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How to watch/what to watch for: South Carolina travels to Texas A&M

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How to watch/what to watch for: South Carolina travels to Texas A&M


With four games to go, South Carolina has a chance to get hot at the right time heading into postseason play.

The No. 18 Gamecocks picked up a much-needed win over Ole Miss last Saturday. And now, they’ll head to College Station for another road matchup with Texas A&M.

Tip-off is at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday on SEC Network.

Here are some things to watch for.

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What’s at stake

As we get closer to March, the race to the finish line is going to be as close as it gets. Right now, South Carolina is tied for third in the SEC standings with a 10-4 conference record. Only Tennessee and Alabama are ahead.

Ideally, the Gamecocks would love to hold their position or move up to claim a top-four seed in the SEC Tournament. If that’s the case, this would mean they’d get a double bye and not have to play until that Friday of the tournament. Meaning they’d only need to win three games to win the tournament championship.

Three of their final four games come against SEC teams with winning records. So it’s going to super important to take care of business against a team like the Aggies, who have struggled lately.

Don’t expect to see Stute

Before last Saturday’s game, it was announced that Myles Stute would not play due to a sprained left knee he sustained in practice. After the game, head coach Lamont Paris sounded unsure about when the veteran player would return. So it doesn’t seem likely he’ll play versus Texas A&M.

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But don’t rule anything out, either. Something similar to this happened earlier in the season when Stute made a quicker than expected return from his shoulder injury. If he plays, great. If not, South Carolina has more than enough depth and talent to be just fine for another game.

[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Florida men’s basketball game]

Keep getting Mack the ball

Over the last few games, BJ Mack has been playing fairly well. He’s put up double-digit points in four straight games. Against Ole Miss, he scored 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting and went 3-for-7 from three-point range.

With how inconsistent some of the other scorers have been lately, it’s been good to have a guy like Mack that’s been dependable. Just keep giving him looks while he’s got the hot hand.

Go on the road and do it again

South Carolina, after suffering two bad losses, went into Oxford and controlled the entire game against Ole Miss. The Gamecocks essentially led from start to finish and never relinquished the lead.

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That same thing needs to happen in College Station. Any time you go on the road in the SEC, it’s never going to be easy. While Texas A&M has struggled lately, it’s still going to be a challenge for the Gamecocks to go in and get the win.

The key will be to get off to a good start and keep the tempo in their favor. That’s when South Carolina plays its best brand of basketball. But it would also be good for some more guys to get involved in hitting shots. This would be a great time for Meechie Johnson to find his shot and get back to basics.

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Scouting the opponent

As aforementioned, Texas A&M (15-12, 6-8 SEC) hasn’t been playing great over the last few games. After upsetting Tennessee a few weeks ago, the Aggies have lost four straight, including a one-point loss to Vanderbilt.

Despite that, the Aggies are ranked No. 57 in KenPom and No. 58 in the NET rankings. Besides Tennessee, their best win came against Iowa State earlier in the year.

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Texas A&M is led by leading scorer Wade Taylor IV. He’s averaging 18.8 points per game on 36.4 percent shooting. He’s also the team leader in assists and steals.

Tyrece Radford is another guy who can go out and get buckets for this team. He’s putting up 15.1 points per game on 41.1 percent shooting from the field.

While they do have some scorers, the Aggies aren’t a great shooting team overall. In KenPom, they rank 352nd with a 44.5 percent effective field goal percentage. It gets worse from the outside as they clock in at No. 360 in three-point percentage at just 27.1 percent. However, they are ranked No. 1 in offensive rebounding percentage.

Game details

Who: No. 18 South Carolina (22-5, 10-4 SEC) at Texas A&M (15-12, 6-8 SEC)

When: Wednesday, Feb. 28 at 8:30 p.m.

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Where: Reed Arena (12,989)

How to watch/listen: SEC Network/107.5 FM

ESPN gives South Carolina a 27.6 percent chance to win



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South-Carolina

Keys to Success for Clemson Tigers Against South Carolina Gamecocks

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Keys to Success for Clemson Tigers Against South Carolina Gamecocks


The Clemson Tigers are getting ready for what will be a crucial game in Week 14 against the South Carolina Gamecocks. 

