Tennessee-South Carolina Four Factors Gameplan

Here’s the Four Factors Gameplan for Tennessee’s game tomorrow against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The conclusions are upfront, just after each team’s baseline, and the details follow:

Baseline

First up, here’s what each team is doing at this point in the season.

Summary and Score Prediction

With both Tennessee and South Carolina sporting excellent shooting defenses, the biggest factor will probably be which team is able to solve the problems created by the other and shoot a decent percentage anyway. For the Vols, the best opportunity to make this happen is to drive to the basket where the percentages are better and where South Carolina is likely to foul and put you on the line. Tennessee’s vulnerable in the turnover department and on the boards when the Gamecocks are shooting.

The goals for the Vols:

1. Solve the Gamecocks’ defense and shoot a higher percentage by driving to the basket and getting fouled.
2. Box out and rebound when South Carolina is shooting.
3. Don’t give the game away on turnovers.

You’ll recall that the Vols won the early matchup with the Gamecocks 56-55 in Knoxville. KenPom gives this one to the Gamecocks and puts the score at South Carolina 69, Tennessee 66.

Four Factors: Straight-Up

Effective FG%

Conclusion: Basically, us. Kind of like playing Mississippi or Missouri.

Turnover %

Conclusion: Most like Mississippi and Kansas in the turnovers department. More careful with the ball than we are.

Offensive Rebound %

Conclusion: Oh, a really good offensive rebounding team. Most like Florida State and Cincinnati.

Free Throw Rate

Conclusion: Again, basically us. Most like playing Alabama or Missouri.

Four Factors: Opponent impact

Effective FG%

Conclusions

Two struggling shooting offenses going up against really, really good shooting defenses.

Turnover %

Conclusions

I really need to start putting trends in here because I feel like Tennessee is improving in turnovers and is being anchored down by its season-long numbers. But this shows potential trouble for the Vols if they haven’t improved, as South Carolina is pretty good at forcing turnovers.

Offensive Rebounding %

Conclusions

There’s danger on the glass when the Gamecocks are shooting.

Free Throw Rate

Conclusions

Well. There’s some welcome good news. Tennessee isn’t exactly what you would call stellar at getting to the line (although, again, they’ve been doing better recently), but South Carolina likes to roll out the red carpet and pre-program your GPS to help you find your way there. We tend to do that a bit ourselves, but not quite to the extent SC does.

Go Vols.