 Odom Era Ending With A Whimper
posted by Scott Hood, 2/28/2008 11:21:00 AM
Two weeks from today, the 2007-2008 college basketball season will likely come to an end for South Carolina. March 13 is the first day of the SEC Men’s basketball Tournament at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and if last night’s dreadful 62-55 loss to an undistinguished LSU team is any indication, USC’s stay in Atlanta will be very brief. I covered both the baseball and basketball games yesterday. I was stunned by the lack of energy in the building throughout the hoops game – both from the players and the fans. Frankly, it might have been the most docile crowd I’ve ever witnessed at a Gamecock sporting event. I could have easily conducted a phone conversation without having to yell at the person on the other end. Typically, that’s not the case. But I can’t blame the fans at this point. All of the losing, especially the frustrating defeats to Vanderbilt and Mississippi State, has zapped the enthusiasm from the USC fanbase. It’s apparent that by this point most fans are ready for the Dave Odom Era to end. Count me in on that. But I was surprised a little bit to see the lack of passion on the part of the players. They’re getting a free college education to play basketball and that’s what they should do. Have the players, like the fans, seemingly packed it in as well? Hopefully not, but it appears it’s heading in that direction. Good or bad (it all depends on your perspective), Dave Odom's seven-year tenure as head coach is ending with a whimper. USC was miserable again shooting the ball. After hitting just 30 percent of its shots in the Mississippi State debacle, the Gamecocks “improved” to 34.4 percent last night. They were just 4 of 22 from 3-point range. But, again, they were outrebounded by a wide margin. I think this gimmickry “small” lineup that Odom has relied upon for the last few weeks has finally run its course. If I were Odom, I would start Mike Holmes and/or Sam Muldrow at one of the forward spots just to see what they can do. Holmes has played well recently. USC is 12-15 overall, 4-9 in the league, and have lost five of six starting with the last-second loss to Vanderbilt. They have three regular season games left. One of the remaining games is next Wednesday’s home contest against Kentucky, the final one of the Odom Era. I could stand here and give a fiery speech about USC fans needing to pack the arena and creating a vibrant atmosphere. But I won’t. In that regard, it’s a lost cause. At some point in the second half of last night’s game, they announced that tickets were still available for the Kentucky game. I can assure you UK fans smell blood. The upper bowl at the Colonial Center will likely be packed with Wildcat fans wearing blue. I’m expecting it will be a “blue-out” of nightmarish proportions for USC fans. The USC baseball team is playing Charlotte – the same club it defeated in the NCAA Regional last June - the same night at the same time over at Sarge Frye Field. Will there be more USC fans at the baseball game or the basketball game? Good question. Covering both games yesterday was an interesting experience because I felt far more energy and electricity from 1,000 fans sitting in freezing temperatures at the mid-afternoon baseball game then I did at the basketball game. With games remaining against Auburn, Kentucky and Tennessee, it’s possible USC could limp home with eight losses in their final nine games and finish with a 12-18 mark. Frankly, USC has more talent than Auburn, but a road victory over the Tigers is hardly a sure thing after Wednesday night’s dismal performance against LSU. Here’s the kicker: the SEC West is so bad that four clubs are currently tied with 4-9 conference marks. Alabama, a team USC beat 12 days ago, sits in third place. Thanks to Georgia, USC will probably finish in fifth place in the SEC East. That means they get to face the No. 4 seed in the West. No matter who it is, we know it’s going to be a terrible team. Could USC actually win its first-round game in the SEC Tournament? You bet. That possibility leads, of course, to a crucial question. Will you be able to withstand 24 more hours of Gamecock basketball?
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
USC-UNC Asheville Baseball Game Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 2/27/2008 02:21:00 PM
5:30 - Two outs, runner at first for UNCA. Single. walk. Bases now loaded. 3-2, Shutout at risk here. Foul. Strikeout. USC WINS 12-0. 5:20 - USC out in the bottom of the 8th. We go to the 9th with USC ahead, 12-0. Farotto pitching for USC. 5:10 - Atwood works a perfect 8th and looked very good. We go to the bottom of the 8th with USC ahead, 12-0. 5:05 - USC scored a run in the bottom of the 8th on a SF by Merrifield. Havens was called out for leaving 2B early onthe play. It's 12-0 USC as we go to the top of the 8th. LHP Will Atwood now pitching for USC. This is his first appearance of the season. 4:55 - Parker Bangs didn't give up a run in the top of the 7th, Wingo led off the bottom half with a walk. That's eight walks issued by UNCA pitchers today. Walk to Havens. He's reached base all 5 times today. 4:45 - Godwin closes out an impressive outing with his fourth perfect inning of the afternoon in the top of the 6th. USC retired in order in the B6. It looks like Parker Bangs is warming up in the bullpen. Here he comes. Second appearance of the year for the RFr. Godwin hurled 6 Inn with 2 hits, no runs, no walks, 4 strikeouts, 20 batters, 75 pitches. 4:35 - Some serious 2-out lightning for USC in the bottom of the 5th. USC has scored 5 runs to take an 11-0 lead. Smoak singled to CF for 2 runs. Merrifield scored on a throwing error. Darnell singled for another RBI. Disher ends it for the third consecutive inning. We go to the 6th with USC ahead, 11-0. 4:30 - Another pitching change for USC. Havens walked. Bases loaded, two outs for Merifield. This game is dragging a bit now. UNCA pitchers can't throw strikes. They've already walked 7 and hit a batter. Throw strikes! 3-2 on Merrifield. Ball four. Run scores. It's 7-0. 4:20 - Pitching change for UNCA. Hopper singled with 2 outs. Wingo is up. New pitcher is a LHP. Wingo walks for the second consecutive time. Havens up. He's white hot right now. he has a walk, homer and HBP today. His OBP is staggering right now. 4:10 - Godwin works another perfect inning inthe 5th, his third of the day. He's throwing well. We go to the bottom of the 5th with USC ahead, 6-0. 4:05 - Disker fans for the second time. USC scores 4 in the 4th. WE go to the 5th with the Gamecocks ahead, 6-0. Godwin has a nice comfortable lead to work with. 4:00 - Single to CF by Darnell. RBI. Wingo scores to make it 6-0. Havens at second, darnell at first with 1 out. You have to think the UNCA starter is close to being yanked. There is some action in the UNCA bullpen. Smoak fans looking. Disher is up. 3:58 - Here comes the UNCA coach for a chat. Bases are loaded for Havens after a walk to Wingo. Havens hit by a pitch! Runs scores. It's 4-0 USC. Scarifice fly to CF by Merrifield. Hopper scores. 5-0 USC. Darnell up. 3:55 - USC has something going in the 4th. Lail walks. Enders singles. Hopper sacrifices. The pitchers fields the ball and throws to third. It gets past the 3B! Lail stumbles but he scores! E5 on the 3B. USC leads 3-0. Runners on 2&3 with no outs. 3:50 - Double with one out for UNCA. First runner in scoring poistion for the Bulldogs today. 4-3 groundout. Runner to third. 2 outs. 6-3 for 3rd out. Runner is stranded at third. Good job by Godwin. We go to the bottom of the 4th with USC ahead, 2-0. 3:42 - Darnell walks with 2 outs. Wild pitch. He goes to second. Smoak walks. Teams continue to pitch around him. Disher needs to get hot. If he does, that won't happen. Smoak has 6 walks already. Disher out P-5. We go to the 4th with USC ahead, 2-0. 3:40 - Hopper opens the B3 with a single. That's his third hit of the season. Wingo flied to center. Havens up. There's a drive to LF. It's over the wall! Home run! USC leads 2-0. Havens stays red hot. He takes the team lead with his third HR. 3:35 - Godwin retired the side again in the 3rd. He's sailing along. He's faced just 1 batter over the minimum through 3 Inn. We go to the bottom of the third with the score 0-0. 