South Carolina at Kentucky: Wildcats Should Whip the Gamecocks

By conorrevell
Spruce Derden-US Presswire

Kentucky should win Tuesday night’s home match-up with the South Carolina Gamecocks fairly handily. However, the Wildcats better prepare, every contest is a trap game for this year’s Kentucky squad.

Yes, South Carolina has only won one road game this year, but the tides are changing in the Palmetto State.

Former Kansas State head coach Frank Martin is in his first season as the head coach of the South Carolina basketball team, and is still looking for his signature win. There’s no better signature win than getting a victory against John Calipari at Rupp Arena.

But chances are that Martin will have to look at getting that signature win somewhere else.

South Carolina plays small ball. The Gamecocks only start one player that’s over six-foot-five and don’t have the personnel to stop Nerlens Noel. Mr. Flat Top should score 20 points, record ten rebounds, and swat five shots.

Forward Michael Carrera averages 10.2 points and leads the Gamecocks with ten rebounds per game. But the Venezuelan is only six-foot-five and he’s a freshman.

Laimonas Chatkevicius is the Gamecock’s only starter that’s taller than six-foot-five. The freshman averages a measly 3.8 points and two rebounds a contest.

Alex Poythress and Noel should have no problem dumping the ball into the net against the miniature Gamecocks, and if for some strange reason the duo runs into trouble, then look for Ryan Harrow or Julius Mays on the outside.

Mays scored 19 points in Saturday’s win over Texas A&M. The freshman is stepping and is poised to take a leadership role.

But the player to watch is Harrow. Harrow will have the speed to drive to the basket and put John Calipari’s dribble-drive offense into action. In addition, Harrow will need to take advantage of his six-foot-two frame. Bruce Ellington is South Carolina’s five-foot-nine point guard and averages a team high 10.3 points per contest.

This is Harrow’s chance to shine if nobody else steps up, he should terrorize Ellington all night, and the Gamecocks turn the ball over 16 times a game. That should jump start the Wildcats transition game and lead to fast break points.

God help the Big Blue Nation if Kentucky loses tomorrow night. But it won’t happen; it’s sad that this is a trap game, because the Cats should win by thirty.

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