Preview: Big 12 - SEC Challenge; Cowboys host Gamecocks

Coming off a sweep at the hands of the the most hated shade of red, the Cowboys welcome a similarly crimson South Carolina squad for their portion of the Big 12 - SEC challenge.

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Who: South Carolina (10-8, 5-1 Southeastern Conference)

Where: Gallagher-Iba Arena - Stillwater, Oklahoma

When: Saturday Jan. 26, 2019 - 1:00 p.m. CST

TV: ESPNU

Web Stream: WatchESPN

Radio: Cowboy Radio Network / TuneIn

Live Stats: okstate.statbroadcast.com

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Injury Report:

Oklahoma State:

None

South Carolina:

T.J Moss: Out (Ankle)

Justin Minaya: Out (Knee)

Jermaine Cousinard: Out (Academics)

Jason Cudd: Out (Knee)

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Projected Starters:

Oklahoma State:

South Carolina:

G AJ Lawson (Fr), G Tre Campbell (Sr), F Chris Silva (Sr), F Felipe Haase (So), F Keyshawn Bryant (Fr)

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The Opponent:

Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

South Carolina had a rough start to their season, losing to teams like Stony Brook and Wyoming on their way to a 4-7 start. Since then, however, they have won 6 out of 7 and on their way to a 5-1 conference record. They’ve beaten good SEC teams too, like Florida, Mississippi State, and Auburn. There only conference loss was to an LSU team that OSU beat in a game that feels like ages ago now.

Frank Martin is in his seventh season at South Carolina. His one NCAA tournament appearance with the Gamecocks was their Final Four appearance in 2017. He’s no stranger to the Big 12, as he was the head man at in Manhattan, Kansas before then.

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Statistics:

ESPN

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Three Things to Watch For:

1. Bouncing Back:

The Cowboys have lost three straight, two since losing three players from their roster for violating team rules. The Cowboys will rely heavily on captains Lindy Waters and Cameron McGriff to try to pull them out of this slide.

Can the Cowboys find something to fight for in a game out of conference? Can they create some positive momentum in what’s been a crazy season?

2. Alma Mater:

OSU has seen South Carolina two other times in the Big 12 - SEC Challenge with the teams splitting the previous meetings. This one has a little extra meaning this time though, as the man himself, Head Coach Mike Boynton hails from South Carolina. Mike Boynton wasn’t super happy about the match-up before the season, but I’m sure at this point his concerns are everywhere but with his alma mater. Does the team have a little extra juice because of the connection?

3. Opposite Directions:

As I stated before, the Gamecocks season trajectory has been a little flipped compared to that of the Pokes. Can they stay hot, or will the Cowboys dig deep to turn their season back in the right direction as they approach the halfway point of conference play? Do the Cowboys have enough gas to finish a game as strong as they start one?