Listless Gamecocks beaten by Kentucky at their own game
Kentucky coach John Calipari’s ejection less than three minutes into South Carolina’s lackluster 89-62 loss Saturday at Colonial Life Arena was a turning point for both teams, good or bad.
What happened immediately afterwards set the tone for the final 37 minutes of the one-sided contest. Michael Carrera missed three of four technical free throws, and the Gamecocks never recovered as Kentucky dominated throughout on both ends of the floor
The statistics tell us USC outrebounded Kentucky 39-38 and made more free throws (22) than the Wildcats attempted (21) – two statistical pillars Frank Martin looks at first when evaluating the numbers.
But make no mistake. Kentucky kicked USC’s tail from beginning to end. They were tougher, more physical and outhustled the surprisingly lethargic Gamecocks from the opening tip to the final buzzer in front of the sold-out crowd.
Case in point, Kentucky outscored USC, 34-20, in the paint, scored 22 points off 16 Gamecock turnovers and more than doubled USC’s number of assists (17-7).
Essentially, USC was soundly beaten at their own game.
“They beat us to every ball,” Frank Martin said. “They had a presence in the paint. We didn’t. Anytime the ball was there for someone to get, they got it. They just kicked our tails. Their length didn’t hurt us a much as their will.
“We couldn’t get the ball. We weren’t man enough to box out. We weren’t tough enough to grab a competitive ball and make a competitive play. We had opportunities to take charges and got out of the way. Unfortunately, we made all those mistakes. Their resolve and will was a lot stronger than ours.”
Clearly, the Wildcats came to Columbia with the mindset they were not going to back down to the Gamecocks, regarded by most analysts as the most physical team in the league.
Was Calipari’s early-game meltdown a product of Kentucky’s approach? Probably.
“They came in here to make the point they continue to be the best team in this conference,” Martin said. “They knew first place was at stake. We didn’t do a very good job of matching the energy, toughness and discipline you have to have to be in first place this time of the year.
“I’m not going to sit here and tell you Cal(ipari) did that on purpose. But I think there is no doubt Cal was on edge. He did a much better job than I did as far as getting his guys ready for this game today. They have been the best team in this league for a long time and they came here to prove a point.
“We weren’t up to the challenge.”
Besides losing the battle underneath the basket, the Gamecocks were beaten badly on the perimeter as well. Kentucky’s 5-foot-9, 160-poind point guard Tyler Ulis ran the Wildcats so effectively the Kentucky assistants left the offense to him and focused exclusively on defense and rebounding.
The speedy Ulis, a Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award finalist and likely contender for SEC Player of the Year, finished with 27 points, 12 assists and one turnover in 38 minutes. He was one of two Wildcats with four 3-pointers as USC’s perimeter defense faltered badly.
Meanwhile, USC’s guard trio of Sindarius Thornwell, P.J. Dozier and Marcus Stroman combined to shoot 4-of-28 from the floor with an alarming 12 turnovers.
Mismatch? Yes.
“The guys that play point for us committed 12 turnovers, their point guard who never comes out of the game had 12 assists,” Martin said. “(Kentucky) is Ulis’ team now. I don’t think I’ve ever coached against anybody that is so sleight in appearance, but is so strong and durable and competitive as Tyler Ulis. He guards the heck out of your point guard. He makes every competitive play. You can’t ball screen him because he will get through it.”
For South Carolina, the first home loss of the 2015-16 season represents a missed opportunity. The Gamecocks had a chance to prove to the critics they belonged in the Top 25, and climb to the top of the SEC standings.
Everything, of course, begins in practice. The Gamecocks were sloppy during Friday’s practice and the poor outing carried over into Saturday.
“Our guys have been great and zoned in all year, but yesterday (Friday) was not one of our better days,” Martin said. “We were very sloppy, listless and turned it over a lot. When you get an opportunity to play a team like Kentucky, you can’t prepare that way. I was hoping our DNA and what this team has become over the course of the past three years would help pull us through today, but it did not.”
Instead, Saturday’s loss will only produce the same old questions about USC’s record and the quality of opponents they have faced so far this season.
The Gamecocks travel to SEC bottom feeder Missouri on Tuesday, giving them an opportunity to get healthy quickly with a bounce back win. However, the Tigers upset Tennessee, 75-64, Saturday for their second conference win of the season.
SEC SCHEDULE/RESULTS (Sat. Feb. 13)
Kentucky 89, South Carolina 62
LSU 76, Texas A&M 71
Ole Miss 76, Arkansas 60
Missouri 75, Tennessee 64
Alabama 61, Florida 55
Vanderbilt 86, Auburn 57
Georgia 66, Miss. State 57
SEC STANDINGS (After Games of Feb. 13)
Kentucky 9-3
LSU 9-3
South Carolina 8-4
Texas A&M 7-5
Florida 7-5
Georgia 7-5
Vanderbilt 7-5
Ole Miss 6-6
Alabama 6-6
Arkansas 5-7
Tennessee 5-7
Mississippi State 3-9
Auburn 3-9
Missouri 2-10
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