3:30 - Disher fans for the first out. He's K'd 5 times this season. He's struggled since those two HR's in the opener. Lail fans. Enders 1-3. Not much going for USC in that inning. 3:25 - Nice defensive play by Darnell to open the 2nd. There's a strikeout. Godwin pitching well early. It looks he'll be able to 6 Inn as Tanner hoped. F-8 for the third out. We go to the bottom of the 2nd with the game tied 0-0. 3:20 - Darnell popped up to 2B. Smaok lines one right at the RF. Tough luck there. Disher is up. UNCA catcher drops an easy popup in foul territory. E2. Disher gets new life. Wait. Merrifield picked off first! That hurt. USC had 2 runners on with no outs but couldn't score. 3:15 - Havens walks to open the 1st for USC. That's the 5th BB Havens has drawn this season. Merrifield grounder to second. He boots it! Runners on 1&2, no outs. Darnell up. 3:10 - Nice running catch by LF Justin Hopper to end the top of the first. He caught the ball on a dead run just before he banged into the wall. We go to the bottom of the 1st. 3:05 - Godwin looks good early with a F-9 and K. But there's a single to left. Two outs, one on. 3:00 - The national anthem has been played. We're almost ready for baseball. USC has taken the field. Here we go. First pitch. We're underway. 2:50 - Both teams have finished their warmups. We're almost ready for baseball. I would say there's about 750-1,000 people in the ballpark right now. It might be a late arriving crowd. 2:30 - USC has finished BP, so we should have the lineup soon. It's a chilly day here at Sarge Frye Field. Asheville is taking fielding practice right now. I would say the win is blowing about 20-25 mph. We were just handed USC's starting lineup: Havens - 6 Merrifield - 8 Darnell - 5 Smoak - 3 Disher - DH Lail - 9 Enders - 2 Hopper - 7 Wingo - 4. Godwin - P. I'm interested in seeing how Godwin does in his first career start for the Gamecocks. As Tanner said yesterday, he didn't get much of a chance last year. But he did pitch well in the fall after a solid summer with the Columbia Blowfish of the CPL.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
If Tennessee Can Do It. . .
posted by Scott Hood, 2/26/2008 01:52:00 AM
I want to continue our discussion today comparing the South Carolina baseball and basketball teams. One reader contends I’m comparing “apples to oranges” since the baseball team has “the best players available,” while the basketball team doesn’t. The key question is this - how did it get to that point? People forget that 40-win seasons and conference championships and College World Series appearances weren’t always the norm over at Sarge Frye Field. In June Raines’ final three seasons from 1994-1996, USC saw its win total plummet from 35 to 32 to 25. In 1999, Ray Tanner’s third season as head coach, the Gamecocks didn’t even make the NCAA Tournament. How did he turn it around? By steadily building the program through smart recruiting. Getting players like Kip Bouknight and Trey Dyson and Landon Powell and Brian Buscher. And on and on. The number of great baseball players I’ve seen wearing the garnet and black at The Sarge is substantial. But, they didn’t just show up in Columbia. Tanner’s diligent efforts finally paid off in 2000 and USC has been one of the premier programs in the SEC ever since. The best part? USC has managed to be highly successful despite playing in one of the worst ballparks in the SEC, possibly the country if you consider BCS conference schools. Obviously, we haven’t seen that same level of success from the USC basketball program. Why not? Does USC have a winning basketball “tradition” to sell to recruits? Probably not, considering it’s been 35 years since the school won a NCAA Tournament game. But they have something else - USC’s basketball facilities are among the best in the SEC. The Colonial Center is far superior to most arenas in the conference. If you don’t believe me, take a tour of the league and see for yourself. I’ve seen just about every SEC arena and most don’t come close to the Colonial Center. One of the league’s arenas that compares favorably to USC is Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. By the way, have you seen who the No. 1 team in the country is this week? Funny thing is, Tennessee’s basketball “tradition” isn’t that much better than USC’s. Yet, the Vols are currently the best college basketball team in the land. But Tennessee wasn’t always this good. In Buzz Peterson’s four seasons as head coach from 2001-2005, the Vols went 15-16, 17-12, 15-14 and 14-17. They failed to make the NCAA Tournament every year. On January 23, 2001, USC beat Tennessee by 34 points (94-60) in Knoxville. Two years later, on Jan. 17, 2003, the Gamecocks trounced Tennessee by 21 points (84-63) at the Colonial Center. A year ago, USC beat the Vols by 17 points (81-64) at home. Here’s more: in a seven-season span from 1990 to 1997 under two different head coaches, Tennessee averaged 12.1 victories per season overall and 4.4 wins in the conference. Winning tradition? I don’t think so. But Tennessee did one thing right. They found a jewel in head coach Bruce Pearl, whose previous head coaching experience had been at Division II Southern Indiana and Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Pearl has succeeded through the sheer force of his personality and, of course, his superior recruiting skills. People may laugh at the orange sport coats and his occasional quirky behavior, but whatever he’s doing, it’s working spectacularly well. Frankly, if it can happen at Tennessee, it can happen at South Carolina. I’m not saying USC will someday sit atop the national polls, but it’s entirely possible IF the school hires the right guy for the job. Because of what’s going on at Tennessee and some other schools, the reality of USC struggling to finish above .500 for a second consecutive season is unacceptable, even if the roster is comprised mostly of freshmen and sophomores. Unfortunately, one of the primary reasons the Gamecocks are struggling to finish with a break-even record is the fact they’ve blown enough second-half leads in the past three to four months to last until the next decade. And that doesn’t even count the 20-point first-half lead it blew in about five minutes against Baylor before losing that game. The USC hoops team has simply committed too many boneheaded blunders in the final minutes of games. In short, as I said Monday, they’ve found multiple ways to lose games. The lack of defensive discipline USC showed in the final seconds against Vanderbilt and Mississippi State is inexcusable. Actually, absurd might be a better word. Defensive breakdowns of that magnitude have nothing to do with talent or recruiting base or tradition. What disturbs me the most, though, are Dave Odom’s statements after each of those bitter defeats asserting he instructed the players on what to do, but they failed to carry out those orders. Odom won’t say it, so I will – it appears the players have stopped listening to their head coach. But, the funny part is most of these same players will still be out on the court running around on Wednesday night when USC hosts LSU. That would never happen with the baseball team. Tanner would instantly bench any player he thought wasn’t listening to him or didn’t follow his instructions or played as poorly as some of these basketball players have. Maybe Odom doesn’t have that luxury. Again, that might be the problem, if you know what I mean.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
A Stark Contrast On The Same Campus
posted by Scott Hood, 2/25/2008 01:36:00 AM
This past weekend gave us a striking and, in many ways, disturbing contrast between the South Carolina baseball and basketball teams. Here’s the primary difference between the clubs as I see it – the baseball team finds new and interesting ways to win games, while the basketball team seemingly invents a new way each time they take the court to lose games. The baseball opened the 2008 season this weekend with a three-game series against a respectable opponent – East Carolina – at Sarge Frye Field. After a rainout on Friday, USC pounded the Pirates in the opener, 22-5, Saturday afternoon before ECU returned the favor hours later with a 13-4 victory. So, with the series tied at 1-1, whoever won Sunday’s game would win the series and, with hundreds of purple-clad ECU fans in the stands, bragging rights as well. USC fell behind early, 4-1, before rallying to take a 5-4 lead on a pair of two-run homers by Whit Merrifield and Justin Smoak by the seventh. ECU scored a run to tie the game in the ninth inning but had the go-ahead run 90 feet away. But he didn’t score and the game headed to extra innings. USC had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the 10th inning but couldn’t push the run across. ECU scored a run in the top of the 11th to take a 6-5 lead. What did USC do? They simply went out in the bottom half of the inning and scored twice to win the game. Why? Because that’s what winning programs with winning mentalities do. The final at-bat of the game by Kyle Enders exemplified what I'm talking about. He was down 1-2 in the count but refused to give in to the ECU pitcher. He fouled off several pitches until he delivered the winning hit. When we talked to the players afterwards, not a single one thought USC would lose that game. They believed they would win, even when they were down a run in extra innings. They knew that somehow, someway USC would get the job done. And so they won. Now, contrast what happened Sunday afternoon at Sarge Frye Field with the events that transpired Saturday at the Colonial Center. USC was ahead by three points with just seconds remaining. But, thanks largely to some defensive blunders by the Gamecocks, Mississippi State quickly got the ball up the floor and into the hands of one of its best outside shooters. There was a shooting foul committed beyond the arc with just over a second left. The Bulldogs hit all three free throws and went on to win, 61-56, in overtime. Frankly, all USC had to do to win the game is duplicate what Florida did to the Gamecocks last Wednesday night in Gainesville. Foul in the open court and force the Bulldogs to go to the line for two free throws. The Gators executed the plan perfectly. Devan Downey was fouled while racing up the court and missed the front end off a 1-and-1 situation. Florida rebounded and ran out the clock to finish off a 85-82 victory. What did USC do when they had the opportunity to do the same thing? They screwed it up. So, they walked off the court with another disheartening loss. As times goes on, I’m more and more convinced that winning at the Division I level is as much mental as it is physical. Yeah, you can recruit the best athletes, but relying on physical talent alone leaves an important question unanswered: Do the players believe they can win?At this point, I think the answer is a resounding no when it comes to the USC men’s basketball team. That’s why they’ll likely finish with a regular season record under .500 and will have a short stay at the SEC Tournament in Atlanta in two weeks. Frankly, USC has been provided plenty of chances to change their final fate this season. But the failure to execute down the stretch – either offensively or defensively or both – has cost them several games that they should have won. As a result, the Gamecock basketball team will probably sit at home for a second consecutive post-season unless they’re invited to that hideous new third tournament created by ESPN. Actually, the more I think about it, staying at home in late March might be a good thing for the program. The players can head over to Sarge Frye Field and watch a team that knows how to win.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
USC-ECU Game 3 Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 2/24/2008 12:50:00 PM
5:00 - Lail walked intentionally to load the bases with 1 out. Here comes the ECU coach. Meeting on the mound. Enders up. 1-2 count. There's a line drive, but it's just foul by 5-10 feet down LF line. Another foul. The So. is hanging in tough. Another foul. BASE HIT! 2 RUNS SCORE!! USC WINS 7-6!!!! 4:55 - Darnell singles to center. Tying run on base. Smoak up batting right-handed. Close call on 1-2 pitch. He walks. Runners on 1&2 with 0 outs. Crisp may be sacrificing here. He does. Nice bunt. Two runners in scoring position. Lail up. 4:50 - We go to the bottom of the 11th with ECU ahead, 6-5. Darnell, Smoak and Crisp due for USC. 4:45 - Dyson walks his first batter on 4 pitches. All the pitches were high and inside. When I saw him in a scrimmage a couple of weeks ago everything was high. There's a single to LF. Here comes the runner! Safe!! ECU leads 6-5. 4:40 - Johnson still pitching for USC. Single, sacrfice for ECU. Runner at second. Flyout to left. 2 outs. Here comes tanner. That's it for Johnson. Remarkable performance for the senior from Dumter. 6.2 IP, 4 hits, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 run. Sam Dyson makes his debut for USC. 4:36 - 5-3 groundout. WE go to the 11th tied at 5-5. 4:35 - Wingo strikes out. Int BB to Havens. Runners on 1&2 with 2 outs. Merrifield up. 4:30 - Crisp sacrifices Enders to 2B. Wingo up. Here comes the ECU coach. Pitching change for the Pirates. LHP to face the left-handed hitting Wingo. Josh Ruhlman is the pitcher. 4:25 - Base hit past 3B for Enders. Great job right there. Andrew Crisp pinch-hitting for Mack. He's looking to bunt. 4:20 - ECU down in the top of the 10th. We go to the bottom half with the score still tied at 5-5. Enders, Mack and Wingo due. The sun is now trying to break through. 4:12 - Pinch-runner for Disher. First pitch to Lail. 4-6-3 DP. WE GO TO EXTRA INNINGS. 4:08 - Smoak walks on four pitches. Nothing even close. There was no way the ECU pitcher was going to give him anything good to hit. Disher up. He's fanned three times today. Time to be a hero, though. Bunt. Pitcher throws to second to get Smoak. 1-6 FC. Lail up. 4:05 - 5-3 sacrifice. Tying and go-ahead runs in scoring position. USC plays the middle infielders back. 4-3 groundout. Here comes the tying run across the plate. It's 5-5. 6-3 groundout for the final out. WE GO TO THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH. Smoak, Disher, Lail due. 4:00 - Sam Dyson warming up in the bullpen just in case. Double to CF on the first pitch. No one covered 2B again! Pinch-hitter for ECU. Walk. Runners at 1&2, no outs. 3:55 - Beautiful bunt single by Merrifield. Runners on the corners for Darnell. 2 outs. FC 5-4. Close play at second. WE GO TO THE NINTH. USC LEADS 5-4. 3:50 - Infield hit for Wingo. USC has runner at first, 1 out inthe bottom of the 8th. Top of the order due with Havens. HIt and run groundout to 3B. Wingo moves to 2B. Merrifield up. He's homered today. 3:45 - USC has the lead for the first time. It's up to Johnson to hold it now. There's a great diving catch by Lail in RF. He's had a great day with a double, triple and now a terrific catch. There's a K for the 3rd out! We go to the bottom of the 8th with USC ahead 5-4. Mack, Wingo and Havens due for USC. 3:30 - USC has problems here in the 7th. Single and double (noone was covering 2B) have runners on 2&3. Intentional BB. Bases loaded, one out. Johnson needs to hold here. Big sequence right here. Roller to 2B. 4-6-3 DP! Great scoop by Smoak at 1B. That could be a momentum changer right there. We'll see. 3:25 - Wingo was HBP with 1 out in the bottom of the 6th but nothing came of it. WE go to the 7th with ECU still ahead, 4-3. The last runs were scored in the 4th. Johnson needs to keep ECU off the scoreboard. 3:20 - Johnson sets down ECU in order in the top of the 6th. He's retired 6 straight. USC trails 4-3 going to the bottom of the 6th. Mack, Wingo, Havens due for USC. 3:10 - Some more 2-out lightning for USC? Lail triples with 2 outs. He barely missed a HR. The ball hit off the top of the RCF wall. But there's a 4-3 groundout by Enders. USC was 6 inches from tying the game. 3:05 - Johnson comes in and shuts the door in the Pirates with a FC (U-5), K and 6-3. The ECU lead stays at 4-3. We go to the bottom of the 5th. 3:00 - Another walk by Thomas. Here comes Tanner. That's it for him. He goes 4 IP and throws 70 pitches. He allowed five hits and walked two and fanned two. He's responsible for 2 base runners. This is Johnson's first appearance of the season. 2:55 - Ugh. You get back into the game and you walk the leadoff hitter the following inning. Cutis Johnson warming up in the bullpen for USC. Calvi is out for a visit. Stolen base. Runner on 2B, no outs for ECU. 2:45 - Havens walks with 2 outs. Let's see if USC can get a jolt of 2-out lightning. Yes! Merrifield blasts a 2-run HR to center. It's his second HR of the season. USC now trails by just one run at 4-3. The 2-out walk hurts ECU there. Merrifield had 3 RBI this season. 2:40 - ECU adds a run in the top of the 4th to counter the run USC just scored. Leadoff triple and SF to RF scores the run. ECU leads 4-1 as we go to the bottom of the 4th. 2:25 - Darnell reaches on E6. Smoak up. He fans. Disher fans. Two outs. Lail up. There's a drive to the LCF gap. Double Here comes Darnell. He scores. USC now trails 3-1. Unearned run for USC. 2:20 - K ends the top of the 3rd. USC comes up trailing 3-0. They have scored just four runs in their last 11 at-bats. Time to get the offense going. 2:15 - Home run by ECU on the first pitch in the top of the 3rd. ECU now leads 3-0. Thomas has given up two HR's. 2:10 - USC has something brewing here. Wingo doubles to LF. Runners at 2&3 with 1 out. Havens up. He's red hot. Havens fouled out to the catcher. That hurt. Merrfield fouls out to the 1B. Wasted opportunity there. We go the 3rd with ECU ahead, 2-0. :05 - Enders leads off the bottom of the 2nd with a walk. Third of the game by the ECU pitcher. Mack grounds into 4-6 FC. Man on first, 1 out. 1:55 - Top of the 2nd. Single and sacrifice. ECU has runner at 2B with 1 out. There it goes. Opposite field HR for ECU. They lead 2-0. WE go to the bottom of the 2nd with ECU ahead. 1:50 - Disher walks. Bases loaded for Lail. 2 outs. The ECU pitcher refused to throw anything on the inside part of the plate. 1-2 on Lail. Swing and a miss. Rnd of the inning. 3 LOB. 0-0 going to the 2nd. 1:45 - Bottom of the 1st. Another hit for Havens. Single to RF. Havens is now 7-for-11 in the series. Merrifield sacrifices and Darnell flies to CF. Two outs. Smoak works a 3-2 count. ECU elects to put him on. Disher up. 1:35 - We're underway at the Sarge. First pitch from Thomas is ripped into RF for a single. Sacrifice and groundout. 2 outs, runner at second for ECU. Hit batter. Runners at 1 & 2. Liner to SS. We go to the bottom of the 1st 0-0. 1:20 - We're about 10 minutes from the start of the game. Final preparations are being made to the field right now. Both teams have finished infield practice. The starting lineup are being introduced. USC is wearing new uniforms. They're garnet/red with wide white stripes going up the sleeves onto the shoulder area. 12:55 - We're live at chilly Sarge Frye Field for Sunday's baseball game between USC and East Carolina. This is the rubber game of the 3-game series, as the team split Saturday's day-night DH. Here is USC's starting lineup for today's game: Havens - 6 Merrifield - 8 Darnell - 5 Smoak - 3 Disher - DH Lail - 9 Enders - 2 Mack - 7 Wingo - 4 Thomas - P The lineup is identical to Game 1 on Saturday. Thomas is making his first career start for USC.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
USC-ECU Baseball Blog - Game 2
posted by Scott Hood, 2/23/2008 06:34:00 PM
9:55 - We're heading to the ninth inning of Game 2 with USC trailing, 13-3. USC has 4 errors in Game 2. They haven't played well at all at night. It looks like the rubber game of the series will be Sunday at 1:30 p.m. 8:50 - Grand slam for ECU off Bangs. The Pirates lead 11-3. Bangs is out, Wideberg is in. 8:40 - Bangs will have to work out of trouble here in the 5th. ECU has the bases loaded with no outs and they lead 7-3. There's a fly to short center. 1 out. Calvi is out. 8:30 - ECU adds a run in the 4th. They lead 7-3. We go to the bottom of the 4th. 8:20 - Disher strikes out badly, waving at two pitches well outside the strike zone. Hopper strikes out, too. We have a new pitcher for USC. Parker Bangs replaces Cooper on the mound. Cooper's line: 3 Inn, 6 hits, 6 runs, 0 K, 1 BB. USC committed three errors behind him. Let's see how Bangs does. First pitch is ripped into CF for a single. Ouch. 8:15 - Havens did it again. His solo HR leading off the 3rd cuts the deficit to 6-3. Darnell just singled. Smoak is up. He walks. Disher is up. This could become a tied game very quickly. 8:05 - ECU has scored 5 runs here in the top of the 3rd to take a 6-2 lead. Bases loaded triple and throwing error did the damage. Merrifield tried to make a shoestring catch but the ball skipped past him. Bad play by the freshman. He'll learn not to take such a risk the next time. ECU leads, 6-2, as we go to the bottom of the 3rd. 7:50 - Lail is gunned down trying to steal 2nd to end the bottom of the 2nd. USC leads, 2-1, going to the third. 7:40 - We've seen the first sign that everything is A-OK with Andrew Crisp. He made a diving stop on a grounder and flipped the ball behind his back to havens at second for the inning-ending forceout. What a play! USC leads 2-1. 7:30 - USC scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 1st. The first two batters, Reese Havens and White Merrifield, circled the bases but under different circumstances. Havens scored on a 4-base error by the ECU LF and then Whit Merrifield hammered a HR to LF. It's 2-1 USC as we go to the second. 7:10 - Cooper was one strike away from getting out of the inning but an error and double has given ECU a 1-0 lead. 6-3 for the third out. We go to the bottom of the 1st with ECU leading, 1-0. 7:05 - We're underway at SFF. L-7 for the first out. Cooper is pitching for USC. He looks strong here early in the first inning. He's throwing mostly strikes. Error by Darnell at 3B with 2 outs. 6:40 - We're back at Sarge Frye Field for Game 2 of the day-night DH. It will be hard to duplicate what USC did in Game 1. Buit ECU is throwing a true freshman, so we'll see. It could be another big game for the Gamecocks. Here is USC's starting lineup: Havens - 6 Merrifield - 8 Darnell - 5 Smoak - 3 Disher - 2 Hopper - 7 Enders - DH Crisp - 4 Lail - 9 Cooper - P The most interesting thing about that lineup is the inclusion of Andrew Crisp. He appears recovered from back surgery. When we talked with him on Thursday, he felt he was ready to play. Hopper also gets his first career start in LF.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
USC-East Carolina Game 1 Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 2/23/2008 12:41:00 PM
5:00 - USC wins the opener, 22-5. Game 2 starts at 7 p.m. 4:25 - ECU intentionally walked Smoak in the bottom of the 8th. Parker Bangs is pinch-hitting for USC. He fans. 4:20 - We're in the bottom of the 8th with USC ahead 20-3. ECU added a run in the right off Keegan Linza. Justin Hopper is pinch-hitting. There's a double to left-center. 2 runs score. First career hit for Hopper. It's 22-3 USC. 3:45 - ECU scores a run off Linza. It's 20-2 as we go to the bottom of the 6th. 3:40 - We go to the top of the 6th with USC ahead 20-1. Keegan Linza now pitching for USC. He's a tall kid, about 6-foot-5. 3:30 - ECU snapped the shutout with a run in the top of the 5th. But Reese Havens just hit a two-run HR to left for USC. It's 20-1. It's the third highest scoring season opener in school history. Havens has tied a career high with 5 hits. 3:15 - We're at the end of the 4th. USC leads 18-0. I'm sure Cisco will go 5 or 6 inn. and then Tanner will go to the bullpen. 3:10 - There's a solo HR for Smoak as he joins the long ball parade. Smoak has 40 career HR. He's eight behind career leader Hank Smalls. It's 17-0 USC. Disher is up. There it goes! Second HR for him. It's 18-0. I have to say this is somewhat of a shock considering ECU is No. 24 in one of the polls. 