Misery has followed them in road games, they have yet to beat a team with a strong Rating Percentage Index, and they?ve exceeded their allotment for heartbreaking losses to quality teams.
Meet hard-luck South Carolina, Arkansas? identical twin from the SEC East.
The teams meet tonight at Colonial Coliseum. The winner saves its season for now. The loser frets over its rapidly evaporating NCAA Tournament chances. "This is a game both teams need to put ourselves back in the race," Arkansas Coach Stan Heath said.
The Razorbacks (14-6, 2-5 SEC) have lost 12 consecutive SEC road games and play four of their next six away from home. The Gamecocks (11-7, 3-4) are coming off their ninth consecutive league road loss, 80-72 on Saturday at Florida.
Both teams feature athletic, long-limbed lineups that play aggressive defense. Their primary differences: Arkansas has an inside game and South Carolina doesn?t have much of one; the Gamecocks press and trap and the Razorbacks struggle at times handling the ball.
Depth and athleticism are among the biggest concerns South Carolina Coach Dave Odom said he has about Arkansas? team. "It?s going to be a difficult game for us because they represent all the things that make it hard for our team to win," Odom said. "They?ve got a cast of thousands for sure. They just keep running them through and they?ve got really, really fine athletes at every single position, both inside and outside. They?ve got a veteran backcourt.
" The good thing is that we are playing at home and our players have responded pretty well playing at home. "
South Carolina has conference home victories against Georgia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Its only home loss was Dec. 4 in overtime to in-state rival Clemson, 63-62.
Losses at Kansas and at Pittsburgh, by four points each, gave the Gamecocks national attention as a team perhaps ready to shake up the SEC East. But they fell by four again at Kentucky to open league play and have struggled defensively. Defense had been the one area they could count on in Odom?s previous three seasons.
Off-and-on disciplinary problems have cropped up again with guard Josh Gonner and post Antoine Tisby. Tisby has missed three games because of suspensions, and Gonner was not allowed back in the arena for the second half of Saturday?s game at Florida after he berated an assistant coach about lack of playing time.
Both players are expected to play tonight despite being in Odom?s doghouse, the coach said.
Power forward Carlos Powell is the team?s leading scorer (15.3) and rebounder (6.5), but Gonner is the guard most capable of getting on a scoring roll.
Odom had hoped Tisby could give the inside game more punch offensively, but Tisby hasn?t come that far (4.5 points, 3.9 rebounds).
Powell and Renaldo Balkman are" energy guys" who lead South Carolina?s multiple defenses. Arkansas? guards have to protect the ball and attack the press to be successful, Heath said.
An advantage is there for the taking inside if freshman center Darian Townes can keep playing as well as he has been playing. He has scored 29 points in the past two games and is averaging 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in league play. "I think my confidence meter is where it needs to be ? that?s high," Townes said.
Rebounding made a dramatic jump in Arkansas? loss to Kentucky on Saturday with a 37-30 edge against what had been the league?s No. 2 rebounding team. Better blocking out by the inside players and hustle by Ronnie Brewer and Olu Famutimi accounted for the improvement, Heath said.
In the past two games, free throws have come around (38 of 49, 77.6 percent) and turnovers forced are up (18 by Auburn, 19 by Kentucky). "We?re anxious to get back on the court again," Heath said. "We?re playing good basketball. I think our record is a little bit deceiving from how we?ve really played. We?ve been so close, and yet have not been able to get that big win in close ballgames yet."
Meet hard-luck South Carolina, Arkansas? identical twin from the SEC East.
The teams meet tonight at Colonial Coliseum. The winner saves its season for now. The loser frets over its rapidly evaporating NCAA Tournament chances. "This is a game both teams need to put ourselves back in the race," Arkansas Coach Stan Heath said.
The Razorbacks (14-6, 2-5 SEC) have lost 12 consecutive SEC road games and play four of their next six away from home. The Gamecocks (11-7, 3-4) are coming off their ninth consecutive league road loss, 80-72 on Saturday at Florida.
Both teams feature athletic, long-limbed lineups that play aggressive defense. Their primary differences: Arkansas has an inside game and South Carolina doesn?t have much of one; the Gamecocks press and trap and the Razorbacks struggle at times handling the ball.
Depth and athleticism are among the biggest concerns South Carolina Coach Dave Odom said he has about Arkansas? team. "It?s going to be a difficult game for us because they represent all the things that make it hard for our team to win," Odom said. "They?ve got a cast of thousands for sure. They just keep running them through and they?ve got really, really fine athletes at every single position, both inside and outside. They?ve got a veteran backcourt.
" The good thing is that we are playing at home and our players have responded pretty well playing at home. "
South Carolina has conference home victories against Georgia, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Its only home loss was Dec. 4 in overtime to in-state rival Clemson, 63-62.
Losses at Kansas and at Pittsburgh, by four points each, gave the Gamecocks national attention as a team perhaps ready to shake up the SEC East. But they fell by four again at Kentucky to open league play and have struggled defensively. Defense had been the one area they could count on in Odom?s previous three seasons.
Off-and-on disciplinary problems have cropped up again with guard Josh Gonner and post Antoine Tisby. Tisby has missed three games because of suspensions, and Gonner was not allowed back in the arena for the second half of Saturday?s game at Florida after he berated an assistant coach about lack of playing time.
Both players are expected to play tonight despite being in Odom?s doghouse, the coach said.
Power forward Carlos Powell is the team?s leading scorer (15.3) and rebounder (6.5), but Gonner is the guard most capable of getting on a scoring roll.
Odom had hoped Tisby could give the inside game more punch offensively, but Tisby hasn?t come that far (4.5 points, 3.9 rebounds).
Powell and Renaldo Balkman are" energy guys" who lead South Carolina?s multiple defenses. Arkansas? guards have to protect the ball and attack the press to be successful, Heath said.
An advantage is there for the taking inside if freshman center Darian Townes can keep playing as well as he has been playing. He has scored 29 points in the past two games and is averaging 9.6 points and 4.0 rebounds in league play. "I think my confidence meter is where it needs to be ? that?s high," Townes said.
Rebounding made a dramatic jump in Arkansas? loss to Kentucky on Saturday with a 37-30 edge against what had been the league?s No. 2 rebounding team. Better blocking out by the inside players and hustle by Ronnie Brewer and Olu Famutimi accounted for the improvement, Heath said.
In the past two games, free throws have come around (38 of 49, 77.6 percent) and turnovers forced are up (18 by Auburn, 19 by Kentucky). "We?re anxious to get back on the court again," Heath said. "We?re playing good basketball. I think our record is a little bit deceiving from how we?ve really played. We?ve been so close, and yet have not been able to get that big win in close ballgames yet."
