 Gamecocks Prove More Than A One-Trick Pony
posted by Scott Hood, 1/31/2008 02:42:00 AM
The good thing about Wednesday night’s 62-56 victory over Georgia was Devan Downey had a bad game. Huh? You heard me. The fact the Gamecocks were able to pull out a key win over a SEC East rival despite their top player struggling bodes well for the short-term future. Too often this season, the fortunes of the Gamecocks have been tied directly to Downey. In order for USC to have any chance to win, Downey had to have a sensational game from his point guard position. Most of the time he delivered. Downey came into the contest against Georgia with five straight games – all against SEC foes - of 22 points or more. USC was 1-4 in those games. Downey has burned up the SEC in his first campaign in the league. He was the only conference player averaging more than 20 points per game for all games. His advantage in the scoring race for conference games only was more than two points per game. But Wednesday night was different. Downey connected on just three of 10 shots for a new season low in field goals. He did dish out five assists, close to his average and had one steal. There’s no question Downey looked out of sync at times. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. For the first time in a long time, the offense did not go through Downey. Zam Fredrick took over with 23 points, while Dominique Archie had 13. Translation: other Gamecock players had to step up. And they did. For one night, at least, USC found out what life without Downey bringing is ‘A’ game was all about. To his credit, Downey was ecstatic after the game. He even described it as a “sense of relief.” He also knew he didn’t have 'it' against the Bulldogs. Many players of Downey’s stature would have forced shot after shot, hoping to shoot themselves out of the slump. But, rather than playing selfishly, Downey made sure the ball went to the hot players – Fredrick and Archie. By the end of the game Downey had attempted a season-low 10 shots. In crunch time, when USC urgently needed a basket to counter a Georgia rally, the ball went to Fredrick, who drove along the baseline and hit possibly the biggest shot of the game. Downey is a fiery competitor that just wants to win. The fact USC has already lost 10 games by the end of January is killing him, and he’s let his teammates know it. As far as Downey is concerned, the fact USC beat Georgia is everything. It’s still about winning. I’m sure he feels the mantle was lifted off his shoulders a little bit. In the future, he won’t have to go into any game thinking he has to play flawlessly for USC to win. But one thing didn’t change on the stat sheet for Downey – minutes played. Every starter for USC played at least 33 minutes Wednesday night. Downey was on the floor Wednesday night for 37 minutes, which is actually three less than his total number of minutes in last Saturday’s loss at Kentucky. By this point, it’s clear Dave Odom’s decision to rely on a smaller, quicker lineup of Downey, Fredrick, Archie, Evaldas “Efka” Baniulis and Dwayne Day in three of the last four games has enjoyed at least a moderate level of success. The win over UGA provided the perfect background for the strategy. The Bulldogs enjoyed a considerable size advantage up front, so Odom went with the smaller lineup to draw Georgia’s big men away from the basket. Odom acknowledged after the game USC had fallen into the trap the past two years of trying to beat Georgia “at their own game.” So he tried something different. It worked. The inclusion of Baniulis among the starting five is, without question, the biggest surprise of the season. The addition of touted freshmen Mike Holmes and Sam Muldrow was supposed to drive ‘Efka’ further into the background. But it hasn’t happened. Instead, he’s thrived in the second half of the regular season. He’s played 69 minutes in the past two games and has grabbed 12 rebounds, dispelling the belief he’s a soft player. Most importantly, Odom seems to like having him on the floor. The same could be said of Downey. But, as Wednesday night proved, basketball is still a team game. Having one great player typically isn’t enough at the elite level, particularly over the course of 16 conference games in the rugged SEC. Downey is more than happy to share the load.
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USC-Georgia In-Game Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 1/30/2008 06:53:00 PM
9:25 - It's over. USC WINS 62-56. ZF had 23 pts and Archie 13. DD had just 9 pts. 9:22 - 2 FT by USC with 21.6 secs left. It's 61-54. This one should be over since it's a 3-possession game. 9:20 - ZF hit 2 FT's and UGA just made a 3P. USC leads 59-54 with 21.7 secs left. USC ball. 9:15 - The final media t/o with 48.1 secs left. Here's the situation: USC leads 57-51 but UGA has the ball underneath its basket. They'll probably go for a 3 and try to turn this into a one-possession game. 9:13 - The lead is down to 4. But ZF just hit a layup. It's 57-51 with 58.1 secs left. UGA calls 30-sec t/o. 9:10 - Hold on to your seats! A 5-0 run by UGA has cut the lead to 55-49 with 2:17 left. USC needs to hang on here. 9:07 - 30 second t/o by USC with 4:23 left. USC leads 53-44. ZF has 19 pts. DD has just 4 pts, so it appears USC is headed towards a victory without a big night from its top scorer. 9:05 - ZF just hit a huge 3P for USC. UGA had cut the lead to 8 at 50-42, making a few fans nervous, I'm sure. There's 5 mins left. 9:00 - Third media t/o with 7:24 left. USC has managed to phold most of its lead through the last several minutes. The score now is 50-39. UGA has gotten to within 9 but that's the closest they've been. 8:50 - Second media t/o of the 2H with 11:48 left. USC leads 45-33. They've dominated the last six minutes or so. DB just drilled a 3P to get the crowd to its feet. 8:45 - USC is rolling right now! Baniulis just drained a 3P to give USC a 45-33 lead. It was 30-28 at one point, meaning the Gamecocks have outscored UGA by a 15-5 margin since then. This might be one of the best stretches of the season for USC. They've come out strong in the 2H, just like they did in the UK game last Saturday. 8:40 - We've reached the first media timeout of the 2H with 15:53 left and it's still a struggle for both teams offensively. This one had hardly been a masterpiece. But USC leads, 33-28. Archoe has 11 pts. DD has just 4 pts. 8:25 - First Half Stats: Shooting: USC 35.5% (11-31), UGA 37.9% (11-29); 3-PT FG: USC 12.5% (1-8), UGA 9.1% (1-11); FT: USC 3-4; UGA 1-1 Rebounds: USC 20, UGA 19; Turnovers: USC 5, UGA 6; Steals: USC 3, UGA 3. Leading Scorers: USC, Fredrick 8, Archie 8; UGA, Woodbury 9. 8:15 - We've reached halftime. Unfortunately, USC sputtered down the stretch and gave away all but 2 of an 11-point lead. Gamecocks lead, 26-24, and UGA has the momentum heading into the locker room. ZF and Archie have 8 pts apiece. USC played well for 16 minutes but the last 4 mins were forgettable. UGA scored 13 of the final 17 points if the 1H. 8:05 - Fourth media t/o. 3:52 left. USC leads 22-13. Four-point outburst by USC gave them a 22-11 lead. ZF has 8 pts for USC. Archie has 6 pts. Imagine. USC has a 9-point lead and DD has only 2 pts. 8:00 - Both offenses are struggling right now. UGA just hoisted up an airball and they heard it from the crowd. Wait, there's a dunk by Archie. Steal. Layup by ZF. It's 22-11 USC! Timeout UGA. 4:45 left. Largest lead of the game by USC. 7:55 - Third media timeout of the 1H. USC leads 18-11 with 7:54 left. USC is playing well on both ends of the floor. It appears they have UGA rattled on the offensive end. UGA can't crack the USC defense. 11 points through 13 minutes is pretty impressive. 7:50 - Second media time out with 10:23 left. USC leads 11-9. Coming out of the timeout, Muldrow taps in a miss by DD and ZF drains a 3P. USC leads, 16-11. 7:45 - Zam Fredrick's 3-point play has given USC a 9-4 lead. USC is playing very well defensively. But UGA hits a triple. It's 9-7. 7:40 - We've reached the first media timeout of the 1H with 15:54 left. EB scored the game's first 4 pts. USC leads 6-2. Good start for USC, especially defensively to hold UGA to just 2 points at this juncture. 7:30 - The starting lineups have been introduced. We're ready to go. 7:00 - We're here at the Colonial Center for tonight's USC-Georgia basketball game. USC is 9-10 overall, 1-4 in the SEC. They're looking to snap a two-game losing streak. USC has lost four in a row to the Bulldogs. The last USC win in the series came in February of 2005. In my opinion, this is a must-win game for USC, particularly with three of the next five games on the road. One thing you can count on is Devan Downey scoring 20 or more points. He's done that five games in a row. He's the leading scorer in the SEC. Georgis's has a strong frontline. We'll see how USC handles that. The expected starting lineup for USC is Downey, Fredrick, Archie, Day and Baniulis.
