The USC men’s basketball team opens SEC play Saturday afternoon at the CLA with a noon tip against Mississippi State. The Gamecocks are 12-1 having surpassed their win total for all of last season. The Bulldogs are 11-2 and have been bolstered by the return of star forward Tolu Smith who missed the first 12 games of the season with a foot injury suffered in practice.
Smith returned for the Bulldog’s last game against Bethune-Cookman. He played nearly 19 minutes and made all five shots from the floor in a 16-point outing. In two wins over USC last season, Smith totaled 31 points and 14 rebounds.
Based on pre-SEC results, this figures to be a low scoring game. The Bulldogs are #1 in scoring defense at 62.7, and the Gamecocks are #2 at 63.1 points per game. State has been highly proficient in defending the three while USC is 4th in the league makeing three-point shots.
Also of note, Mississippi State is 12th in the SEC averaging nearly 13 turnovers per game. The Gamecocks are second in the league in fewest turnovers per game, but they are last in forcing turnovers.
Thursday, USC coach Lamont Paris talked with the media as he looked ahead to his second run through an SEC schedule.