No. 18 Syracuse (4-0) will face its first true test Saturday afternoon when the Orange takes on South Carolina (5-0) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York at 2:30 p.m. The first four games have been cakewalks for SU, which boasts an average margin of victory of 33.8 points over that span.

The Gamecocks are also off to an undefeated start after beginning last season 15-0, and Frank Martin’s team took care of No. 25 Michigan, 61-46, in its most recent game.

Here is everything you need to know about South Carolina.

All-time series: Syracuse holds a 3-1 advantage

Last time they played: It’s been more than 14 years since the two teams last met, dating back to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) semifinal on March 26, 2002. The Gamecocks beat the Orange for the first and only time, 66-59, despite 28 points from Syracuse’s Preston Shumpert. Kueth Duany, who factored on the next year’s national championship team, chipped in 15 points and seven boards. Aaron Lucas led the way for South Carolina with 20 points and four assists.

The South Carolina report: Martin’s team boasts three players scoring in double digits over the first five games, led by Sindarius Thornwell’s 20.8 points per contest. South Carolina had scored 70 or more points in each of its first four games before the Wolverines held the Gamecocks to 61 in their win on Wednesday. USC is shooting 38.5 percent from deep, compared to Syracuse’s mark of 44.6 percent, and just under 73 percent from the foul line.

After missing out on last year’s NCAA Tournament despite a 15-0 start, the Gamecocks are off to another impressive start despite not receiving any votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. The two teams have three common opponents thus far, Monmouth, Holy Cross and South Carolina State. The Gamecocks similarly manhandled S.C. State and the Crusaders but needed overtime to squeak out a one-point win over Monmouth, whereas the Orange cruised to a 21-point victory.

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How South Carolina beats Syracuse: Against Michigan, South Carolina held the Wolverines to a paltry 2-for-26 clip from 3-point range. On the season, the Gamecocks are only allowing opponents to shoot 23.1 percent from deep. Meanwhile, Syracuse is shooting the lights out from behind the arc, almost at a 45-percent rate, and made over half of its 24 shots from deep against South Carolina State on Tuesday. Something has to give in the Barclays Center, and if Jim Boeheim is to leave with a 5-0 record, it’ll have to be the Gamecocks’ stingy perimeter defense.

Stat to know:

94 – South Carolina’s adjusted defensive efficiency rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 94 ranks 29th in the country, according to Kenpom.com. Syracuse ranks sixth in the nation with a rating of 90.

Player to watch: Sindarius Thornwell, guard, No. 0

The 6-foot-5 senior is shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 48 percent from behind the arc, on top of 85.7 percent from the charity stripe. In addition to his team-leading 20.8 points per game, Thornwell leads the team with 7.2 rebounds per contest. According to Kenpom, Thornwell takes a team-high 31.6 percent of South Carolina’s shots and is the only player used on over 28 percent of possessions.

Published on November 26, 2016 at 7:31 am

Contact Matt: mcschnei@syr.edu | @matt_schneidman