2:50 - USC has scored 2 more runs in the 3rd on a HBP and walk with the bases loaded. Both runs scored with 2 outs. It's 14-0 USC. So, if you predicted the Gamecocks would win by two touchdowns, you're looking pretty good right now. There's a popup by Havens. It falls in! 2 runs score. It's 16-0. I think this one is over. 2:40 - Cisco gave up a couple of singles in the top of the 3rd but no runs. USC still leads 12-0. We go to the bottom of the 3rd. 2:30 - Another hit for Havens! He's 3-for-3. Mack scores fro third. It's 12-0 USC. There's a 4-3 groundout by Merrifield. Inning is finally over, 8 runs by USC, including two homers. 2:25 - The new pitcher for ECU is greeted with a double off the LF wall by Mack. That's his second career hit. Wingo is up. 4-3 for the second out. 2:20 - There's another homer by Enders! It's 11-0 for USC! This pitcher is getting pounded. Here comes the ECU manager. Pitching change. Finally! Tough start for him to the season. He was supposed to be pretty good. Tanner was talking him up on Thursday. 2:17 - Double by Smoak down the RF line! 2 runs score. The ECU is out to argue the call. It's 7-0 USC. The ECU coach loses the argument. Disher up. There's a long drive by Disher! WAY OVER THE CF WALL! What a blast! USC leads 10-0!! What a start to the season! This is incredible!. 2:15 - USC has the bases loaded in the bott. of the 2nd with NO outs. Could be another big inning. Darnell is up. USC could break it wide open here. Infield single. Run scores. USC 5-0. 2:08 - Ciosco sets down ECU 1-2-3 in the 2nd. USC 4-0. 2:00 - USC scored 4 inthe bottom of the 1st. Hail had a DF for the final run. USC leads 4-0 after 1 Inn.of play. Now it's up to Cisco to protect the lead. 1:50 - That didn't take long. USC has taken a 1-0 lead on a RBI double to RCF by Darnell to score Havens, who had singled. Smoak is up, He's hit by a pitch. Runners on 1 and 2 with Disher up. Single to LF! Wait, the ball gets past the LF! Darnell and Smoak both score! It's 3-0 USC. Disher ends up on third. Great start for the Gamecocks! 1:45 - No harm, no foul for USC. Cisco gets out of it with no runs in the top of the 1st. We're scoreless as we go to the bottom of the first. 1:35 - We have the first controversy of the season. Kyle Enders was just called for catcher's interference on the first batter of the game. It would have been a fly out to center. 1:30 - Kip Bouknight has thrown out the first pitch. We're almost ready to go. They had a moment of silence for Tom Price. Hopefully, the first game will go at a fast pace since I know a lot of the fans here want to get over to the CC for the hoops game as well, then back to SFF for the 7 p.m. game. Here we go! 1:10 - Both teams have finished batting practice and infield practice. They're putting the finishing touches onthe field right now. We're about 20 mins from baseball. 12:45 - We're about 45 minutes from the first pitch. There are a lot of ECU fans here at SFF. I would estimate there might be 500 here today. I'm not surprised considering they have a pretty rabid fan base. Here is USC's starting lineup: Havens - 6 Merrifield - 8 Darnell - 5 Smoak - 3 Disher - DH Lail - 9 Enders - 2 Mack - 7 Wingo - 4 Cisco - P This will be the first career starts for Mack and Enders. Mack is a redshirt sophomore from Airport High School in West Columbia, SC. He has hit the ball well in pre-season, so I'm glad he's going to get a chance to play. Enders played at Riverside High School and was part of the dynasty there.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
Sizing Up The 2008 Gamecock Baseball Team
posted by Scott Hood, 2/22/2008 12:55:00 AM
With Friday being the first day of the college baseball season (weather permitting, of course), this is an appropriate time to take inventory of the South Carolina baseball team. The question most people ask on the eve of a new season is whether USC is good enough to make it to the College World Series. That’s what logically occurs when you go to three consecutive College World Series from 2002-2004 and the success or failure of every season is judged on whether you make it to Omaha or not. So, is this team good enough? Yes. But, then again, every Gamecock team since 2000 with the possible exception of the 2005 squad has been talented enough to compete in Omaha. They just haven’t gotten it done in Game 3 of the Super Regionals the last two years with frustrating losses at Georgia and North Carolina. USC led in both games in the decisive game but couldn’t hold it. Think about this for a second: had USC won the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Super Regional in 2000, 2001, 2006 and 2007, the Gamecocks would be entering this season seeking their eighth trip to the last nine College World Series. That’s how close it’s been. What about this year’s team? USC will certainly possess one of the best lineups in the country. The middle third of the batting order with James Darnell, Justin Smoak and Phil Disher might be the best in the country. Those three players, if they swing the bat the way I expect them to, should combine for at least 60 homers and 225 RBI. Is there a better infield in college baseball than Smoak at first, Andrew Crisp (once he gets fully healthy) at second, Reese Havens at short and Darnell at third? I doubt it. So, that’s two areas where USC should excel. The top of the batting order is a bit of a question mark with Reese Havens. He batted almost entirely in the eighth and ninth spots and compiled a mediocre .337 on-base percentage last year. But Ray Tanner seems supremely confident in Havens’ ability to get the job done, and that he possesses the characteristics of an ideal leadoff hitter. I think he’s counting on Havens’ experience to shine through. Whit Merrifield is set to bat second. We know he’s fast and is a pretty good bunter. He’ll steal a lot of bases, no question. But Merrifield is still a true freshman, so he’s yet to play on the big stage. USC’s lineup will likely feature speed at the top of the order with Merrifield, power in the middle, and speed at the bottom with Harley Lail and Scott Wingo. Based on everything I’ve read, the biggest concerns surround the pitching staff. In my opinion, some of those concerns are legitimate, especially considering the quality of pitchers USC lost to the MLB Draft. Mike Cisco is a solid college pitcher, but he’s not a ‘stud’ No. 1 guy that some teams possess. He’ll give you a quality start nearly every time he takes the mound and won’t give in to hitters. He’s a fiery competitor. But will he strike out 15 guys? No. Blake Cooper, the No. 2 starter, is the same type of pitcher as Cisco. But he has to show he can pitch on the road. Most of his best performances last season came at Sarge Frye Field. Until Will Atwood returns from an injury, the No. 3 starter’s job will remain a battle between Craig Thomas, Nick Godwin and Parker Bangs. As Tanner said Thursday, there’s not much separation between those three. However, those three pitchers have combined for just 14.1 innings in their careers, so they lack the experience Tanner craves. The bullpen, once you get past Curtis Johnson and Alex Farotto, is largely untested. But there’s plenty of good, quality arms. Names like Brandon Todd, Will Casey, Sam Dyson, Heath Hembree, Tyler Musselwhite and Keegan Linza will hopefully become more familiar to you as the season progresses. Where does USC stack up in the SEC? Right now, I would agree with Tanner’s assessment that Vanderbilt might be a better overall club because their pitching has a little more proven depth, but that the eight positional players are relatively equal. In other words, it’s pretty close. Could the argument that USC is the second best team in the SEC pass the snicker test? Absolutely. I’m really looking forward to that showdown series in Nashville between the Gamecocks and Commodores on March 14-16. It’s the first SEC series of the season, and it might be the best. It could feature a pair of Top 10 teams. Heck, I’ll walk to the Music City to watch that series. Another big test will come the weekend of the spring football game (April 18-20) when Ole Miss invades Columbia. The Rebels have a great pitching staff, one of the best in the country. No doubt, the Gamecock hitters will get a stern test for three days in that series. Ole Miss is favored to win the SEC West ahead of Mississippi State. One other thing to watch this year is how the new compressed schedule (under the old schedule, USC would be entering the third weekend of regular season play) affects the way Tanner manages the team and how pitching coach Mark Calvi handles the pitching staff. Starting with the March 4 home game against Gardner-Webb, USC will play five games per week for six straight weeks. That’s a lot of baseball in a short period of time. Let’s play ball.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
Making Millions On Spring Football
posted by Scott Hood, 2/21/2008 09:50:00 AM
For the naïve still among you who refuse to acknowledge Division I college athletics is anything but big business, I present ‘Gridiron Bash,’ a combination pep rally and concert scheduled for April 18 at Williams-Brice Stadium the night before the annual Garnet and Black game that includes a show by the rock band The Black Crowes. But get this - USC is just one of about 20 schools participating in the new event. Some of the other schools involved include Texas A&M, Penn State, Kansas State, Iowa, Tennessee, Kentucky, Colorado and Rutgers. An impressive list, I must say. By the way, I’ve heard from reliable sources the band playing at Neyland Stadium is those “Dueling Banjo” guys from the movie ‘Deliverance,’ but that hasn’t been confirmed yet. Phone calls to Phil Fulmer seeking comment were not immediately returned. Here’s the nice part if you’re a Gamecock fan: USC will receive the guaranteed sum of $300,000 for participating in the Gridiron Bash and could earn a bonus if attendance at the event reaches certain levels. USC athletic director Eric Hyman must be sitting in his office right now laughing. Of course, it won’t be cheap for fans to enjoy themselves the night before the spring game. Tickets for the event, which went on sale Monday, cost $38.00. A hefty sum for many people, no question. But admission to the spring game will be free, so pull out those credit cards, Gamecock fans! The company putting on the Gridiron Bash is MLS Sports and Entertainment, which is based in New York City. Obviously, they’re investing a nice chunk of change into the event. If they’ve guaranteed all 20 schools the sum of $300,000, that’s $6 million. When did people in the Big Apple start caring about college football so much that they’re willing to invest that type of money? Easy, when they realized they could make a boatload of money off the sport. I can assure you MLS Sports isn’t doing this out of the goodness of their hearts. I’m sure they expect to make a tidy profit for their troubles. Last year, Hootie and the Blowfish. This year, the Black Crowes. Chart-topping 90’s bands don’t fade away, they just play at college football spring games. There used to be a time when the spring football game was just a meaningless exhibition to placate the fans’ appetite for football until the actual season began in September. Not anymore. What’s fueling this rapid growth? TV, of course. When college basketball ends in early April, you have dozens of regional and national sports cable channels desperately searching for programming inventory. For months, these channels, which include ESPNU and CSTV and the Fox regional networks, have shown little else but men’s college basketball games to viewers. All of a sudden, it’s gone until the following November. So, spring football helps fill the void. What else are these channels going to show that attracts the same number of viewers? Swimming and diving? Tennis? Golf? Gymnastics? Tractor pulls? You get the idea. Here’s what puzzles me: despite all of the millions of dollars floating around (The Gridiron Bash being just the latest example), the NCAA continues to insist that paying college athletes a monthly stipend, however small, would result in nuclear war. Why? Would the money be taken out of President Myles Brand’s salary? I doubt it. We were talking with USC head baseball coach Ray Tanner late last week about the Jesse Barbaro situation. He’s filed for a waiver from the second transfer rule requiring a player to sit out a year. Tanner believes strongly the NCAA should grant the request considering Barbaro came to USC for academic reasons and didn’t participate in fall practice. Tanner wondered aloud whether the NCAA was really looking out for the welfare of the student-athlete (my preferred term is “revenue generators”) in the Barbaro situation? My response: When did the NCAA start caring about the welfare of student-athletes? Unfortunately, the proper response to that question is never have, never will. The NCAA rocks on.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
Crime and Punishment, Football Style
posted by Scott Hood, 2/19/2008 11:10:00 PM
I’m going to put on my head coaching visor for a moment. So, how should Steve Spurrier handle this latest situation involving wide receiver Dion Lecorn? Lecorn, as you probably know, was arrested Sunday night for simple possession of marijuana by police officers in Cayce. He was jailed overnight and released Monday on a personal recognizance bond. Lecorn, who had 27 receptions last season as a freshman (that’s two more catches than Kenny McKinley had as a freshman in 2005), and Matt Clements, another USC wide receiver who redshirted last season, have been suspended indefinitely from “all team activities.” Rather than dealing with Lecorn exclusively, Spurrier needs to sit the entire football team down and lay down the law. First, he should tell them any player who commits any misdemeanor or felony crime from this point forward will, at minimum, be suspended for the full 2008 season. Second, he needs to make the entire team run the stadium steps at 6 a.m. for Lecorn’s misdeeds. Better yet, make the team run while Lecorn watches from the stands. That should take care of it. In my opinion, one key fact mitigates in favor of Lecorn – he told the truth to Cayce police officers when they approached him and the two people he was with – WR Matt Clements and his high school friend, John Casselberry. He admitted he had been smoking marijuana. But it’s also important to keep Lecorn’s alleged crime in perspective. Yes, it was stupid, but it was hardly the worst crime ever committed by a South Carolina football player. In fact, it probably doesn’t even come close. Remember, the charge of simple possession of marijuana is a misdemeanor under South Carolina law. Does it warrant permanent dismissal from the team? No. Does it warrant a one or two game suspension? Yes. Since Lecorn appears to be a first-time offender, I’m sure he’ll apply for PTI when he appears in court sometime in the near future and that should take care of the matter. I will take this opportunity, though, renew my contention that Spurrier should ban his players from going to Five Points, a rule former head coach Jim Carlen had for his players during his tenure from 1975-1981. The fewer places the players can get themselves into trouble, the better. While far from a joking matter, Lecorn’s alleged crime is fairly mild compared to some of the other activities his fellow SEC football players have engaged in this week. In case you haven’t seen it, Tennessee punter Britton Colquitt was suspended for five games and had his scholarship stripped after he was arrested over the weekend for DUI and leaving the scene of a crime. However, this is far from the first alcohol related arrest for Colquitt, whose older siblings have tormented the Gamecocks over the years with their supreme punting skills. It’s apparent from reviewing the literature that Colquitt has a serious drinking problem. How bad has it gotten at Tennessee? Respected columnist John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel published a piece Monday advocating the firing of head coach Phil Fulmer, even after a 10-win season. Does Fulmer care about Colquitt’s personal weakness when it comes to the consumption of alcoholic beverages? I doubt it. As long as he keeps landing those punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line, he’ll remain with the team. Also, Alabama defensive end Jeremy Elder was suspended indefinitely by Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban (who’s