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Taking A Look At USC's In-State Recruiting
posted by Scott Hood, 1/29/2008 11:42:00 AM
I don’t claim to be a recruiting expert, and unlike some of you, I couldn’t name every player left on South Carolina’s board. But I do know enough about it to contend that the three most important uncommitted players remaining that USC has a reasonable chance to sign are Jaron Brown, Sterling Lucas and Devin Taylor. Why? They’re all from the Palmetto State. While I remain confident USC will finish with another solid class, the fact that just six of USC’s 20 current commitments this year are from the state of South Carolina is disturbing. I believe, as I’m sure the USC coaches do, that you sign the best players possible, no matter where they come from. But when you’re the flagship university, signing the best players from your own state should be a priority. You always want to do well within your own state. This year, however, it hasn’t happened. Eight days before National Signing Day, USC has received a commitment from only one of the top 10 players in the Palmetto State, if you go by the Rivals.com player rankings. That lone soldier is Charles Whitlock, an exciting defensive back/wide receiver from Chester, S.C. Clemson, on the other hand, has signed six of South Carolina’s top 10 players. Granted, if you consider the Top 15, USC does a little better. All of the prospects rated 11 through 15 have signed with the Gamecocks (Kenny Davis, Reid McCollum, Jay Spearman, Aramis Hillary and T.J. Johnson). So, that means USC will sign six of the top 15 prospects in the Palmetto State. But that doesn’t ignore the fact that Clemson has gotten the better of it this year when it comes to recruiting in this state. Right now, USC has nearly as many commitments from Georgia (5) and Florida (5) as they do from South Carolina. I’m not advocating that USC sign any player simply because they’re from here. They still have to be good enough, or have the potential to be good enough, to play in the SEC. Does USC need to change their in-state recruiting strategy? Possibly. I think it’s something they certainly need to take a look at. From reading the various recruiting reports over the last few months, there appears to be a resistance among many of the top players to sign with USC. Of course, USC’s 6-6 season didn’t help matters, either. I recall Tony Morrell and others saying before the season that the Gamecocks needed to have a successful year to reel in some of the bigger names. Obviously, that didn’t happen. The good news is Brown, Lucas and Taylor all have USC high on their lists. Lucas had an in-home visit with new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson Monday night at his home in Orangeburg. I’ve heard reports today that he’s committed to N.C. State. That would be a blow. But, I’m told, many of his family and friends want him to play at USC. Maybe they can convince him to come to Columbia. If he does sign with the Wolfpack, they deserve credit for jumping on Lucas early. Brown has an in-home visit with USC coaches Wednesday night. Taylor is down to USC and Virginia Tech and is scheduled to announce his choice on Monday. What’s interesting about Taylor’s recruitment is the main salesman for each school are USC assistant coach Shane Beamer and his father, Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer. It’s father against son and, I’m thinking about the women and children here, it might get nasty. Hopefully, the recent hiring of Ellis Johnson will boost USC's in-state recruiting prospects. Johnson is a native of Winnsboro, as you probably know, and started his coaching career in the S.C. high school system. He knows a lot of people in the all-important recruiting circles. It might be too late to get Lucas, but I think in the long run having Johnson on board will help the Gamecocks snag more in-state recruits in the future. In my opinion, that’s something they need to focus on in the future.
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The Three Most Important Words
posted by Scott Hood, 1/27/2008 09:31:00 PM
It didn’t long to figure out Ellis Johnson gets it. But after eight years of serving as a defensive coordinator at two different SEC schools, he should. In my opinion, Johnson is a good, solid defensive coordinator, and an excellent pick by Steve Spurrier to replace Brian VanGorder, who made a hasty retreat after less than a month on the job. Johnson is not flashy or particularly charismatic, but the numbers over the course of his career show he knows how to get the job done. This past season with Mississippi State was a perfect example. The Bulldogs finished fifth in the SEC in total defense (331.8 yards per game) in 2007 and sixth in scoring defense (23.2 ppg), as well as third in pass defense (174.9 ypg). Not overwhelming numbers, but pretty good. If you’re looking for a reason why the Bulldogs won eight games this season, Johnson and the MSU defense were the primary reason. The fact MSU went 8-5 despite have the least productive offensive unit in the SEC in terms of total offense (297.2 ypg) is a testament to the job Johnson did with the Bulldog defense. All Steve Spurrier asks from his defense is finish in the top half of the league in the major categories. If you do, you’ll stay in his good graces. If you don’t, you’ll likely be shown the door. USC? The Gamecocks were ninth in total defense (378.1 ypg) and 12th in rushing defense (209.3 ypg) this past season. That’s why Tyrone Nix is no longer the defensive coordinator for USC. In the Liberty Bowl, the Miss. State defense rose to the occasion by limiting UCF running back Kevin Smith, the nation’s leading rusher, to 119 yards, nearly 70 below his season average. The fact Miss. State went 20-30 in his four years in Starkville had little to do with the Bulldogs defense and a lot to do with an inept offense. The bottom line is Ellis Johnson is a rock-solid football coach who focuses on the fundamentals and installs a system that allows his players to execute. In that regard, he’s not much different from new special teams coordinator Ray Rychleski. Granted, Johnson won’t be as much fun watching on the sidelines as VanGorder would have been, since he doesn’t have that type of personality, but the results are comparable. With most of its players returning, including Jasper Brinkley, I expect USC to be a solid defensive team next season. But Johnson won me over during last Thursday’s hastily called press conference when, asked about his philosophy, he uttered the three most important words any defensive coordinator in the SEC can say. In short, he said he keyed on three things as a defensive coordinator: 1. Speed; 2. Speed; 3. Speed. My response? Halleluiah. One of Johnson’s best quotes came when he said, “You don’t win on defense with diagrams and playbooks.” In the SEC, that’s very true. Instead, the formula for success in this league is tremendous speed combined with great athleticism, proper fundamentals and a good scheme. Johnson is an advocate of a seven man front (4-3 or 3-4 depending on personnel). But, frankly, it’s all about the speed. As in, if don’t have it, you’re sunk. If you haven’t gotten he message yet, just remember this simple piece of advice - the ‘S’ in SEC stands for speed. Johnson summed it up this way: “It’s speed, fundamentals, proper pursuit angles and tackling, and the rest of it will take care of itself.” That’s coachspeak for give me some guys who can run fast, fly to the football and tackle the right way and I’ll have a pretty good defense. USC had decent team speed last year, but not enough to beat most SEC teams. That’s a major reason the Gamecocks went 3-5 in the conference for the second year in a row. In case you haven’t noticed yet, this conference is all about speed on both sides of the football. The teams that possess the most speed typically are the ones that win the most ballgames. And the SEC is, team-for-team, the fastest conference in the country. Just how important is speed in the SEC? In my opinion, the USC coaches must ask themselves this question when they're deciding whether to offer a scholarship to a recruit - Is he fast enough to play in the SEC? While there are certainly other qualities to consider, that question trumps all others. I still vividly recall two years ago at SEC Media days when someone asked Florida head coach Urban Meyer what his number one priority for the Gators was. He didn't talk about winning championships. He said he wanted Florida to become the fastest team in America. There’s a good reason the SEC went 7-2 this past bowl season, the highest number of victories by a single conference in college football history. Most teams in other conferences simply can’t keep up with the SEC in terms of overall team speed. Just ask Ohio State if you don’t think speed matters. The last time I looked the Buckeyes are 0-9 all-time against SEC teams in bowl games. But speed doesn’t just matter, speed kills. Welcome to the SEC.
