STARKVILLE — Mississippi State starting center Abdul Ado remembers all too well what playing South Carolina is like.
Gamecocks coach Frank Martin is notorious for his team’s physical play, meaning win or lose, Ado is going to have a date with an ice bath a day later.
“It’s going to be a no blood, no foul type of game,” Ado said.
But the Bulldogs (16-9, 7-5 SEC) have never backed down from a game centered around contact in the post. Wednesday’s 8 p.m. contest at Humphrey Coliseum will feature MSU, the seventh-tallest team in the nation, against Martin’s Gamecocks (the 26th tallest).
“They’re so big and strong with their bodies,” MSU coach Ben Howland said. “I know Mike Leach would be jealous if he was sitting there watching our guys play our guys tomorrow. There would be some good safeties, tight ends and linebackers out there.”
South Carolina (16-9, 8-4) has had one the strangest seasons in college basketball, with upset wins against Kentucky and Virginia, yet losses to Stetson and Boston University. Nevertheless, the Gamecocks have won six of their last seven games, including three in a row.
“They’re playing as well as anyone in our league right now,” Howland said.
Sophomore guard AJ Lawson leads the Gamecocks with 13.8 points per game, followed by redshirt-freshman guard Jermaine Couisnard at 11.9 points per night. Maik Kotsar, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound senior might be the team’s most impactful forward, averaging 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per contest.
“I think Kotsar, he’s the guy,” Howland said. “He’s doing so much to help their team win. He’s one of the best defensive players in our league. He’s so strong, physical and has great lateral quickness and great feet. He’s a really good presence. He’s a great rebounder and passer. He’s just tough as nails. He’s a huge guy that we have to contend with as well.”
Free-throw lows
Howland always coaches his players to defend without fouling. That won’t change against South Carolina.
“We don’t want to put anyone on the line and stay out of foul trouble,” Howland said. “I’m hoping it will be a game that won’t have a huge amount of fouls involved. Hopefully, it’s a good, clean, physical game.”
Nevertheless, if the physicality turns into referees getting whistle happy, South Carolina is the team you want shooting free throw attempts if you’re an opposing team. The Gamecocks make an SEC-worst 61 percent of their foul shots, a full six percentage points lower than the next lowest charity stripe shooting team in the conference (Auburn).
Lawson is the team’s best foul-line shooter at 72 percent, followed by Jair Bolden (70 percent). No other player in the team’s 10-man rotation has a free-throw percentage at 70 percent or higher.
Ado still on cloud nine after game-winner against Arkansas
Ado is only a few days removed from the biggest baskets of his collegiate career. It was also his only basket against Arkansas Saturday, a go-ahead shot with .6 seconds remaining that gave his team a one-point victory at Bud Walton Arena.
“For me, that was one of the biggest moments of my life,” Ado said. “Being able to say I was there for a tip-in to help my team so our season could go on, that was really big time for me.”
The 6-foot-11 junior center cleaned up a miss from senior Tyson Carter, who the last-second play was originally designed for, after the Starkville native drove to the basket as the final seconds ticked down.
“I always have confidence in Tyson every time he drives the ball because I always know that he’s either going to get a basket or get fouled,” Ado said. “When it comes out, I’m going to get a put-back … I was like ‘If it comes out, I’m going to tip this back in’. That was my whole mindset – that we would leave that arena with a win, and we sure did.”
Hodge is the former sports editor for The Dispatch.
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