How to Watch, Scouting Report: Arkansas hoops vs. South Carolina
Riding a two-game winning streak, Arkansas returns home tonight. Here's everything you need to know ahead of the game...
Arkansas (12-5, 2-3) vs. South Carolina (10-6, 1-3)
The Basics
Location: Bud Walton Arena (Fayetteville, Ark.)
Tip off: 6 p.m. CT
How to Watch/Listen
TV: SEC Network (link to watch online)
On the call: Dave Neal and Daymeon Fishback
Radio: Razorback Sports Network (TuneIn / Razorback Gameday App)
Sirius/XM/internet: 138/190/961
Projections
-- Vegas spread: Arkansas, -12
-- O/U: 151.5
-- ESPN BPI: Arkansas has 84.5% chance to win, favored by 12.2
-- Bart Torvik: Arkansas has 84% chance to win, favored by 10.7 (proj. score: 79-69)
-- Sagarin: Arkansas has 80% chance to win, O/U of 144.06
Scouting Report
~Predicted to finish near the bottom of the SEC standings, South Carolina is off to a 1-3 start in conference play. Its lone win was a 2-point win at Vanderbilt. The Gamecocks have losses to Princeton and Coastal Carolina on their resume, with the latter coming in blowout fashion.
~With a 10-6 overall record, South Carolina is No. 109 in the NET rankings, making this a Quadrant 3 game for Arkansas. On the flip side, the Razorbacks are all the way up to No. 57, so it's a Q1 opportunity for the Gamecocks.
~Less than two points per game separates South Carolina's top four scorers, but the group is led by Erik Stevenson, a transfer from Washington who actually began his career at Wichita State, where he was teammates with current Arkansas forward Trey Wade in 2019-20. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 11.3 points, leads the team in assists (2.5 apg) and is also one of the team's top rebounders (4.6 rpg).
~Fifth-year senior James Reese V is the Gamecocks' only other player averaging double figures, as he contributes 10.0 points per game. He is a transfer from North Texas and has actually played in Bud Walton before. Last season, the Razorbacks limited him to just 5 point on 2 of 12 shooting - including 1 of 7 from beyond the arc - in a 15-point win over the Mean Green.
~Interim coach Keith Smart said Stevenson and Reese have their attention, as Stevenson is a capable scorer at all levels and Reese is a dangerous 3-point shooter (38.2%).
~As a team, South Carolina is your typical Frank Martin squad. It is just 210th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, according to KenPom, but is No. 40 on the other end of the floor. The Gamecocks shoot just 43.3 percent from the floor, but they're 12th in the country with 13.8 offensive rebounds per game.