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Sports Capitalism 101
posted by Scott Hood, 1/25/2008 12:25:00 AM
The bizarre events of Thursday reminded us once again that major college athletics is, like pro sports, a big business. I know many USC fans are upset at Brian VanGorder for abandoning the defensive coordinator post at USC after three weeks and taking a similar job with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons. Well, it’s similar in every aspect except one - his paycheck. VanGorder should more than double the salary he was set to earn at USC. How about $1 million per year? That’s the going rate for a coordinator’s position in the NFL right now. Even Steve Spurrier acknowledged VanGorder made the right decision for he and his family. Do I blame VanGorder? Absolutely not. I would have done the same thing. He told us after the introductory press conference on Jan. 8 that his dream was to become a NFL defensive coordinator. Well, he finally gets to live it out. How many of us in this big, bad world get paid seven figures annually AND get to work at a dream job? Not many. There are only 32 NFL defensive coordinator jobs out there and VanGorder has one of them. In a sense, he’s reached the top of the mountain in his profession. Heck, Jason Garrett of the Dallas Cowboys gave up his quest to become a NFL head coach when Jerry Jones sweetened his pot to $3 million annually. Here are the questions many Gamecock fans were asking today – What about loyalty? What about honor? What about keeping your promises? Don’t make me laugh. Please. That ship sailed a long time ago. And it’s not coming back. In fact, it might have already shipwrecked. There’s little loyalty left in pro and major Division I athletics. Coaches and players come and go. Some coaches are always seeking the next big job, the next big paycheck. Remember, Ellis Johnson just did the same thing to Arkansas that VanGorder did to USC. Now it’s Arkansas that’s left holding the short straw. Did Johnson feel any special affinity for Arkansas because it allowed him to finally leave Starkville? No. Of course, few are crying for new Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino, who ditched the Falcons after 13 games and showed up less than 24 hours later in Fayetteville in a late night press conference as the new head coach of the Razorbacks. But Petrino will now go out and steal somebody else’s defensive coordinator. The process will continue on until every job is filled and everyone is content with who they have. Is all of this stuff bizarre? Absolutely. Does it make any sense? Yes, as long as you understand its dollars and cents – not dollars and sense – driving the gravy train. When it comes to this type of stuff, there’s a disconnect between coaches and fans. The fans, not surprisingly, take things personally and demand that coaches pledge their everlasting allegiance to their school. Coaches, on the other hand, see each job as a business opportunity. It’s called Sports Capitalism 101. One of the best examples I can think of is Rick Stockstill. How many of you thought when he was happily employed by Clemson in the 1990’s that he would one day end up working for the Gamecocks? Not many, I’m sure. I vividly recall a group of us talking to Stockstill during the 2005 season and someone asked me if he felt funny working at USC after all those years at Clemson. His response was emphatic: No, coaching is a business. This is my job, and I try to do it well no matter where I am. That’s the way it works in coaching sometimes. One day a coach is working for the arch-rival, the next day he’s wearing the hat of your favorite school. You just never know. I’m happy for Ellis Johnson and his family because they get the opportunity to finally come home to South Carolina. I know he really wanted the defensive coordinator job six weeks ago when Spurrier started his search. He finished a close second in that race to VanGorder. But, like the tortoise and the hare, patience won out. Of course, Johnson will get a healthy raise out of the deal. That’s the way it always works. In effect, college football assistant coaches are all independent contractors. They work for themselves as much as they work for their schools. So here’s my cheap advice when it comes to assistant coaches – never expect they’re going to stick around, so when they do leave, it won’t be upsetting or painful.
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Another Tough Lesson For The Gamecocks
posted by Scott Hood, 1/24/2008 03:05:00 AM
As the final eight minutes of Wednesday’s 73-71 loss to Florida unfolded on the Colonial Center floor, South Carolina fans would have been excused had they said they’ve seen this movie before. That’s because they have. The Gamecocks held an eight-point lead with 8:22 remaining against the defending national champions, albeit a totally different team. The first 32 minutes of the game had gone pretty much according to the game plan drawn up by Dave Odom and his assistant coaches. USC played hard, with energy and enthusiasm, and the crowd was making its presence felt. But it all fell apart in the final eight minutes. USC was outscored 20-10 down the stretch by the extremely young but extremely talented Gators. Freshman Nick Calathes is a superstar in the making. If the Florida players stick together, they could be a national championship contender next season. The Gators won this game because they played smarter and with more poise in the closing minutes. USC committed four turnovers in the final 8:10. That’s about one every two minutes, which any coach will tell you is way too many. USC certainly played hard for most of the 40 minutes. Unlike some previous home games this season, effort was not the culprit. They just didn’t play intelligently, especially when the game was on the line. As Odom spoke after the game, I thought he had turned into Steve Spurrier, who has often said the same thing after some of USC’s football games the past three years. In the hyper-competitive SEC, you have to play smart, play hard and play with poise. If you don't, even for a few minutes, you lose. Chalk it up as another tough lesson for the Gamecocks about daily life in the SEC. Odom said it best afterwards: “For whatever reason we didn’t finish the game. We have some work to do. Florida plays with a very high basketball IQ. In the clutch, I’m not sure we do. We’ve got to play more cerebral basketball in the clutch. It’s almost like we take plays off. You can’t do that at this level. Maybe we’re tired, I don’t know.” Following the 80-73 road loss at Vanderbilt two weeks ago in the SEC conference opener, Odom remarked he wasn’t sure the Gamecocks could have played any better than they did at that point in time. The same thing could be said about Wednesday night’s game. USC shot nearly 53 percent (28-53) from the field, including 50 percent (10-20) from 3-point range. They battled Florida on nearly even terms on the boards (33-31) and had 13 turnovers, a little high but not unreasonable. Yet, they lost, proving again how difficult it is to win in the SEC. The difference? Free throws. Florida made 9-of-12 from the charity stripe, while USC was 5 of 11, including just 1 of 5 in the second half. So, while there are no such things as moral victories, USC’s performance offered encouragement for the remaining 12 games in the regular season. It’s a start, hopefully, to a better future, at least for this season. But USC must now try to beat Kentucky on Saturday afternoon in jam-packed Rupp Arena. After that, they host an improving Georgia team and travel to Oxford to face Ole Miss before Super Bowl Sunday. As he sometimes prone to do, Odom put USC’s upcoming preparations for the Wildcats in colorful terms: “(Thursday) we’ll crack the ship, we’ll spank the behinds, whatever we’ve got to do, we’ll going to get it done. I don’t know how long it will take, but we’re going to get their attention, you can bet on that. When we get on that plane Friday we’ll be ready to play. The game is there for the taking. We have to go get it.” I know Florida hasn’t played the toughest of schedules but Wednesday’s game showed again, quite frankly, what a remarkable coach Billy Donovan is. It’s amazing a team comprised of mostly freshmen and sophomores can keep their composure intact when they’re trailing by nine points in the second half on the road. Most teams would have folded their tents in that situation But the Gators didn’t. Honestly, if USC had played the way the Gators did on Wednesday in several previous games, the number in the ‘W’ column would be a lot higher right now for the Gamecocks and Odom might not be talking about his retirement. Donovan is a prime example of what can happen when you’re willing to take a chance on a talented young coach. Jeremy Foley, or whoever was the Florida AD back then, took a lot of heat from the Gator fans for hiring the hotshot from Marshall. Obviously, with two national championship banners hanging from the rafters, it’s worked. Does USC take the if-you-can’t-beat-‘em-join-‘em approach and go hard after VCU’s Anthony Grant, who was an assistant coach at Florida for a decade under Donovan? He’s certainly high on USC’s list. If Grant is capable of recruiting the same type of basketball savvy players I saw wearing the blue and orange uniforms of Florida on Wednesday, then I say pay the man what he wants and let’s go.
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USC-Florida In-Game Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 1/23/2008 07:12:00 PM
10:00 - Foul with 3 secs left. Missed FT. Ball out of bounds. USC ball. But there's just 1.2 secs left. They have to go the length of the floor. Inbunds to Downey. Long heave from mid-court. No good. FLORIDA WINS 73-71. Good game. USC played well for the most part but didn't execute down the stretch the way they wanted. 9:57 - Miss by DD. Florida gets the ball. Foul. 73-69 UF with 13.3 secs left. Miss. USC gets the ball. ZF goes in for a layup. 73-71 with 4.8 secs left. USC needs a quick foul or quick turnover right here. 9:52 - Another triple by UF! They lead 71-67. Hodge fouls out with 2:25 left. Muldrow just missed the front end of a 1 and 1. Dunk by UF. Gators lead 73-67. Muldrow hits a J. Wow! UF leads 73-69 with 1:01 left. USC calls timeout. 9:50 - Calathes hits a 3 after DD drilled a J on the other end. DD had 24 pts. UF leads 68-67. That's just UF's second lead of the second half. USC has the ball. There's 3:31 left. Plenty of time. 9:45 - The score is tied at 65 with 4:35 left. We'll see who executes the best down the stretch here. It's USC's ball. 9:40 - Another media timeout with 7:50 left. USC leads 61-57. UF just scored on a thunderous putback slam. It's crunch time. 9:35 - Timeout with 9:01 left. USC leads 58-53. ZF drilled a 3P from the top. He has 17 points. 9:30 - UF responds to USC's 11-0 run with an 8-0 run of its own. By DD just drilled a 3-pointer from deep on the right wing. USC leads 55-51 with 10:29 left in the 2H. This one is probably going down to the wire. 9:22 - We've reached the first media timeout of the 2H with 15:16 left. USC leads 49-43. 8 straight points by the Gamecocks. DD has 16 points. He just split a couple of UF defenders for a layup. Boy, he's a fearless player. He's not afraid to take it to the basket. The crowd is rocking now. 9:20 - USC just ripped off 6 consecutiuve points in exciting fashion and now lead 47-43 with 16:30 left. Muldrow, Downey and Fredrick all scored on layups and short shots in transition. Good start to the 2H by USC. 9:15 - The second half is underway. We're tied at 41. 9:10 - Halftime Stats: Leading Scorers: USC, Downey 12, Archie 9, Fredrick 9; UF, Calathes 13, Speights 10; Team Shooting: USC 56% (14-25); UF 46.7% (14-30); 3-Pt Shooting: USC 60 percent (6-10); UF 21.4 percent (3-14) Rebounds: USC 14, UF 13; Turnovers: USC 7, UF 5. Steals: USC 4, UF 4. Free Throws: USC 4-6, UF 5-5. 8:55 - We've reached halftime. USC leads 38-36. UF took advantage of a couple of USC turnovers to score the final six points of the half. Kevin Joyce just got a thunderous ovation when he was introduced at h/t. We'll have stats soon. 8:50 - 28.6 secs left in 1H. USC leads 38-33. USC just ran off 7 straight poinst to take a 38-30 lead. its largest of the game. But UF just hit a 3-pointer. USC has the ball. 8:40 - Fourth media timeout with 3:16 left in the 1H. USC leads 31-28. One of the refs just got in Donovan's face after he protested a blocking foul on UF. DD completed the three-point play. Efka drained a 3-pointer, his first of the game. Anyone who had concerns USC would come out flat didn't have to worry. USC has showed plenty of emotion and intensity in this one. It's been a very good 1H. 8:30 - Triple by Day! USC leads 20-15. Great jumper by DD! He just leaped over his defender and took that funny looking jumper. But it works. 22-15. USC is playing very well right now. There's a basket by UF. We've reached the third media t/o with 7:52 left in the 1H. USC 22-17. 8:25 - We've reached the 2nd media t/o with 11:17 left. USC leads 17-13. 8:20 - USC leads 15-13 with 12:59 left. Baniulis has entered the game. DD is now out of the game. BRR replaces him. Off. foul on Calathes. He doesn't play like a Fr. Dunk by Archie! UF calls t/o with 11:34 left. USC leads 17-13. Archie and DD both have 7 pts. 8:10 - We're underway. It's tied 5-5 early on. There's a 3 by DD and he's fouled! Chance for a 4-point play. But he missed the FT. Calathes responds with a 3 for UF. The action is fast and furious here. 2 straight baskets by DD gives USC a 12-10 lead at the first media timeout with 14:51 left in 1H. 8:00 - Dave Odom didn't receive a thunderous ovation but it was certainly louder than he's gotten in previous games. I didn't hear any booing. So, that part is over. Now it's time to play some hoops. 7:20 - We're at the Colonial Center for tonight's USC-Florida SEC basketball game. USC is 1-2 in the league, while UF is 3-1. This is one of those games where what happens off the court is just as big a story as what happens on it. There are a lot of media here tonight and everyone is ready to see how the crowd reacts when Odom is introduced before the game in the wake of his retirement announcement last Friday. Plus, I'm anxious to see how Florida plays. They are a very young team, much like USC. I heard today they have only nine scholarship players. Donovan must be saving the scholarships for next year. The Gators' top player is a true freshman, Nick Calathes. It should be an interesting evening. We'll see how it goes. 8:00 - Dave Odom didn't receive a thunderous ovation but it was certainly louder than he's received in previous games. I didn't hear any booing. So, that part is over. Now it's time to play some hoops.
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Learning To Speak English
posted by Scott Hood, 1/23/2008 02:41:00 AM
Based on the number of posts and e-mails I have seen, there is a large group of Gamecock fans out there that want to see Alex English named South Carolina’s next head basketball coach. While intriguing, I’m not optimistic it will happen. From a journalist’s perspectives, I admit it would make for fascinating theatre to watch a Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players in USC history stalk the sidelines at the Colonial Center. A number of schools have successfully done it in the past. Some others – notably Houston with Clyde Drexler – have failed miserably. There’s no question English is enthralled by the prospect of returning to Columbia. My sources have told me that he wasted little time before he contacted the USC athletic department to express his interest once it became known Odom would retire at the end of the season. So, we know he wants the job. But will he get it? In my opinion, Hyman would prefer to hire a coach from the Division I college level that is, first and foremost, a good recruiter. There’s no question that after spending more than 20 years with the NBA as a highly decorated player and assistant coach, English has a very high basketball IQ. But, as USC fans have painfully discovered the last several years, college basketball, and college sports in general, are less about X’s and O’s and more about the Jimmys and Joes. In short, the teams with the best players typically win the most games. Unfortunately, English has little experience recruiting at the Division I college basketball level, especially when it comes to convincing Top 100 level players. Frankly, recruiting in major college basketball is a nasty business, much more so than football. Why? Because all it takes is one or two great players and a program can become an instant winner. As we all know, it’s not that way in football. The efforts of a talented skill position player on the gridiron can get lost with weak line play. But basketball is much more of an individualistic sport within a team framework. As a result, great high school players are highly coveted. Many of these kids surround themselves with entourages, street agents, family, AAU coaches and sneaker company reps. Everybody wants a piece of the action. The best college basketball coaches are the ones that can swim in shark-infested waters. The SEC East features three of the best recruiters in the country in Florida’s Billy Donovan, Kentucky’s Billy Gillespie and Tennessee’s Bruce Pearl. What do they have in common? All have magnetic personalities that talented players flock to. We’ve seen what Donovan has accomplished with the Gators. Pearl has turned Tennessee into a Top 10 program. Gillespie should have Kentucky humming by next season. And I haven’t even mentioned Clemson’s Oliver Purnell and the job he’s done when it comes to attracting quality players to the Upstate. Frankly, the talent gap between USC and Clemson the past three seasons has been troubling. USC needs a coach that’s an ace recruiter to keep pace with its SEC East rivals or the Gamecocks will find themselves falling further behind. So, while a homecoming for English would set Gamecock Nation ablaze, here’s the key question you need to ask yourself: Does English have the recruiting acumen and staying power to keep up with the aforementioned coaches? The answer, I believe, is no. But, of course, my opinion doesn’t matter one bit in this regard. The one person English needs to impress is USC athletic director Eric Hyman. Several people have told me USC should hire English as head coach simply because he's a Gamecock, and they want a fomer player in that role. That's nonsense. The only relevant consideration is whether English is a good enough coach, no matter where he graduated from. The same goes for all the other candidates. This is a crucial hire for Hyman, one that could make or beak him as the USC athletic director. Does he roll the dice and take a chance on English despite his lack of recruiting and college coaching experience? In my opinion, knowing Hyman’s personality a little bit, that’s unlikely. So, if it’s not English, who will get the job? Right now, you would have to say the two favorites heading into the first turn are Virginia Commonwealth’s Anthony Grant and Oklahoma’s Jeff Capel. Both are two of the hottest young coaches in the country. Grant, who makes about $300,000 per season at VCU, could have the opportunity to more than quadruple his annual income. I’m sure Capel, Grant’s predecessor at VCU, is already well compensated at Oklahoma, so it may be more difficult to entice him with an attractive seven-figure financial package. In my opinion, the No. 3 and No. 4 candidates are Duke assistant coach Chris Collins and Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall. Most of you already know the latter’s story, so I don’t need to repeat it here. Marshall and Grant have already spoken publicly about the position. Marshall issued an open-ended statement Monday that left him plenty of wiggle room in case USC beckons at the end of the season. Right now, with the college basketball season in full swing, no coach is going to acknowledge publicly he has an interest in the USC job. That would invite a revolt from his current AD, players and fans. In truth, are Grant and Capel interested? You bet. How about Marshall? He’d be more than happy to talk with USC athletic director Eric Hyman in late March or early April, whenever Wichita State’s season concludes. The way the Shockers’ season is going, that will be sooner rather than later. Capel could exploit USC’s interest into a more lucrative long-term deal with Oklahoma. But coaches at mid-major schools don’t have that luxury. Buckle in, because the process to hire a new basketball coach at USC is going to last awhile, probably into late March or early April. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the new coach isn’t named before the Final Four. As long as he’s the right guy, I can wait.
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Time For Spurrier To Do The Right Thing
posted by Scott Hood, 1/22/2008 01:57:00 AM
I know the big recruiting weekend, Dave Odom’s pending retirement and the search for a new men’s basketball coach has dominated the headlines lately. So, let’s get back to talking about the football team for a few minutes. I think it’s time for Steve Spurrier to crack the whip. As I write this late Monday night, redshirt sophomore tight end Nick Prochak lies in a hospital bed after suffering a fractured leg in a collision between his moped and an errant vehicle on the USC campus Friday night. According to an article published late Monday afternoon on the Spartanburg Herald-Journal’s website, Prochak underwent surgery immediately following the accident and had a metal road inserted into his leg from the hip to the knee. Prochak will miss the entire spring practice while he recuperates from the injury, although team physician Dr. Jeff Guy expects a full recovery. He faces four months of intense rehabilitation in order to fully recover from his injuries by May. Here’s the key statement from the SHJ article: “The mopeds are a popular source of transportation for USC players in getting around the congested campus area.” Well, it’s time to make mopeds unpopular. Yes, it’s time to for Steve Spurrier to ban his football players from riding mopeds at any time. And while he’s at it, he should ban them from Five Points as well. There are plenty of entertainment alternatives in Columbia, including the Vista area, which doesn’t seem to be nearly as chaotic as Five Points. Am I being a grinch? Possibly. But I’m also being a realist. The SHJ article says Spurrier plans to speak to his team about the dangers of riding mopeds, and that Prochak plans to join his head coach during the conversation. Sorry, in my opinion, that’s not enough. How many more players have to suffer serious injuries before Spurrier finally decides to ban mopeds? There are plenty of ways to get around campus without using a moped. A recent article in The State said about 30 players have mopeds, including potential starting quarterback Stephen Garcia. Will it take a high profile player like Garcia being knocked out of action for a substantial period of time before people finally realize mopeds are extremely dangerous? After all, Prochak didn’t have a single reception last season after moving to tight end from the secondary last spring. Sadly, the answer to the question under consideration may be yes. Grace Prochak, the mother of Nick, said it best about mopeds in the SHJ article: “They’re taking a risk every time they get out on the street on one of those. Drivers in the cars just don’t pay attention to the street.” Now that’s a very smart mother. She understands one important thing very well: when a car and a moped collide, the car will win every time. Moped, you lose. But mopeds aren’t the only villains with the potential to cause serious harm to USC football players. In my opinion, Five Points has been nothing short of a Bermuda Triangle in recent years. Numerous players have been involved in incidents there. Some of them have involved fisticuffs. Five weeks ago, Jordin Lindsey was seriously injured when he was struck in the neck with a broken beer bottle. He lost a lot of blood and was fortunate to survive the incident. It’s time for Spurrier to take tough measures to assure his players stay safe off the field. I know you can't legislate against every danger that exists in life, but banning the players from riding mopeds and prohibiting them from going to Five Points would constitute a commendable start. In the meantime, their loved ones will have to put thier foot down to keep the players safe. Prochak’s parents have said they won’t buy Nick another moped. Good for them.
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The Qualities Of The Next Basketball Coach
posted by Scott Hood, 1/21/2008 12:40:00 AM
Right now, I have no idea who the next men’s basketball coach for South Carolina will be. I’d have better luck trying to pick the nominees for both major political parties for the general election in November. And we probably won’t know that key piece of information for at least two months considering we’re still weeks away from the start of March Madness. But I do know the characteristics I want USC’s new coach to possess. Young. Aggressive. Great recruiter. Good X’s and O’s. Excellent communicator. That’s a lot to ask, but today’s college basketball environment demands someone who can handle all five of those chores. The coaches who succeed in these five areas are the one that lead their teams to championships. So, who are the coaches who possess those five characteristics? I think two of the names we’ve heard the most – Anthony Grant and Jeff Capel – possibly come the closest. But there are others too. Some we know, some we don’t. Make no mistake, this is a critically important hire for athletics director Eric Hyman. Frankly, it could be his legacy at USC. I always thought Mike McGee’s tenure was tarnished a bit by the poor decision to hire Brad Scott as head coach in 1994. It’s clear, in retrospect, he wasn’t ready to become a head coach for the first time at the SEC level. Hyman doesn’t want to fall into that trap. Think about it. Hyman may not have to hire a new football coach for another five or six seasons at least. Steve Spurrier appears to be committed through the duration of his contract, which expires after the 2012 season. And with the new ballpark finally under construction, it looks like Ray Tanner will stick around for awhile. So, for Hyman, this is it. This hire is how he will be judged by USC fans for the next five years or more. Here’s the catch: Hyman has to roll the dice a little bit with this hire. Florida did just that a decade ago when AD Jeremy Foley rescued Billy Donovan from oblivion by tabbing him to be the next Gators head coach. Where was Donovan coaching at the time? Marshall. Yes, that school. You know, “We are. . .” Okay, so you didn’t see the movie. A lot of people didn’t. But that doesn’t obscure the fact Florida took a huge gamble on Donovan. But Foley did his homework and concluded he was the guy. It turned out to be a gutsy but great call, as we all know. Hyman, hopefully, will do the same thing. I think I know him well enough that I can confidently say he’ll perform meticulous research on every serious candidate. So, when the moment comes to pull the trigger, he’ll hit the target right through the center. However, contrary to what my family and friends may tell you, I’m not dumb enough to predict the new basketball head coach for USC will win back-to-back national championships. A conference championship will do just fine, thank you very much. It’s been over a decade since the Gamecocks won one of those. Whoever ends up with the job, there’s something possibly unique about this coaching search. The fans might actually play an important role in who eventually gets to stand up at the pres conference and smile for the cameras. As I mentioned in my article posted late Sunday night, a couple of people I spoke with this weekend informed me there is a lot of consternation in the coaching fraternity – and that’s what it is, a fraternity – about the way Odom is exiting after a 22-year head coaching career. In short, many coaches on the national level feel he was forced out by a large group of unappreciative fans. Believe it or not, Odom is very well respected and held in high esteem by his fellow coaches. He’s been a major figure in the coaches association for a long time. As a result, many coaches will be monitoring closely how Odom is treated by USC fans in the final seven regular season home games. Simply, if Gamecock fans want to secure the best coach possible, they need to show Odom some major love. I know that might be difficult for some USC fans to do after the last couple of seasons, but the future of the program could be depending on it.
