South Carolina visits LSU for a top-six showdown on Valentine’s Day. Here’s what to watch for.
1. Availability
South Carolina’s injury-plagued season continues. Agot Makeer, who missed the last three games, no longer appears on the availability report and is expected to play. That’s the good news.
Maddy McDaniel, who was a late scratch against Tennessee with a left foot injury, remains out. She is joined on the availability report by Adhel Tac, who is also OUT. There is no word on why Tac is out.
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The availability report will be updated on Saturday evening.
2. Why Saturday?
Saturday’s game is the fourth time South Carolina and LSU have met on Valentine’s Day. But it’s the first time they have played on a Saturday in the regular season. In fact, it’s been a long time since the SEC has scheduled a regular season game on Saturday. (South Carolina is 2-0 in nonconference games on Saturdays this season, beating Southern Cal and FGCU.)
So why Saturday? As always, the answer is money and television. ESPN did not have a men’s basketball game scheduled for Saturday night. For the past several years (largely beginning with LSU-South Carolina in 2023), ESPN has used Super Bowl Sunday to promote its women’s basketball coverage. This year, it put South Carolina-Tennessee on ABC on Super Bowl Sunday, with that game, which drew the highest audience of the season, serving to promote this weekend’s game.
(Got all that? Of course you do.)
ESPN has gone all-in for Saturday, placing the game on ABC, broadcasting College GameDay from Baton Rouge as a lead-in at 8:00 ET, and announcing the first Top 16 Reveal.
For the last week, a promo has run that leans into what ESPN/ABC is calling “No Love Lost Saturday.” That includes Kansas-Iowa State and Kentucky-Florida men’s games earlier on Saturday, but it is especially geared toward this game. The promo spotlights the fight between the two teams at the 2024 SEC Tournament and MiLaysia Fulwiley switching sides in the rivalry.
The promo is of questionable taste, but it also has a catchy song and should help garner huge ratings.
3. Play like you’re in Columbia
South Carolina has been on a tear at home, winning the last three games by an average of 38.3 points. Those wins were against projected NCAA Tournament teams Vanderbilt (which just beat Texas), Mississippi State, and Tennessee.
South Carolina’s last three road games are a different story. The Gamecocks lost in overtime at Oklahoma and beat Auburn and Texas A&M by an average of just 22.5 points.
The home and road splits have been a season-long trend. South Carolina has been significantly better on both sides of the ball at home, despite the fact that the home opponents have been much tougher.
As the preeminent program in the SEC, South Carolina often faces tougher-than-usual road environments. For example, Florida had its largest crowd ever for the South Carolina game, and Oklahoma was able to capitalize on a fired-up crowd.
The fans in Baton Rouge will be even more hostile. South Carolina has to maintain its composure.
“We’re on the road, and we have an understanding of what that looks like and sounds like and feels like because some of the players have played in that environment two years ago,” Dawn Staley said.
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4. Rebound!
LSU is plus-11.6 in rebounding in SEC play, which is better than South Carolina’s plus-10.8 for the entire season.
After years of Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow cleaning up the glass, everyone is used to LSU dominating the boards. But the Tigers are doing it differently this season.
LSU doesn’t have a single player averaging over seven rebounds in conference play, but it has five players averaging at least 4.5 rebounds. The top two rebounders, Amiya Joyner (6.8) and Kate Koval (6.2), have been alternating in the starting lineup.
South Carolina has never faced Koval, but saw Joyner each of the last two seasons while she was at East Carolina. Joyner had 25 points and 10 rebounds last year, and 10 points and six rebounds two years ago.
6-5 Koval is LSU’s only true post player, and she will likely have the primary task of guarding 6-6 Madina Okot. Joyner is only 6-2, as is forward Grace Knox. ZaKiyah Johnson, who also plays some forward, is only 6-0.
Being undersized hasn’t stopped LSU from rebounding. South Carolina needs to be able to take advantage of its size and everyone needs to gang rebound to limit LSU’s second-chance points.
“What we’ve been able to do is control the paint for the most part, and that serves true for this particular game when it comes to controlling the boards because those are paint points,” Staley said. “We’re going to be challenged in that area, but as much as we give up in the paint (defensively), we probably have to triple what we have to produce in the paint on the offensive end.”
5. Scouting the Tigers
Ultimately, for LSU it is all about their big three: Flau’jae Johnson, Mikaylah Williams, and Fulwiley. In all three of LSU’s losses, one of those three players has struggled.
LSU does not have a traditional point guard, relying on those three and Jada Richard, often the nominal point guard, to create offense. When LSU can play fast, it works brilliantly. But when the game slows down, LSU has had trouble consistently getting good shots.
“It’s all the transition game,” Staley said. “If you’re able to control the amount of easy opportunities that they get in transition, you can make it a game. If they control the amount of easy opportunities we get in transition and they’re able to play their game, it’s going to be a long night for us. So something really has to give in that area in order for any team to win this game.”
South Carolina has played more zone this season than ever before. Staley has done it partly because it is effective, and partly to throw different looks at opponents to make them slow down and think.
South Carolina likes to play uptempo, too, so the Gamecocks won’t completely take the ari out of the ball. But don’t be surprised if they turn to a zone at times to force LSU to slow down and make careful decisions.
The Ws
Who: #3 South Carolina (24-2, 10-1) at #6 LSU (22-3, 8-3)
When: 8:40 ET, Saturday, February 14
Where: Pete Maravich Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA
Watch: ABC