USC Seniors Go Out Against Georgia

COLUMBIA, S.C. (USC SID) — South Carolina celebrates its seniors on Thursday, hosting Georgia on Senior Night at Colonial Life Arena. The Gamecocks look to even the season series vs. the Bulldogs, as UGA posted a 69-56 win in Athens in early February.

GAMECOCKS CELEBRATE SENIOR CLASS ON THURSDAY

South Carolina will celebrate seven seniors on Thursday prior to tip off vs. Georgia. Senior Night festivities will take place for managers Robert Holmes, Pat Leyden and Dylan Stiles and student-athletes, Michael Carrera, Laimonas Chatkevicius, Mindaugas Kacinas and Brian Steele. The celebration will begin at 6:40 p.m. Arrive early to help us celebrate our seniors!

GAMECOCK STORYLINES

– South Carolina is in its 108th season of varsity basketball in 2015-16.
– Carolina is led by fourth-year head coach Frank Martin. Alongside him are associate head coach Matt Figger, assistant coaches Perry Clark and Lamont Evans and director of men’s hoops operations, Andy Assaley.
– South Carolina is receiving votes in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 Poll this week, but the Gamecocks have dropped out of the AP poll receiving votes category. The Gamecocks have been receiving votes or have been ranked for the past 14 weeks in the Coaches Poll, rising to as high as 15th, and Carolina was ranked or receiving votes for 13 straight weeks in the AP poll, rising to as high as 19th.
– South Carolina got off to a slow start, which saw Mississippi State take a 25-9 advantage midway through the first half in a Bulldog win last Saturday in Starkville. The Gamecocks would get no closer than eight points the rest of the way, and MSU posted a 68-58 win over Carolina. Junior guard Sindarius Thornwell tallied a team high 12 points, and classmate Duane Notice added 10. Carolina hit just 36.7 percent from the field and committed a season high 21 turnovers in the loss.
– Through 16 league games, Sindarius Thornwell and Michael Carrera have led the Gamecocks in scoring in all but two SEC games, Carrera leading the Gamecocks in scoring seven times, and Thornwell seven as well
– South Carolina is 40th in the most recent NCAA RPI (March 2), and the Gamecocks are 8-3 against teams in the top 100 of the RPI.
– The Gamecocks are in their 25th season of competition in the Southeastern Conference in 2016. Carolina owns a 154-252 (.379) all-time record in SEC play.
– Frank Martin owns a 75-77 (.493) all-time record in conference games.
– Junior guard Duane Notice needs just five points to reach 1,000 for his career in the Garnet and Black. Notice would be the third Gamecock this season to reach the career milestone, as junior guard Sindarius Thornwell posted his 1,000th vs. Vandy on Jan. 9, and senior forward Michael Carrera reached the mark vs. Texas A&M on Feb. 6.

GAMECOCKS IN THE POLLS

South Carolina is receiving votes in the USA Today/Coaches Top 25 Poll this week, but the Gamecocks have dropped out of the AP poll receiving votes category. The Gamecocks have been receiving votes or have been ranked for the past 14 weeks in the Coaches Poll, rising to as high as 15th, and Carolina was ranked or receiving votes for 13 straight weeks in the AP poll, rising to as high as 19th.

SCOUTING GEORGIA

– Georgia enters Thursday’s contest with a 15-12 overall record, inluding an 8-8 mark in SEC games.
– UGA most recently posted an 80-66 home win vs. Ole Miss last Saturday, snapping a three-game losing streak after losses to Florida, Vandy and Auburn.
– Georgia relies on four players for the bulk of its offense, with the combination of J.J. Frazier (441 points), Yante Maten (428), Kenny Gaines (351) and Charles Mann (285) accounting for 80.2 percent of the Bulldogs’ scoring this season.
– Frazier’s 16.3 points per game lead the team. That number is slightly higher in league games at 16.6 per game, also a team best.
– Frazier has also collected a team best 41 steals on the year, which is second in the SEC at 1.8 per game. He had four steals vs. South Carolina in the Feb. 2, matchup in Athens.
– Maten paces the squad and is seventh in the SEC with 8.1 rebounds per game in overall games this season. His 8.6 mark in league games ranks fifth.
– UGA ranks fourth in the SEC in scoring defense, as opponents average just 69.7 points per game. The team is also among the best in field goal percentage defense, as opponents hit just 38.7 percent from the field, which is second to only Kentucky (38.2%).
– UGA is led by head coach Mark Fox in his seventh season.