South Carolina @ Mississippi State preview
Humphrey Coliseum
Last Meeting ( Jan 8, 2019 ) Mississippi State 82, South Carolina 87
South Carolina continues to exceed expectations in SEC play and has a chance to pick up another big win on Saturday, when it visits Mississippi State. Despite sitting just two games over .500 overall, the Gamecocks are fourth in the conference standings and hold a two-game advantage over the Bulldogs.
South Carolina won a pair of home games last week, beating Texas A&M (84-77) and Ole Miss (79-64) to stay in position to earn a top-four seed and a double-bye in the SEC tournament. The Gamecocks have struggled away from home, however, dropping four of their last five road games. The Bulldogs are in a three-way tie for sixth place in the SEC but have won three straight, including victories at Arkansas (77-67) and Georgia (68-67) last week. The Gamecocks won 87-82 in overtime at home in the first meeting of the season.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, SEC Network
ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA (14-12, 9-4 SEC): The Gamecocks are a tough matchup for opposing defenses because they can stretch the floor and shoot the 3-pointer but also have a dominant big man in Chris Silva. The 6-9 senior (14.3 points, 7.4 rebounds) has scored in double figures in eight of his last nine games, including a career-high 32 points against Auburn on Jan. 22, and is averaging 16 and 7.8 boards in SEC play. Freshman A.J. Lawson (13.9 points) had one of his best all-around games against Ole Miss with 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists, and Hassani Gravett (11.3 points) is shooting an SEC-best 49.3 percent from 3-point range in conference play.
ABOUT MISSISSIPPI STATE (19-7, 7-6): The Bulldogs are one of the SEC’s most balanced teams, with six players averaging at least 9.2 points. Star guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (18.6 points, 5.1 rebounds) scored a career-high 31 points against Georgia and is averaging 23.5 over his last six games, while point guard Lamar Peters (12, 5.3 assists) is a major 3-point threat. Freshman forward Reggie Perry (9.2 points, 6.6 rebounds) has emerged as a major force inside lately, recording double-doubles in five of his last seven contests.
TIP-INS
1. Mississippi State’s Nick Weatherspoon (9.6 points) will miss his third straight game after being suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.
2. South Carolina has held SEC opponents to 32.9 percent from 3-point range and has limited its last three opponents to 29.9 percent from beyond the arc.
3. The Bulldogs have won 17 of their last 18 games when Quinndary Weatherspoon scores at least 20 points.
PREDICTION: Mississippi State 75, South Carolina 72