AU HOOPS: Hargrove ready for South Carolina, SEC play

There have been plenty of games in between the last time Auburn played at South Carolina and tonight.

All of them have mattered to Lucas Hargrove, but he’d be lying if he said tonight’s homecoming of sorts hasn’t been planted in the back of his mind since the last trip.

The Tigers edged the Gamecocks, 80-75, in the teams’ last meeting the Palmetto State two years ago. Hargrove, a freshman at the time who had a number of family and friends in attendance, didn’t play a single minute.

“That game was very, very pivotal in my career,” said Hargrove, who grew up just 30 minutes from the University of South Carolina in nearby Pontiac. “When I went back and didn’t play, it hurt me a lot and it gave me a lot of hunger and desire to want to get better and be a better player.”

Now an everyday starter in the Tigers’ lineup, Hargrove shouldn’t have to worry about scoring a little action tonight in front of the same friends and family. Hargrove said he’s been scratching to get more tickets for a game that he said has been circled on his calendar for a long time.

“I hope Coach (Jeff) Lebo can get me a couple of extra ones,” Hargrove joked.

The 6-foot-6 lanky junior forward has emerged as a jack-of-all-trades for the Tigers this season.

Hargrove averages 8.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, serving as the team’s second-biggest starting option opposite Korvotney Barber. Hargrove’s athleticism, however, also allows him to play as a swingman, which allows him to be a threat from the inside and outside. His size and speed enables him to defend a number of different sized players.

Long story short, it’s a much brighter situation than the last time Hargrove went home with the rest of his team.

“He’s really got some confidence and really started playing better,” Lebo said. “He’s gotten stronger and better at understanding what we want for him to do and what his strengths are, and where he needs to improve.”

Depending on the situation in the game, Hargrove may find himself matched up with his former AAU teammate and good friend Devan Downey, one of the top guards in the SEC.

Downey, who averages 20.5 points per game, and Hargrove played against each other in high school. In the summer, the pair joined forces in AAU ball on the South Carolina Ravens.

Hargrove said he and Downey talk frequently, with the conversations picking up in both frequency and intensity leading up to today’s game.

“He’s a fantastic player,” Hargrove said. “If he gets it going, anything can happen. We’ve got to try to contain him and just hope some of his shots ain’t falling.”

Auburn hasn’t had a problem with its shots not falling, as it rides a seven-game winning streak into tonight’s SEC-opener. South Carolina hasn’t either, as it sits at 11-2 and looks to be one of the strongest teams in the entire conference.

“We have a lot of momentum,” Lebo said. “We’re able to put all of the pieces on the floor and our depth has improved.”

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