Martin: Gamecocks played to our personality in win over Miss. State
Ben Howland has been a head coach at the Power 5 Conference level for most of the last 17 years, including a 10-year stint at UCLA (2003-13) when he led the Bruins to three consecutive Final Four appearances (2006-08).
The 58-year old Howland has strategized against nearly every type of playing style under the sun during his lengthy career. Under Frank Martin, South Carolina deploys a physical style emphasizing rebounding and getting to the foul line.
Both elements graded out ‘A’ for the Gamecocks on Tuesday as they outrebounded the Bulldogs by a whopping 25 boards (51-26), grabbing 18 offensive rebounds compared to 18 defensive rebounds for Mississippi State, and drawing 32 Bulldog fouls leading to 41 free throw attempts (third most this season).
“We played to our personality,” Frank Martin said after the Gamecocks improved to 11-0 at home. “We rebounded, got to the line and we got a win in conference play. When we shoot free throws and rebound, we’re good. That’s what we did today. For a guy that doesn’t care about stats, those are the two things I look at right away when I pick up a stat sheet. That’s who we are, that aggressiveness.”
USC had two players collect 10 or more rebounds (Michael Carrera and Mindaugus Kacinas), while another quartet had four or more boards. Carrera got to the free throw line a staggering 15 times, while Sindarius Thornwell and Duane Notice attempted six free throws apiece.
The plus-25 rebounding margin was the Gamecocks’ largest of the season, surpassing the previous high of plus-18 against Hofstra on Nov. 20.
Mississippi State simply could not compete for 40 minutes with USC’s physicality, and Howland knew it.
“Frank has done a tremendous job building this program to where they are an NCAA team and a team nobody will want to play in the tournament come that time of the year,” Howland said afterwards. “We couldn’t bring the same level of physicality. Their physicality, how tough they are, the way they play, it forces you to be physical or you’re not going to win. You have to bring it.”
The fly in the ointment from Tuesday night’s win? Turnovers. The Gamecocks came into the Mississippi State game with the highest number of total turnovers in the SEC (273 in 19 games) and are one of three conference teams averaging 14 or more turnovers per game.
Eighteen turnovers later, Martin vented.
“I continue to be concerned with turnovers,” Martin said after USC improved to 18-2, the most wins for the Gamecocks since the 2008-09 season. “We commit the worst turnovers of any team I’ve ever coached. I don’t mean to be negative because it was a heckuva win for our guys, but turnovers and missed free throws are going to cost us.
“Our turnovers are awful. The guy guarding the ball is in front and we just run them over. You can’t do that. Our turnovers are unbelievable.”
Regardless of the occasionally reckless nature USC handles the basketball, the Gamecocks are off to their best 20-game start (18-2) since 2003-04 and have secured the most total wins in a season since 2008-09.
Now the Gamecocks prepare for the first – and they hope the last – revenge game of the 2015-16 season. Alabama comes to Columbia Saturday for a 6 p.m. tip (SEC Network) 17 days after inflicting a humiliating 73-50 loss upon the Gamecocks in Tuscaloosa.
Initially, Martin refused to watch the game tape, but he will for the first time Wednesday (a day off for the players) as the Gamecock coaches prepare the game plan for the Crimson Tide.
“After that game, I just ignored it like it never happened,” Martin said. “But I will study that tape tonight and all day (Wednesday) and study them to see what they did to attack us. I have not seen that game. At the time, I did not want to dwell (on that game). It was the first time we played lethargic. I didn’t want to dwell on the negative after playing 15 hard-nosed games. But now I have to go back and watch it.
“The way our guys played tonight will put me in a better mood and (convince me) that game was an aberration and not the norm. But it’s my job. I have to study it, break it down and see what they tried to do to attack our defensive concepts. What worked for us on offense, if anything. Maybe we have to rethink our strategy going into that first game (vs. Alabama).”
SEC RESULTS/SCHEDULE (Jan. 26-27)
South Carolina 84, Mississippi State 74
Alabama 63, Tennessee 57
LSU 89, Georgia 85
Vanderbilt 60, Florida 59
Texas A&M at Arkansas, 7 p.m. (1/27)
Auburn at Ole Miss, 7 p.m. (1/27)
Missouri at Kentucky, 9 p.m. (1/27)
SEC STANDINGS (After games of Jan. 26)
Texas A&M 7-0
LSU 6-2
South Carolina 5-2
Kentucky 5-2
Florida 5-3
Georgia 4-4
Vanderbilt 4-4
Arkansas 3-4
Auburn 3-4
Tennessee 3-5
Ole Miss 2-5
Alabama 2-5
Missouri 1-5
Mississippi State 1-6
