South Carolina vs. Iowa State basketball: Five players to watch
By Doug Winkey
We are at the end of the non-conference season when Iowa State basketball travels to Brooklyn, New York, to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Here are my players to watch for both teams.
South Carolina
Laimonas Chatkevicius (#14, Jr F, 6-foot-11, 250 lbs.)
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First up for USC is their center. A native of Lithuania, Chatkevicius is currently the third-leading scorer for the team at 10.4 points per game, but leads them in rebounding and blocks at 6.1 and 1.7, respectively, per contest. He will definitely be a load for Jameel McKay, who hasn’t yet faced a man with Chatkevicious’ size and skill. Georges Niang and Daniel Edozie could also be called upon to cover the big Lithuanian at times.
Duane Notice (#10, So G, 6-foot-2, 221 lbs.)
Next up is Notice, who leads the team in scoring at 13.2 ppg, but also contributes decently in steals, assists, rebounds, and shooting percentages. He doesn’t seem like a truly dynamic player, but more of a solid jack-of-all-trades from the backcourt. I’m thinking Monte Morris or Naz Long will cover Notice most of the evening.
Sindarius Thornwell (#0, So G, 6-foot-5, 215 lbs.)
Finally, keep an eye on Thornwell. He is the primary swingman for the team and averages 11.4 ppg to go with 5.7 rpg and almost two steals per contest. He doesn’t shoot well from the floor, so his role is of the slash-to-the-hoop variety. Bryce Dejean-Jones should be the primary defender for Thornwell.
Iowa State
Dustin Hogue (#22, Sr F, 6-foot-6, 220 lbs.)
On the Iowa State side, watch Hogue. He has been playing better as of late, increasing his rebounding numbers to 4.5 per game, but he will still be needed to clean the glass and play post defense. USC’s Chatkevicius and and Demetrius Henry should be a good warmup for Big 12 post play.
Abdel Nader (#2, Jr F, 6-foot-6, 230 lbs.)
This is also a good contest for Nader. Carolina has a number of decent players in the swing man position and will give him valuable experience going into Big 12 play, where he will square off against some highly-touted small forwards.
South Carolina is nothing special, but they do have the size and general talent to cause some trouble for ISU. Be sure to tune into the final game before conference play starts, and go Cyclones!