The Arkansas Razorbacks (10-7, 1-3 SEC) are looking to start a win streak in conference play when they take on the South Carolina Gamecocks (14-3, 2-2 SEC) on Saturday inside Bud Walton Arena.
Led by second-year head coach Lamont Paris, the Gamecocks are coming off a 1-1 week in which they beat Missouri on the road and lost to Georgia at home. This season, South Carolina is off to a 14-3 start and it has beat programs like Notre Dame and Virginia Tech.
"They’re connected," head coach Eric Musselman said on Wednesday. "You watch them play and they’re connected. They play more together. It looks like there’s an agenda with them this year and that agenda is to win.
"I’m not so sure you felt that way last [year], you know what I mean? It just kinda happens. I think their coaching staff has done not a good job but a phenomenal job. The culture looks very, very strong this year."
Leading the Gamecocks is junior guard Meechie Johnson. The 6-foot-2, 184-pound Ohio native is averaging 17.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 43.8% from the field. In his most recent matchup against Georgia, Johnson scored 19 points with four rebounds and four three pointers.
"And then Meechie Johnson is a returning player who quite frankly is playing as well as any guard in our league," Musselman said. "I thought going into the year he wasn’t talked enough about. Well, everybody’s talking about him now. He’s being extremely productive on the floor."
KenPom ranks South Carolina 73rd overall nationally and the Gamecocks are also 72nd in offensive efficiency through 17 games.
Here's a closer comparison of Arkansas' and South Carolina's stats, efficiency ratings, projected lineup for the Gamecocks and more ahead of Saturday's game, which is set to tipoff at 12 p.m. CT on the SEC Network:
