2021-22 South Carolina State men's basketball preview

Overview: It’s safe to say that South Carolina State has had a struggling basketball program. Last year, it was just 1-17 overall and 1-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. This prompted the university to part ways with former head coach Murray Garvin in March and to bring in Madlock, a former Memphis assistant. The Bulldogs don’t have a ton of offensive power, as they just averaged 61.4 points per game this past season with guard Rahsaan Edwards, the leading scorer, averaging just 9.4 points per game. South Carolina State’s offense mainly comes from its guards, but this style of play has been very inefficient. The Bulldogs had a field goal percentage of just 38.5% last year, which isn’t enough to be competitive.

South Carolina State will find itself facing many changes over the course of the season with it being Madlock’s first year. The Bulldogs desperately need to restructure both sides of the ball in order to become relevant in the MEAC. The question is whether Madlock will be able to bring what he learned from Penny Hardaway at Memphis to South Carolina State.

Team ceiling: In order for the Bulldogs to turn things around, they will need to utilize their big men in the paint as well. If Madlock is able to implement a more dynamic offense coupled with an energized defense, South Carolina State will finish above .500 and become competitive in the MEAC.

Team floor: Madlock isn’t able to turn things around for the Bulldogs, resulting in the team experiencing similar distressed records that we’ve seen before.