It’s tough for any team to play three games in five days. That’s the challenge the Gamecocks will have to face tonight, though, as they welcome the Monmouth Hawks to Colonial Life Arena. Whether tired legs will come into play after wins against Louisiana Tech on Friday and Holy Cross on Sunday will be the question, but the positive is having your first five games at home in front of your own fans. Monmouth, though, has been a little more well-rested after their first game on Friday, a 78-65 win over Drexel.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Monmouth Hawks

Start time: Tuesday, November 15, 2016 | 6:30 p.m. ET

TV: None | Internet: SEC Network+

Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia | Live Stream: Gamecock IMG Sports Network | Announcers: Derek Scott (pxp), Casey Manning (analyst)

Last time out: Carolina defeated Holy Cross 81-49 behind 20 points from Sindarius Thornwell. Monmouth beat Drexel by a 78-65 count on Friday evening.

Three-Point Preview

1. Early returns have been positive for the Gamecocks, especially when it comes to the play of Sindarius Thornwell. Though it’s only a pair of games into the season, Thornwell has led the team in scoring in both contests, recording 18 points against La. Tech and 20 points versus Holy Cross. PJ Dozier has also impressed through the first couple of games: he’s averaged 16 points thus far.
2. Monmouth was the preseason pick to win the MAAC title this year. They will be paced by conference preseason player of the year Justin Robinson, who averaged 19.3 points a game last season as the Hawks put together a 28-8 season en route to an NIT bid. Like La. Tech, this will be another one of those mid-major teams that the Gamecocks can’t sleep on, because they’re capable of beating good teams from bigger conferences (ask Notre Dame, an Elite Eight team last year).
3. Hawks head coach King Rice is no stranger to the SEC: he was a part of Kevin Stallings’ staff at Vanderbilt from 2006-2011. After the team made the NCAA Tournament in four of his five seasons in Nashville, he was hired to lead the Monmouth program.

There’s also this.