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Goodbye, Dave Odom
posted by Scott Hood, 1/18/2008 01:50:00 AM
Good for Dave Odom. I think he picked the right time to announce his resignation, effective at the end of the season, of course. So, if you’re an Odom basher, you’ll have at least seven more opportunities to boo the lame duck USC coach. But I think you should lay off. You have your victory. Gamecock fans expressed their discontent with the current state of the program, both with their vocal cords at the game (the student section behind me chanted “Fire Odom” throughout the last home game against Tennessee) and by their conspicuous absence from the Colonial Center. When it comes to major college sports, nothing speaks louder than an empty seat. You case you haven’t heard, Odom, now in his seventh season as USC’s head coach, is expected to announce that he will ‘retire’ as USC head coach at the end of the current basketball season. Was I surprised by the news? No. When I interviewed Eric Hyman last week, he hinted something was up with Odom, but I didn’t have the time to go into great detail. You’d have to be in complete denial not to see the handwriting was clearly on the wall when USC lost at home to Baylor and - horrors! – UNC Asheville during a recent five-game homestand. That latter defeat may have been the one that convinced Hyman to act swiftly or the season could spiral out of control. USC righted the ship a bit with Wednesday’s 70-66 road win over Arkansas in a game that few predicted they would win. I certainly didn’t think they could travel to Fayetteville and beat the Hogs. But they did. Even his harshest critics have to give him credit for devising a game plan that worked against the taller Razorbacks. He went with a smaller lineup that used its quickness, outside shooting skills and the chutzpah of point guard Devan Downey to pick up its first SEC win of the season. Unfortunately, performances like the one the Gamecocks pieced together Wednesday night were few and far between for Odom and the Gamecocks the last two seasons. I’ve said countless times before and I’ll say it again: it’s all about winning. Dave Odom was paid a lot of money to win basketball games at USC. In the end, that was the only thing he was judged on - wins and losses. And he didn’t win enough. While his overall record at USC is decent (123-94), it’s his poor slate against SEC teams (37-62) that eventually doomed him to the coaching graveyard. USC has been unable to compete consistently with the top echelon team in the conference the last couple of years. Last Saturday’s blowout loss to Tennessee had, regrettably, become commonplace the last two seasons. So, by the time mid-March rolls around, he’ll be gone unless USC finds a way to finish at least .500 and earn a NIT bid or, if a true miracle occurs, a NCAA Tournament bid. As someone who’s played, coached and watched basketball for 35 years, I’ve always had a fair amount of respect for Odom’s acumen with the X’s and O’s. It’s his recruiting ability I often questioned. And Division I college athletics, in case you didn’t know, is 80 percent recruiting and 20 percent coaching. I can assure you Billy Donovan of Florida figured that out a long time ago. Odom was simply unable to attract enough elite athletes to Columbia. To an extent, it’s his own fault because he disdained recruiting Top 100 level players because he felt they would have a difficult time fitting into a team concept. Eddie Fogler fell into the same trap, which led to his demise as well. But, his competitors were aggressively recruiting those quality players. The result? A wide disparity in talent between the Gamecocks and other SEC teams. Granted, Odom’s latest recruiting haul was above average with freshmen like Mike Holmes and Sam Muldrow. He also benefited from the transfers of former Palmetto State phenoms Devan Downey and Zam Fredrick. But Holmes and Muldrow have yet to make the adjustment to major college basketball. Shots they converted easily in high school were being swatted away by opposing big men, many of whom were just as big and athletic as they were. As a result, USC has had little inside game to speak of this season. Most of the scoring has come from Downey and Fredrick. Knowing his time has come, Odom has been gracious in defeat. He could have made life difficult for Eric Hyman and demanded the buyout in full under the terms of his contract, which is $300,000. But he’s going to accept a much smaller sum. Whether he finagles an athletic department job out of this, we’ll have to wait and see. As a credentialed member of the media, I’ll miss Odom. He loved to talk and was a quote machine when his engine was humming. He’d answer just about any question you asked, whether it was about the Gamecocks or college basketball in general. Most of the time he was fairly gracious. I just won’t miss all those darned L’s.
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Did Steve Spurrier Hit The Jackpot?
posted by Scott Hood, 1/17/2008 01:35:00 AM
The more I get to know Brian VanGorder and Ray Rychleski, the more I'm convinced South Carolina’s defense and special teams are in very capable hands. Steve Spurrier needed to make a couple of strong hires, and I think he accomplished that with flying colors. In my opinion, the quality of the coaching staff has improved considerably. That's not a knock on Tyrone Nix and Fred Chatham. They were both good coaches. VanGorder and Rychleski are better, that's all. You have to give Spurrier credit on three fronts: 1) recognizing changes had to be made; 2) hiring two coaches who are well respected in their profession; and 3) not letting friendships get in the way. Believe it or not, some coaches have a difficult time with No. 1. Many allow loyalties to their assistant coaches blind them to the reality that new blood should be brought in. Spurrier has a reputation for hiring coaches that he’s familiar with. Many believe that’s why he hired Fred Chatham two years ago from Duke. But he didn't allow his friendship with Chatham prevent him from giving him a pink slip. But Spurrier acknowledged at the press conference eight days ago that he didn’t know VanGorder or Rychleski very well when he made the decisions to hire them. Instead, he spoke with a lot of people and got their recommendations. Spurrier said they were the “best hires” he could make. I agree. In coaching lingo, Spurrier may have hit the jackpot. The best thing I can say about VanGorder and Rychleski is both appear to be no-nonsense coaches. There’s no dispute both are very good in the X’s and O’s department. You don’t last as long on the coaching profession as these two guys have without an intricate knowledge of football. There will be an emphasis on fundamentals and I get the feeling that anyone who deviates from them won’t play. That's good. In short, some of the mistakes and bonehead plays we saw this past season, many on special teams, won’t be tolerated. That’s why Spurrier hired these guys. People saw at the press conference what I had known from my previous phone conversations with Rychleski. He won’t be afraid to get into a player’s face when they make a mistake. But, the best thing about Rychleski is he keeps it simple. He prefers to run the same schemes with an emphasis on execution. He didn’t change a thing in seven seasons at Maryland. When USC lines up in punt formation next season, you will see two gunners on the outside. The best part? You will see the identical formation the second time USC has to punt, and the third time, and the fourth, and the fifth, and so on. In my opinion, that’s a major reason Maryland didn’t have a punt blocked in Rychleski’s seven seasons with the Terrapins. Familiarity breeds contempt? Not when it comes to special teams on the major college level. To his credit, Rychleski also disdains gimmicks. His motto is ‘just punt the damn ball.’ You won’t see any rugby punts and few fakes. Rychleski is smart enough to understand that when it comes to special teams, the K.I.S.S. system works best. VanGorder’s hiring is a bit different because many USC fans knew who he was when he was hired. I still recall images of BVG going ballistic on the sidelines when he was at Georgia earlier this decade. It’s that type of energy USC needs right now. There’s no question the Gamecocks defense had its energy and enthusiasm sapped by the season-ending five-game losing streak. VanGorder favors a 4-3 system, which, in my opinion, is the best fit for USC’s personnel. Of course, having Jasper Brinkley back won’t hurt either. I know some fans are concerned about VanGorder’s nomadic ways the past few years. But let’s face it, that’s a major part of the coaching profession. Many quality coaches jump from job to job seeking the perfect situation. VanGorder admits he gave in to his urge to become a head coach when he took the Georgia Southern job in 2006. But it didn’t work out, so he returned to the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons this past season. Again, it didn’t work out. But you can blame that on Bobby Petrino, who got cold feet after 13 games as a NFL head coach. VanGorder can’t be faulted for pursuing better opportunities. The only people who have suffered have been his family, who have endured annual moves for the last four years. Hopefully, he’ll be in Columbia for awhile. I like the hirings of Rychleski and VanGorder for another reason. The current USC staff has a nice blend of young and veteran coaches. They also have at least three assistant coaches who have worked in the NFL. It never hurts in recruiting to have a couple guys on staff that have the working knowledge to tell recruits what it takes to play on Sundays. But, first, they have to perform on Saturday. With VanGorder and Rychleski around, I like USC’s chances in that area.
