Kentucky basketball: Five things to know about the South Carolina State Bulldogs
Five things to know about the South Carolina State Bulldogs, Kentucky basketball’s opponent Thursday night at Rupp Arena:
1. South Carolina State is No. 347 in kenpom
Off to an 0-3 start, the Bulldogs rank No. 347 in overall efficiency by Ken Pomeroy. They are No. 341 in offensive efficiency and No. 351 in defensive efficiency. That’s out of 360 Division I teams.
South Carolina State did take South Carolina to the wire in the season opener before losing 80-77 in Columbia in Lamont Paris’ first game as the Gamecocks’ coach. Since then, however, the Bulldogs lost 80-61 at Tennessee State and 96-71 at Duquesne. That’s the same Duquesne that Kentucky defeated 77-52 in Rupp last Friday.
South Carolina State lost its last four games last season on the way to a 15-16 record. So the Bulldogs bring a seven-game losing streak into Rupp Arena.
2. A former Tates Creek assistant was the Bulldogs’ head coach
Eastern Kentucky University graduate and former Tates Creek High School assistant coach Murray Gavin was the South Carolina State head coach from 2012-13 through 2020-21 where he went 82-168 and was fired after going 1-17 in 2020-21. He has since sued the university saying the basketball program was underfunded.
Former Memphis assistant Tony Madlock coached the Bulldogs last year. But after a 7-7 finish in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, Madlock left to take the head coaching job at Alabama State.
Erik Martin is now the South Carolina State coach. Martin played for Bob Huggins on Cincinnati’s 1992 Final Four team and coached with Huggins at Kansas State and West Virginia before taking over the Bulldogs. Martin was also head coach at Cincinnati State and Technical College before being hired by Huggins at Kansas State.
3. South Carolina State is in the MEAC
The Bulldogs compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference along with Coppin State, Norfolk State, Howard, Delaware State, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Morgan State and North Carolina Central.
Kentucky whipped Howard 95-63 in the season opener on Nov. 7 at Rupp Arena.
The MEAC is made up of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). Founded in 1970, the MEAC fields 14 men’s sports and six women’s sports. Its headquarters are located in Norfolk, Va.
The MEAC has had some NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament success. Coppin State stunned Eddie Fogler and No. 2 seed South Carolina 78-65 in the 1997 tournament. Norfolk State upset No. 2 seed Missouri 86-84 in the 2001 tournament.
4. Two South Carolina State players to watch
Lesown Hallums leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 12.7 points per game. The 6-foot-2 guard from Brooklyn scored 20 points against South Carolina. After scoring 14 points against Tennessee State, he scored just four points in 15 minutes at Duquesne.
Davion Everett leads the Bulldogs in rebounding at 6.3 per game and is averaging 12.3 points. The 6-6 sophomore scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds against Duquesne. And his tip-in at South Carolina with 4.5 seconds left pulled the Bulldogs to within 79-77 of the Gamecocks before S.C. State lost by three.
5. South Carolina State University has famous alumni
Founded in 1890, South Carolina State is a historically black university with approximately 2,900 students. U.S. News and World Report ranked the school No. 29 among HBCUs and No. 72 in the Southern region.
South Carolina State has produced some famous alumni, including current U.S. Representative James Clyburn, who has served in Congress since 1993.
Athletically, the school has produced Deacon Jones, an integral part of the “Fearsome Foursome” pass rush for the Los Angeles Rams in the 1960s. Former New York Giants Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson and former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Donnie Shell went to South Carolina State. Shell is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Thursday
South Carolina State at No. 4 Kentucky
What: Tribute Classic
When: 7 p.m.
TV: SEC Network
Radio: WLAP-AM 630, WBUL-FM 98.1
Records: South Carolina State 0-3, Kentucky 2-1
Series: Kentucky leads 1-0
Last meeting: Kentucky won 82-67 on March 13, 1998, in the NCAA Tournament at Atlanta
This story was originally published November 17, 2022 at 9:26 AM.
