The Struggle for Relevancy: USC at Vandy Saturday

Each Carolina basketball game has started and ended with the same theme: just one win for the Gamecocks, and USC could turn the corner and shift momentum to a winning season. But each of those games has come and gone with nearly the same result. On Saturday, USC (11-10, 2-7 SEC) heads to Nashville to face the Vanderbilt Commodores (12-10, 2-7 SEC) in a battle for some relevancy in the SEC. With the Vanderbilt contest Saturday, Carolina has nine games left in the regular season, all conference games. But Carolina’s second-half slate features road games at Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. So far this season, USC is 1-4 in true road games and has yet to win a game on the road in conference play. Carolina’s last road win in the Vanderbilt series was a 77-73 win at Memorial Gym on March 6, 2010. A win Saturday over the Commodores would put a tiny amount of space between Carolina and the bottom of the SEC. The last three teams in the SEC standings are Carolina, Vanderbilt and Missouri respectively. Missouri hosts Texas A&M tonight, which should be an easy Aggies’ win, keeping Mizzou at the bottom of the conference. Vanderbilt is coming off a tremendous win against the Florida Gators Tuesday night in Nashville. That win snapped a seven-game losing streak for the ‘Dores, as its only other win came against Auburn in the SEC-opener for both teams. Vandy is led by sophomore center Damian Jones (15.1 PPG) who has helped lead the Commodores to the SEC’s top shooting percentage (46.9%). Vanderbilt also leads the league in 3-point percentage, hitting a respectable 39.1% from beyond the arc. USC returns forward Demetrius Henry, who has sat out the last two contests due to a concussion. Henry will provide an extra big man down low, something Carolina has desperately needed the last two contests. At this point in the season, the Gamecocks cannot afford losses to the bottom-dwellers of the league. After USC’s matchup with Vandy Saturday, Carolina hosts last-place Missouri Tuesday night. This stretch could be the only time this season USC earns back-to-back wins in conference play. There is still hope for USC this season, and yes, it starts again today.