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The Lindsey Conundrum
posted by Scott Hood, 1/15/2008 02:09:00 AM
Ron Morris of The State newspaper asserted in a recent column that South Carolina should dismiss Dustin and Jordin Lindsey, the enigmatic twins from Mobile, Ala., and revoke their scholarships. I respectfully disagree. And, apparently, so does USC head coach Steve Spurrier. The Lindseys latest brush with the law came exactly a month ago when Jordin was seriously injured when he was stabbed in the neck with a broken beer bottle and suffered potentially life-threatening injuries to his neck. The incident occurred at 4 a.m. in - you guessed it - Five Points a/k/a the Bermuda Triangle for Gamecock football players. An 18-year old student at Midlands Tech has been charged with assault and battery with intent to kill. Yeah, that’s pretty serious. Here’s the problem I have with the argument of those who believe the incident was the “last straw” for the Lindseys – there’s no evidence on the table to prove they did anything wrong. Are the Lindsey’s totally blameless in this matter? Maybe. Maybe not. We don’t know. The million-dollar question in this case is what led the Midlands Tech student to swing the broken beer at Jordin Lindsey. Unfortunately, the police report is sketchy and devoid of some crucial details. All we know right now is the defendant, through his attorney, will probably argue self-defense when the matter eventually comes to trial. However, it’s important to note – Spurrier certainly has – that no criminal charges have been formally brought against either of the Lindseys in this matter. If the Lindseys are guilty of anything, it’s stupidity. They shouldn’t have been in Five Points on a Saturday night at 4 a.m. They should have been home in bed getting some sleep before final exams begin. Instead, their plans to celebrate the end of classes nearly ended tragically. Like the old saying goes, nothing good happens between 12 midnight and 6 a.m. This is not the first time the police have been called to an incident involving either of the Lindsey brothers in Five Points. If you recall, Dustin was arrested along with Shea McKeen after a bar fight in March 2006. McKeen left USC shortly thereafter. The Lindseys have missed a lot of football over the last two seasons. But a major reason for that has been their own undoing. Dustin was declared academically ineligible after the Independence Bowl in 2005. He sat out the 2006 season and, after suffering an injury in last April's spring game, all but a few plays of the 2007 campaign. Jordin played well in 2006 and was the Defensive MVP for USC in the Liberty Bowl win over Houston. But, like his brother before him, he was ruled academically ineligible for the 2007 season. So he sat and watched. Although they act like knuckleheads sometimes, Spurrier recognizes the Lindsey twins for what they are – very good football players that aren’t afraid to mix it up physically. Here’s Spurrier in his own words: “One thing about the Lindsey boys, they can stop the run. They play tough. That’s the best thing they’ve got going for them. When they play, they play pretty dang tough.” Yeah, they try to act tough sometimes on the streets. But, most importantly, they play tough on the football field. I can assure you "tough" is not a word Spurrier used very often last season when he talked about the Gamecock defense. Make no mistake, USC missed the Lindseys this past season. If you don’t believe me, go to the SEC’s website and check out the team defensive statistics. Look where the Gamecocks finished 2007 in rushing defense. Oh yeah, there they are. Dead last. 209.3 yards per game. Yuck. Would that have happened with the Lindseys on the field? Possibly. But I think not. In my opinion, Spurrier realizes he needs the Lindseys on the field for the rushing defense to improve in 2008. So, unless the current case takes a serious turn in the wrong direction, you might see plenty of No. 41 and 44 on the field this upcoming season. Of course, in order for that to happen, the Lindseys must hit the books hard this semester and stay out of trouble. In short, stay the heck out of Five Points. Please.
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Another Disturbing Performance
posted by Scott Hood, 1/14/2008 11:35:00 AM
Believe it or not, South Carolina played its biggest basketball game of the season Saturday night against Tennessee. Unfortunately, you couldn’t tell by the way USC performed, especially in the opening 10 minutes of each half. The 80-56 loss to the nationally ranked Vols zapped the energy from most of the USC fans at the Colonial Center. It was yet another dreadful performance in a season that’s steadily spiraling downward. Based on what I saw Saturday night, it appears my prediction of a 6-10 finish in the SEC was a bit optimistic. Yes, there’s still 14 conference games left to play and plenty of time remains to turn things around. But when will that happen? While the SEC is not the best basketball conference in the country, it’s still a very competitive league. There are tough matchups every night. All of the teams have great athletes. Right now, it’s difficult to find many games where I can confidently say USC will be the favorite going in. The one thing I do know is Eric Hyman won’t fire head coach Dave Odom prior to the end of the season. Hyman told me last week when I interviewed him for the two-part feature than ran Friday and today that he’s seen many teams reverse their sagging fortunes and become a good basketball team. Of course, the vice grip around Odom will get tighter and tighter with each loss as the volume of the outcry from the fans gets louder and louder. The Gamecocks do have talent. Maybe not enough, but they have players who have proven themselves on the Division I level. It’s just not working, right now. What I find troubling, however, is words like effort and enthusiasm and lack of aggressiveness are starting creep into the vocabularies of Odom and the players. Frankly, I hear those words too often from Gamecock players and coaches. And I’m not talking just about basketball either. Have the players stopped listening to Odom? It’s possible that’s starting to creep in. That’s a fear on every major college athletic team that goes through a losing skid. Is there hope? I can’t say for sure. The biggest problem USC has right now is lack of diversity on offense. Essentially, two players are scoring most of the points – point guard Devan Downey and shooting guard Zam Fredrick. USC’s forwards are, unfortunately, producing little offensively and not showing much resistance defensively. The three starting frontcourt players (Archie, Day, Holmes) combined to score 16 points and grab 14 rebounds against Tennessee. Conversely, Tennessee’s two starting forwards (the Vols employ a three-guard attack) combined for 24 points and 11 rebounds. The Vols easily won that battle, even though it was two against three most of the night. Holmes and fellow freshman forward Sam Muldrow have struggled mightily in their first seasons of Division I college basketball. Day, a senior, isn’t producing much either, though he played well defensively in the Vanderbilt loss last Wednesday. Saturday, Fredrick wasn’t much of a factor against Tennessee, scoring 11 points on 3-for-10 shooting. So, that left it up to Downey. As a result, here’s what we saw most of the night from the Gamecocks when they had possession of the ball – Downey dribbling the ball at the top looking for an opening to drive to the basket while the other four players stood around watching him. What do we end up with? Downey took 17 shots and had a season-low one assist. Odom admitted after the game the scant offensive support Downey has received from his teammates is a “real problem with our team right now.” But he couldn’t explain why the other four players were just standing frozen on the court watching Downey try to get to the basket. All he promised was that USC would “spend time on that.” Where does USC go from here? I’ve always said that the first five conference games were crucial. Wednesday night the Gamecocks will be in Fayetteville to face Arkansas, which is 13-3 overall and 2-0 in the SEC. It won’t get any easier after that with a home game against Florida Jan. 23 and a trip to Lexington to face Kentucky Jan. 26. Vanderbilt found out the hard way on Saturday how difficult it is to go into Rupp Arena and win when they fell in double OT to the Wildcats. Kentucky has struggled this year by their standards, so a great game by the Gamecocks could make it interesting. Bottom line, USC desperately needs a win. If they don’t get one soon, it could get ugly both on and off the court.
