How To Watch: No. 15 South Carolina Vs. Vanderbilt

On paper, the South Carolina Gamecocks' upcoming matchup against the Vanderbilt Commodores should be won handily. However, it's also the kind of game that a team like Carolina, who has much to play for beyond the regular season, must be weary of.

The Commodores come into this game with a 6-16 overall record and having won just one SEC game to this point in the season. When you take a look at some of the major statistical categories, it's easy to see why Vanderbilt has struggled mightily to find the win column this season.

Notable Stats (Out Of 351 Registered D1 Teams)

Assist-to-turnover Ratio: 0.89 (307th)
Effective Field Goal Percentage: 44.9 percent (340th)

This values three-point shots more since they're worth more than anything inside the arc

Three-Point Shooting Percentage: 28.3 percent (340th)
Three-Point Shooting Defense: 37.8 percent (342nd)
Rebounding Margin: -2 (293rd)

Offensively, Jerry Stackhouse's squad is led by Ezra Manjon, who ranks 15th in the SEC in points per game with 14.7. Tyrin Lawrence and Ven-Allen Lubin are the two next-best scorers, averaging 13.9 and 10.1 points per game, respectively.

Games To Reference

The opponents that Vanderbilt has played to this point in the season that best emulate what South Carolina tries to do in terms of tempo and overall philosophy are Texas Tech and Mississippi State. In those two games away from Nashville, the Commodores lost by an average of 17.5 points and were unable to score more than 55 points in either contest.

Final Thoughts

Regarding how this contest will shake out, I don't see a path where this game comes down to the wire late. The Gamecocks are coming off a much-needed three-day break after playing three solid teams in Tennessee, Georgia, and Ole Miss in the span of a week and should have a bit more energy on Saturday in front of their home crowd.

Where Vanderbilt struggles offensively, the Gamecocks excel defensively, and that should play into the hands of Lamont Paris and his staff in terms of their general game plan. Some might worry about South Carolina looking ahead to their showdown with Auburn next Wednesday, but this is a veteran group that'll likely come ready to play tomorrow afternoon.

How To Watch: No. 15 South Carolina Vs. Vanderbilt

Gameday: Saturday, February 10th, 2024
Venue: Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC)
Game time: 1:00 PM ET | 12:00 CT
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Live stream on fuboTV: Start with a 7-day free trial!

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