Gamecocks lean on Downey for victories

COLUMBIA -- Devan Downey has scored 33 and 29 points in South Carolina's first two Southeastern Conference games. The Gamecocks are 2-0 in those games.

So, that leads to a very logical, simple question heading into tonight's game against red-hot Vanderbilt: Does USC's All-SEC point guard need 30 a game for his team to win league games?

"I don't know if it has to be 30, but it has been," Gamecocks coach Darrin Horn said. "We'll take 30 every night. There's no question about that."

Clearly it's a somewhat rhetorical notion. But if it's not 30, is it 20 -- his SEC-leading season average?

If Downey's shot is off, or if a team shuts him down, where, then, will South Carolina's offense come from?

"Even with that, we've had other guys do what they need to do," Horn said.

The Gamecocks (11-5, 2-0 SEC) and Commodores (13-3, 2-0) will tip at 6 tonight (Comcast Channel 42). The teams split the regular-season series last year, each winning at home.

Wednesday's 67-58 win against LSU, which featured a 17-1 second-half run, is an interesting case study in the need for Downey.

Horn effusively praised freshman Ramon Galloway's effort, but Galloway didn't score a point. Senior Brandis Raley-Ross had 12 points, but on 5-of-13 shooting. He also got lots of praise from Horn.

Additionally, junior forward Sam Muldrow was relegated to 23 minutes because of foul trouble.

"Eventually guys are going to start making shots," Raley-Ross said. "I hope I can make at least half my shots. Sam's going to pick up his production. Ramon was scoreless, and he's averaging about nine (points a game).

"Guys are going to put points up. Devan won't have to do that all the time."

It's true. On some nights, the Gamecocks will likely have more of an ensemble cast. But, on others, they'll need Downey to don his superhero cape -- like he did Wednesday when he scored nine of the team's 17 points in the game-altering run.

The reality is, South Carolina had a balanced-scoring team prior to Dominique Archie's injury and Mike Holmes' trouble.

The Gamecocks had four scorers in double-figures three times in the first five games.

That might be a challenge now, considering there are two freshmen in the starting lineup and Muldrow might be a bit more foul-prone considering his increased role in the interior.

"We can win in other ways," Raley-Ross said.

How? Who?

"As we move forward, will see how that works out," Horn said. "I wish I could answer that. I don't know that I can. We'll just have to see."

Reliance is an important thing to consider as the SEC season continues for South Carolina.

Bottom line: This Gamecocks team will lean on Downey to win. Perhaps more than other teams have to do with their best players. Those teams have buffers.

South Carolina's buffers, two of them anyway, are on crutches (Archie) and at Coastal Carolina (Holmes).

So that puts the brunt on Downey's narrow, but able, shoulders.

The Chester native just sort of rolls his eyes at the questions now. He's a battle-tested veteran. He's just playing basketball.

He continues to roll out Horn's company line of defense leading to points.

"No, I don't need to score 30 points to win," Downey said. "We just need to play defense, do what we've been doing, and the offense will come."

By comparison, Vanderbilt has four players averaging more than 10 points.

-- including one, freshman shooter John Jenkins (11 points a game), coming off the bench.

Horn was asked about defending center A.J. Ogilvy (13.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg), but he said the Gamecocks can't go crazy worrying about him because of the supporting cast.

This will be one of the tougher tests for USC in the early home schedule. Remember, the Gamecocks didn't lose an SEC home game last season until the regular season finale against Tennessee.

Horn wasn't shy in imploring fans to come out tonight. He knows they'll be a factor since, frankly, USC might be a bit outmanned on the floor.

"Our environment is going to be huge," Horn said. "A sellout would be awesome. Couldn't say enough how much we would appreciate that."

Perhaps more than 30 from Downey?

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com and check out the South Carolina blog at www.postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks.