyte, who leads the team in scoring (18.5 points) and steals (1.8) and sits second in rebounds (5.8), was one point short of giving the Terriers three men with 20 points in a game for the first time since March 22, 2010. McCoy (9.8 points) reached double figures for the first time this year after totaling 50 points in two 2019 Patriot League tournament games.

ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (3-0): Sophomore Frink had the first double-double of his career with 11 points and 10 rebounds - both career bests - while senior Kotsar had a career-high 12 rebounds. Lawson, who graduated a year early from high school and earned SEC All-Freshman honors a year ago (13.4 points), sank 12-of-13 from the line, added four assists and surpassed his previous best of 25 points set against Coastal Carolina last November. The 6-6 guard leads the team in scoring (16 points) and assists (3.3) but is shooting just 39 percent from the floor.

TIP-INS

1. South Carolina is 2-0 all-time against the Terriers with an 83-76 home win in 1979-80 and a 93-86 road victory in 1980-81. Boston is seeking its first-ever win against a Southeastern Conference foe.

2. Gamecocks G Jair Bolden, a 6-3 transfer from George Washington (11.2 points, 3.1 assists in 2017-18), is averaging 12.3 points on 64 percent shooting, five rebounds and a team-high two steals.

3. South Carolina is forcing 20.7 turnovers per game.

PREDICTION: South Carolina 84, Boston University 60