not known as a strict disciplinarian) on Monday after he was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree robbery, a felony. Elder allegedly robbed two fellow Alabama students of $26.00 at gunpoint late Sunday night. Am I justifying Lecorn’s actions by pointing to other bad behavior of other SEC football players? No. Two wrongs don’t make a right. Nothing can justify possessing an illegal drug. Common sense, being what it is, dictates DUI and armed robbery are far more serious crimes than simple possession of an illegal drug. Colquitt and Elder displayed a shocking disregard for their fellow human beings. In my opinion, both players should be kicked off their respective teams. But, since winning trumps everything, they probably won’t. Adams was 100 percent correct when he wrote this: “When a football program is winning big, virtually everything is forgiven.” Lecorn’s crime? He was stupid and, unfortunately for him, stupidity sometimes has a steep price. As a result, he’ll probably watch the nationally televised season opener against N.C. State from the sidelines, joining DT Kenrick Ellis (violation of university rules), OT Jamon Meredith (NCAA mandated two game suspension for granting him a medical hardship for 2004 season) and, possibly, RB Mike Davis (academics). Beyond that? Who knows. But a one-game suspension for Lecorn would constitute a punishment that fits his crime.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
The Perfect Coach For The Gamecocks
posted by Scott Hood, 2/18/2008 01:55:00 AM
I had a conversation with a fellow sports journalist Saturday night following Saturday’s exciting win by South Carolina over Alabama at the Colonial Center and, not surprisingly, the topic of who should be the next head coach of the Gamecocks came up. As we usual do in those types of discussions, we batted around some names - some realistic, some not so. Believe me, fantasy isn’t just reserved for Hollywood. But then one name came up. My initial thought was it was intriguing, maybe even captivating. But the more I thought about it, I came to a different conclusion. It was perfect. So, that’s why I’m here today to make the argument that USC should make every effort to hire Andy Kennedy of Ole Miss as its next men’s basketball coach. Kennedy has everything athletic director Eric Hyman is looking for in a new head coach. He’s young (he turns 40 on March 13), energetic, a great recruiter, a good person and, by all accounts, a good basketball strategist. But he also one important advantage over every other candidate for the job – he’s coached USC point guard Devan Downey before. As you recall, Kennedy recruited Downey to Cincinnati when he was an assistant coach with the Bearcats under Bob Huggins. However, not long after Downey stepped foot on the Cincinnati campus, Huggins was fired. Kennedy became the interim head coach of Cincinnati. Along with Downey and the rest of the Bearcat players, he endured a difficult 2005-2006 season. Their season ended, ironically, with a loss to USC in the NIT quarterfinals. Within hours after that loss, Kennedy was named the head coach at Ole Miss. In my opinion, Kennedy has done a fantastic job at a school that has very limited resources when it comes to basketball. I’ve been to Oxford within the last calendar year, so I can tell you with confidence that the arena there is, to put it nicely, dreadful. Most league followers consider it the worst arena in the league. Yet, Kennedy has coached the Rebels to a 38-20 record in his first two seasons in the Magnolia State. Ole Miss has lost a few games recently, including a home contest to Auburn Saturday, but that doesn’t detract from the excellent he’s done in Oxford. Hey, he wasn’t named the 2007 SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press for nothing. Kennedy and Downey enjoyed a father-son relationship when they were together at Cincinnati. Hiring Downey would thrill Downey to no ends. The respect and admiration Kennedy has for Downey was evident when we spoke with him prior to the USC-Ole Miss game a couple of weeks ago. In case you haven’t been paying attention. Downey has been USC’s best player by a wide margin this season. He paces the team in scoring and assists and is the nation’s leader in steals. His game-winning shot against Alabama Saturday night showed his importance to the Gamecocks. The fact the final play was initially drawn up for the ball to go to someone else is comical, in my opinion. Based on the way the game had gone, only one player deserved to take the last shot and it’s Downey. Without Downey, USC’s mediocre season would, quite frankly, be a complete train wreck. Unquestionably, Downey will be USC’s best and most important player the next two seasons. Keeping him happy, content and motivated is Job No. 1 of whomever the new coach turns out to be. With Kennedy, that task should be a lot easier than it would be for most other coaches who don’t know Downey. But Kennedy won’t be just a two-year hire to placate Downey. If he can succeed at Ole Miss, I believe he’ll be a spectacular success at USC. He’s one of a handful of potential hires out there I’m confident can go toe-to-toe with Billy Donovan (Florida), Bruce Pearl (Tennessee), Billy Gillispie (Kentucky), Kevin Stallings (Vanderbilt) and Oliver Purnell (Clemson) on the recruiting trail and more than hold his own when it comes to signing Top 50 or Top 100 caliber players. Besides his relationship with Downey, Kennedy is coaching in the SEC right now and is very familiar with the dynamics of the league, including rival coaches and players. In short, the break-in time for him will be minimal compared to another head coach that comes to Columbia from outside the league. So, while Anthony Grant, Jeff Capel or a few others would be a fine choice if they're hired, Kennedy would be better. As I said, it’s perfect. Go get him, Eric.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
USC-Alabama In-Game Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 2/16/2008 06:42:00 PM
8:58 - Shot from the corner. No good. USC wins 67-65. DD had 29 points, including possibly the biggest shot of the season by USC. USC is 12-12. Huge win for USC. They needed this one. 8:55 - Downey hits the triple and he's fouled!!!! Unbelievable! 14.3 secs left. DD hits the FT. Bama has threball. Ball out of bounds! 0.2 secs left. Bama calls timeout. This has to be a catch and shoot situation. 8:53 - USC has the ball with 30.9 secs left. Bama leads 65-63 after hitting the second of two free throws. The shot clock is off. USC could take the final shot if it wanted. Here we go. 8:50 - USC missed a shot. But got the ball back on a scramble. Timeout with 1:35 left. Bama still leads 64-63. 8:48 - USC can't stop Mykal Riley. he has 28 pts, including a 3-pointer moments ago to give Bama a 64-63 lead with 2:04 left. We're at the fourth media t/o. Another game goes down to the wire. Let's see if USC can pull this one out. 8:43 - USC has scored 4 quick pints on a Holmes OR and a steal and layup by BRR to give USC a 61-58 lead with 3:45 left. Bama just called t/o. 8:40 - Third media t/o with 5:34 left. Alabama leads 58-57. Archie just tipped home a miss for a basket. He has 17 pts. DD has 25 pts. They have cobined for 42 of USC's 57 pts. 8:38 - The momentum of the game has changed in UA's favor. The Tide has scored 10 of the last 11 pts and now lead 58-55 with 6:15 left. USC needs to reverse things here quickly. 8:35 - USC leads 55-51 with 7:53 left. Bama just called a 30-second t/o after a player was triple-teammed near mid-court. 8:27 - Holmes slams home an alley-oop pass from DD. The crowd went wild on that one! USC leads 51-48 with 10:21 left. Bama calls t/o. Thi sis the best MH has played in a long time. He's finally showing the talent we all thought he had. 8:22 - Second media timeout with 11:51 left. Score is tied at 46-46. Archie just slammed home a miss by Fredrick, who is still scoreless. The score has been tied six times in the opening 8:09 of the 2H. It's a back-and-forth game right now. DD has 22 pts. 8:15 - First media timeout of the 2H with 15:43 left. USC leads 37-34. Archie just hit a 3 to snap a tie. Both teams have been sluggish offensively here in the first 4:17 of the 2H. 8:10 - The second half is underway. We've had 3 pts scored in the first 3 min. of the 2H. Both teams are struggling from the field. 