The No. 19-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks (15-0) are off to a hot start and will try to remain undefeated when they take on the Alabama Crimson Tide (9-5) at Coleman Coliseum. The game starts at 9:00 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and will air on SEC and ES3.
The Crimson Tide lost to Kentucky 77-61 on Saturday. Retin Obasohan was the team’s high scorer, finishing with 21 points. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, are coming off a 69-65 win over Vanderbilt on Saturday. Sindarius Thornwell led the game in scoring with 19 points on 6-for-14 shooting.
The inefficient offense of Alabama (273rd in the nation with an offensive efficiency of 99.4) will square off against the stingy defense of South Carolina (10th in the nation with a defensive efficiency of 90.0). The Gamecocks figure to have the advantage on that end of the court. The Gamecocks could also control the offensive glass in this matchup, as they rank 17th in the nation in OR% at 38.3%. The Crimson Tide, meanwhile, place near the bottom of the nation (317th) on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 66.1%.
The Crimson Tide are attempting to build on their records of 9-5 Straight Up (SU) and 6-6 Against The Spread (ATS). The Crimson Tide are the 40th-best team in the country at blocking shots, averaging 5.1 blocks per game.
On the other side, the Gamecocks head into the game with records of 11-1 ATS and 15-0 SU. Most recently, South Carolina is 7-1 ATS over the last 10 games. South Carolina is one of the better rebounding teams in Division I. The Gamecocks average 42.5 rebounds per game, making them the 13th-best team in the country for that category. South Carolina’s defense is one of the top in the nation, with opponents shooting only .374 from the field.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time Alabama and South Carolina played, Alabama won, bringing its SU record to 6-4 over South Carolina in their most recent games. The Crimson Tide also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 5-3-2. When it comes to field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers, neither team was able to hold the advantage in all three of these categories over their past five meetings against one another.
Predictions: SU Winner – SC, ATS Winner – SC
Notes
Alabama is 7-3 SU in its last 10 games.
Alabama is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Alabama’s last 13 games when playing South Carolina.
Alabama is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games when playing South Carolina.
Alabama is 2-3-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing South Carolina.
Alabama is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against South Carolina.
The South Carolina Gamecocks have a defensive rating of 90.0 (ranked 10th), while the Alabama Crimson Tide have an offensive rating of 99.4 (ranked 273rd).
South Carolina beats Alabama in both possessions per game and points per possession. The Gamecocks average 72.9 possessions and 1.100 points per possession, while the Crimson Tide average 66.4 possessions with .994 points per possession.
Alabama has an average effective field goal percentage of 50.0%. South Carolina is undefeated (3-0) when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage.
The Alabama Crimson Tide attempt 22.0 three pointers per game, and the South Carolina Gamecocks attempt 17.0 on average. When attempting at least 20 three pointers this season, Alabama is 6-5 and South Carolina is a perfect 5-0.
Ranked 13th in the nation, South Carolina averages 42.5 rebounds per game. Alabama ranks lower at 305th with 33.5 RPG.
The South Carolina Gamecocks rank 30th in offensive rebounds. The Alabama Crimson Tide rank 247th in the nation in defensive rebounds.
Opponents have had an average turnover percentage of 20.1% when playing Alabama this season. South Carolina is undefeated (7-0) when its TO% is 20.1% or higher.
