Gamecocks Adjusting to Life without Alaina Coates

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On Friday night, the Gamecocks will be in a familiar spot: at home, as a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight season (USC opens the Big Dance against UNC Asheville at Colonial Life Arena). All will feel too familiar, except for Alaina Coates, who’s missing the entire 2017 Tournament after an ankle injury at the end of the regular season.

USC though is coping. The Gamecocks, through smaller lineups and one “big”, A’ja Wilson, are slowly starting to learn how to play without their senior center.