This rivalry matchup is not going to disappoint, as both teams are coming into the game as Top-25 schools. For the Tigers, there is a lot on the line in this matchup. 

Due to Clemson not holding the tie-breaker against the Miami Hurricanes in the ACC and the SMU Mustangs already clinching a spot, the Tigers are going to have to hope for a Hurricanes’ loss to the Syracuse Orange if they are going to make the title game. 

However, due to recent upsets in the SEC, another path might have emerged for Clemson to make the College Football Playoffs. If they can beat a Top-25 team in the Gamecocks on Saturday, it could be the type of statement win that propels them into an at-large bid. 

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While making the CFP still might be realistic, they first and foremost have to handle South Carolina, which will be no easy task. 

The Gamecocks have also had a great season, and they could present some matchup problems for Clemson. 

On offense, South Carolina is a run first team. Stopping the run has been an issue at times for the Tigers, as they just recently got torched on the ground against The Citadel Bulldogs. If Clemson is unable to stop or at least slow down the rushing attack for the Gamecocks, it will allow them to control the pace of the game. That obviously wouldn’t be ideal for the Tigers. 

Furthermore, on the defensive side of things, the Tigers’ offense is going to have their work cut out for them against a very strong Gamecocks defense. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has had a very strong season and this could end up being a defining game of his college career. 

Going back to the win against the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Tigers’ offense really struggled on the ground trying to run the football. If that’s the case once again in Week 14, it will fall on the shoulders of Klubnik to get the job done. 

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This matchup could very well go down as one of the games of the week and potentially the year, with both teams being fairly even talent-wise on paper. For Clemson, this is a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, as a win this late in the season against a Top-25 team would be a nice last thing to put on their resume. 

Overall, the Tigers are going to need to have a balanced attack and prepare to stop the run if they are going to come away with the win against their rival.



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South Carolina community left without police after entire P.D. resigns

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South Carolina community left without police after entire P.D. resigns


The entire police department of a small South Carolina town resigned en masse, leaving the area without its own dedicated police force.

Chief Bob Hale of the McColl Police Department announced his resignation on November 21 in a social media post, citing a “hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman.”

“For months, I have endured unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership,” Hale wrote. “These actions have not only affected me personally but have also created a toxic atmosphere that has hindered the department’s ability to function effectively.”

The chief also said his department’s resources had been severely cut. The four officers under his command quickly resigned as well.

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“At the end of the day, I have a family. And when my job is constantly getting threatened and certain things are getting said I’m not going to stay somewhere and tolerate that,” former McColl investigator Courtney Bulusan told WRAL.

“I’m not going to stay where I’m tolerated,” Bulusan said. “I’m going to go where I’m celebrated.”

As the town seeks new officers, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office will fill in for the department police force, according to South Carolina Public Radio.

The town has gone through six chiefs in the past four years. Hale’s tenure in the position lasted little over a year.

“I feel unsafe. Very unsafe,” resident Lisa Bowen told local outlet WPDE. “Because anytime anybody could do anything.”

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“They jump ship back and forth all the time,” Mayor George Garner told the Post and Courier newspaper. “This is nothing new.”

The paper reported that the councilman in question denied he had harassed any of the officers and told the paper the allegations were “hearsay.”

Such mass resignations, while uncommon, are not unprecedented.

The entire police force of Geary, Oklahoma, resigned earlier this month, Fox News reports.



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UCLA's Lauren Betts sends direct warning to college basketball after Bruins upset South Carolina

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UCLA's Lauren Betts sends direct warning to college basketball after Bruins upset South Carolina


UCLA’s win over No. 1 ranked South Carolina wasn’t a fluke, and Bruins center Lauren Betts says if you haven’t been paying attention, now would be the time to.

Let’s say the thing. It was not close on Sunday. From the opening tip to the final buzzer, UCLA commanded the floor and had an answer for everything the Gamecocks tried to do. The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.

Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW. Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said.  “You need to stop right now.”





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