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USC-Tennessee In-Game Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 1/12/2008 07:56:00 PM
10:00 - FINAL SCORE: TENNESSEE 80, USC 56. USC falls to 0-2 in the SEC. 9:52 - Most the crowd is leaving with 3:40 left. UT leads 75-52. USC is 0-2 and it won't get any easier with a trip to Arkansas this week followed by a home game against Florida. After that, they go to UK. USC must play a heck of a lot better than they have tonight. Right now, about the only fans left in the CC are UT fans. 9:45 - UT is cruising to a win here. The Vols lead 73-47 with 6:20 left. The third media t/o was just called. UT has outscored USC 29-12 in the 2H so far. 9:35 - We've reached the second media t/o with 11:27 left. UT leads 66-40. As I said before, this one is pretty much over unless USC mounts a quick rally here. UT had dominated the second half. I'm impressed with UT as a team. They seem to be the real deal. I would say UT is certainly one of the favorites to win the league title. 9:30 - It's gone from bad to worse for USC. UT leads 61-38 with 13:12 left. UT has outscored USC 20-3 in the first 7 mins of the 2H. This one is all but over barring a miracle comeback by USC. UT scored 14 straight points before Archie just hit a jumper for USC. Now he's on at the FT line. Miss. UT leads 63-40. 9:25 - We've reached the first media t/o of the 2H and things aren't very pretty for USC right now. UT leads 55-38 with 15:17 left. UT has scored 12 of the first 15 points of the 2H. USC has to start doing something here or they're looking at an 0-2 record in the SEC. 9:20 - The game is slipping away for USC. UT leads 53-38 with 15:45 left. USC was forced to call t/o after UT scored 4 quick points on a OR and dunk. Poor interior defense by USC. This is a 60-second t/o. We'll still have a media t/o onthe next deadball situation. UT has outscored USC by a 10-3 marginn at the outset of the 2H. 9:15 - The 2H is underway. UT leads 47-36 with 17:26 left. 9:10: Here are some 1H stats: Team Shooting: USC 40.7% (11-27); UT 41.9% (11-27) 3P Shooting: USC 40.0% (4-10); UT 35.3 percent (13-31) Free Throws: USC 75 percent (9-12); UT 78.6% (11-14) Rebounds: USC 18, UT 18 Fouls: USC 8, UT 12 Turnovers: USC 9, UT 4 Blocks: USC 3, UT 1. Leadin scorers: USC, Downey 14, Fredrick 8; UT, Chism and Smith 9. 8:55 - USC heads to the locker room trailing 43-35 at halftime. Downey has 14 points. He scored 7 straight points during a run late in the 1H. After the bad start, USC outscored UT 35-32. It's clear that USC will not win this game unless DD continues to play superbly in the 2H. We'll have stats soon. 8:50 - Downey is singlehandedly keeping USC in this game. He just hit a 3 and stole the ball and went in for a layup. He has 12 points. USC trails 38-31 with 1:40 left. 8:47 - USC dominated the last segment, outscoring UT by a 10-5 margin. UT leads 33-25 with 3:26 left in the 1H. USC is right in this game. They survived UT's initial punch. Now they need to finish the half strong and not allow the Vols to go into the locker room with a double-digit lead. 8:37 - We've reached the third media t/o with 7:38 left. UT leads 28-15. UT is on a 14-4 run since USC cut the lead to 14-11 back at the 12:55 mark. UT is definitely a quicker team than USC based on what I've seen so far. The press has given USC problems. Every shot is contested. 8:30 - Second media t/o with 11:42 left. UT leads 18-11. USC had climbed to within 3 at 14-11 but UT hit a couple of layups just before the break. USC played much better in the second segment, however. They showed much more spirit and a willingness to compete. 8:28 - USC is playing a lot better now. The defensive intensity has picked up. UT just scored. It's 16-11 with 12:20 left. 8:20 - It's 11-0 UT after a 3. Driving layup by DD for USC's first points of the game after 3-1/2 minutes. Back-2-Back 3's by Downey and Archie have brought USC back. It's 13-8 UT heading into the first media t/o with 14:36 left. 8:10 - UT is off quickly to a 5-0 lead. USC needs a basket badly. Miss. Rebound. Foul on USC. One FT made. Off. rebound. Tip-in for UT. It's 8-0 UT. Timeout USC with 17:50 left. Poor start, 8:00 - We're at the Colonial Center for tonight's USC-UT basketball game. The two teams are going through final warmups. There is a big contingent of UT media here. I wouldsay there'a several thpousand UT fans as well. There's plenty of them in the upper level. I just saw David Reaves, Ray Rychleski and some current players accompany a bunch of recruits to their seats.
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Steve Spurrier Changes His Ways
posted by Scott Hood, 1/10/2008 01:20:00 PM
Steve Spurrier’s announcement Tuesday that he wants his quarterback to become more of a running threat next season caught more than a few people by surprise. Has the offense formerly known as the Cock-n’-Fire died a tragic death? In some ways, yes. But don’t expect South Carolina’s offense to, all of sudden, start looking like West Virginia’s under Rich Rodriguez. The spread option won’t become the core of USC’s new-look offense. After three seasons at USC, Spurrier is finally convinced the pass-oriented offensive system he unleashed on the SEC in the early 1990’s is outdated and needs to be revamped to reflect the modern realities of college football. What are those realities? Defenses are far more complex and aggressive than they were 15 to 20 years ago. Spurrier has often said that when he took over at Florida in 1990, most SEC defenses played a few basic sets and that was it. Today? College defenses are known to throw everything but the proverbial kitchen sink at opposing offenses. Remember, even the most expensive automobile requires periodic maintenance. So, Spurrier had to find a way to keep defenses back on their heels more. After surveying the landscape, he decided a quarterback who can run with the ball – either as a called play or scrambling for a first down when the receivers are covered downfield - was the best solution. In my opinion, Spurrier’s decision to transition to a new offensive scheme is based on six sets of numbers: -- USC’s third down conversion rate decreased from 47.7 percent (72 of 151) in 2006 to just 35.0 percent (55 of 157) in 2007, last in the SEC. As a matter of comparison, Florida (56.3 percent) and Georgia (45 percent) were significantly higher than USC. -- USC finished 12th in the SEC in rushing offense with an average of 113.7 yards per game. And it wasn’t even close. The 11th place team (Ole Miss) averaged 131.5 rushing yards per game. Even when you take league leader Arkansas out of the equation, the Gamecocks had less than one-half the rushing yards of the second-place team (LSU). -- USC allowed the second-highest number of sacks in the SEC (31), an average of 2.6 per game. Only Kentucky allowed more. The Gamecocks surrendered 24 sacks in 2006 while playing one more game. -- USC punted the ball nearly twice as many times in 2007 as it did in 2006. The Gamecocks punted 59 times this past season after kicking the ball away just 30 times in 2006, one of the lowest figures in the nation. -- Cory Boyd, now graduated, accounted for 66.2 percent (903 of 1,364 yards) of USC’s total rushing offense in 2007. -- USC’s two main quarterbacks – Blake Mitchell and Chris Smelley – combined for negative-125 yards rushing in 2007. Digesting these numbers, Spurrier came to one conclusion – USC’s offensive wasn’t diversified enough in 2007, despite averaging 26.1 points per game, a decrease of only 0.5 points from 2006. Spurrier saw first-hand in 2006 how effective a scrambling quarterback can be when he inserted Syvelle Newton into the starting lineup for seven games. During that span, USC converted 47.6 percent (40 of 84) of its third down opportunities, including a combined 15 of 26 against Kentucky and Vanderbilt. This past season, USC went 7-for-25 in third downs against the Wildcats and Commodores, including a dismal 1-for-12 against Vanderbilt Oct. 20 in the 17-6 loss that started the Gamecocks’ season-ending five-game slide. In my opinion, Spurrier’s decision to have the QB run more is also a product of a couple of other factors. First, if you recall, the shift to Newton last season was based largely on the poor performance of the offensive line in the first couple of games. I believe the same dynamics are at play here. Simply, Spurrier lacks confidence in the offensive line, unless and until it proves to him it can play at a consistently high level. Obviously, that didn’t happen in 2007, which accounted for the constant shuffling at the two guard spots. Also, the backfield is a question mark with Boyd gone. Mike Davis struggled down the stretch this past season as the coaches appeared to lose confidence in him. He carried the ball a combined four times against Florida and Clemson. Spurrier knew he would get a pretty good performance out of Boyd each time out. Can he say the same thing about Davis? At this point, no. Davis will, of course, have spring practice to show his stuff now he’s back to being the NO. 1 running back. Behind Davis, there’s plenty of inexperience. Brian Maddox is talented but unproven. Bobby Wallace? Taylor Rank? Who knows how they will perform. Wallace redshirted last fall and Rank played mostly special teams. Eric Baker, a 2007 signee who was forced to attend a semester of prep school to get his academic in order, is scheduled to enroll at USC when classes start Monday. He could become a factor with a solid showing in spring practice. It doesn’t take a genius (and I’m not one, just ask my wife) |