8:05: Here are the halftime stats: Team Shooting: USC 37.5% (12-32), Alabama 50% (11-22); 3-Pt Shooting: USC 28.6% (4-14), Alabama 62.5% (5-8); FT: USC 3-4, Alabama 3-4; Rebounds: USC 12, UA 21; Assists: USC 3, UA 6; Steals: USC 8, UA 2; Turnovers: USC 3, UA 11. Leading Scorers: USC, Downey 15, Archie 9; UA, Riley 17. 7:55 - They've just finished the ceremony honoring John Roche. It was very touching. Roche spoke to the crowd for a couple of minutes. The CC got pretty loud there. There were 10+ TV cameras on the floor filming the ceremony. 7:47 - We're almost at halftime. 25.5 secs left. Bama just called a 30-second t/o. USC leads 31-29. Foul with 10 secs left. 2 shots for Bama. Good. No Good. USC has the final shot. DD's three is no good. Halftime: USC leads 31-30. 7:42 - Another triple by DD! he has 15 points. USC leads 29-24 with 2:34 left in the 1H. We're at the fourth media timeout. Archie has 7 pts. ZF has 0 points for USC. He's missed several 3-pointers. 7:38 - Downey is taking over with a layup and 3-ptr. USC leads 24-19 with 4:22 left. Archie at the line for 2 FT. Good. Good. 26-19. 7 straight points by USC. 7:35 - Alabama has scored 4 straight pts. It's tied at 19-19 with 6:33 left in the 1H. 7:30 - We've reached the third media timeout with 7:59 left in the 1H. USC leads 19-15. This is turning into a slugfest with a lot of physical play. The refs are letting a lot of stuff go. DD has 7 pts, while Archie has 5. 7:25 - USC found its shooting eye in the second segment by hitting a pair of 3-pointers by Downey and BRR. Mike Holmes has also come to life with a pair of baskets. USC leads 14-12 with 11:33 left in the 1H. DD has 5 points, while Holmes has four. 7:20 - Back-to-back 3-pointers has given USC a 12-10 lead. The crowd is starting to get into it here. 7:15 - We've reached the first media t/o with 15:08 left in the 1H. Alabama leads 8-4thanks to a pair of 3-pointers. USC is struggling from the floor early on. Downey and Archie have the USC baskets. 6:45 P.M. - We're here in the press room for Saturday's SEC basketball game between USC and Alabama. This is a big night because John Roche will be honored at halftime. We just had a press conference with Roche in the media room at the Colonial Center. Frankly, I can't wait for halftime because the CC will get the loudest its been in several years when Roche is introduced. I know a lot of people have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Returning to the present, this is a big BB game for USC. They need to win this one if they have any hope of finishing .500 in the SEC.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
Proposed Rule Changes Good For College Football
posted by Scott Hood, 2/15/2008 12:46:00 AM
In case you haven’t heard, changes are coming – again – to college football. Two years ago, the shirt and tie brigade that controls/manipulates college football (i.e. senior executives at ABC, ESPN, CBS and Fox) came together and mandated games had to be shorter. Unfortunately, in order to accomplish their goal, they came up with a bizarre and peculiar set of new clock rules that can only be described as laughable. The outcry from coaches, players and fans was so obnoxiously loud that the decision makers went back to the old rules after just one season. Now it looks like they’ve finally got it right. The NCAA Football Rules Committee has recommended a series of rule changes for the upcoming season designed in part to speed up the game. I’m all for that, but not at the expense of fewer plays and points. One of the most important recommendations made by the committee was adopting the NFL’s 40-second play-clock rule. Starting next season, the 40-second play clock will start as soon as each play is over. On a change of possession, a team will have 25 seconds to run the first play. The recommendations made by the Football Rules Committee will be considered and, hopefully approved, by the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel in April. Ah, I love bureaucracy. Under the old 25-second rule in college football, the play clock didn’t start until the officials marked the ball ready for play. I’ve advocated college football converting to the NFL play-clock rule for a long time, so I’m pleased with this decision. Why it this such a good rule? Because it takes the subjectivity by the game officials as to when the play clock started out of the equation. They had too much power in that regard. Depending on how long it took to spot the ball, officials could dictate how many plays were run in a certain game. It shouldn’t be that way. I’ve read where some coaches that favored the 40-secnd clock rule thought officiating crews varied too much in the amount of time it took to spot the ball. I agree. It wasn’t just a conference-to-conference thing, but crew-to-crew within each conference, especially the SEC. Consistency is a good thing. I just wonder if anyone has told the SEC coordinator of football officials that. In my opinion, the less SEC officials have to think about, the better. Let’s face it, they need all the help they can get. I’ve seen numerous play clock blunders by SEC officials over the years. I saw a quote from Steve Spurrier where he suggests teams that run a no-huddle offense will have an advantage because the new clock rule will allow the quarterback a longer time to see the defense. I say that’s a good thing. In fact, I can’t see how this new rule won’t benefit USC next season, especially if redshirt freshman Stephen Garcia wins the QB duel with Tommy Beecher and Chris Smelley. With the clock rule issue settled, SEC officials can now work on spotting the ball better on fourth-down plays. As we saw in the USC-LSU game, that still needs some work. There were some other positive rule changes, as well. The “horse-collar” tackle has been banned and will draw a 15-yard personal foul penalty. The NFL banned that type of tackle prior to last season for player safety reasons. I think that's a good rule. In addition, when a players runs out of bounds starting next season, the game clock will start as soon as the official spots the ball ready for play. However, it will not apply in the final two minutes of the first half and the final two minutes of regulation. Incidental face-mask penalties will no longer be a 5-yard penalty, and the rules on chop-blocking will be clarified and simplified so players and coaches will be able to understand them better. Finally, if a kickoff goes out of bounds, the receiving team will get the ball at the 40-yard line rather than the 35. Again, colleges are following the NFL in this regard. While I understand college football would like to retain its own identity separate from the NFL, in this situation, especially when it comes to the play clock, following the lead of the pros is not a bad thing. When they’re right, they’re right.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
USC-UGA Basketball In-Game Blog
posted by Scott Hood, 2/13/2008 06:37:00 PM
6:45 P.M. - We're in the press room at Stegeman Coliseum for tonight's SEC basketball game between USC and UGA. This place seats about 10,500 but there should be plenty of empty seats tonight. So, if you're nearby, come on down! Georgia is down to seven scholarship players and a walk-on. Chris Barnes could miss tonight's game with an eye ailment. Everyone appears to be healthy for the Gamecocks. They'll go with the same starting lineup as the previous 4 games. The big news re: UGA is the suspension of second leading scorer Billy Humphrey. Tonight is the second game of a 3-game suspension. Tonight begins a 2-game stretch where USC will face opponents they should beat. They host Alabama on Sat. night. Tonight is a "must-win" situation for USC. Frankly, it would be embarrassing to lose to UGA, considering the circumstances.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
College Athletics On Slippery Slope
posted by Scott Hood, 2/13/2008 12:41:00 PM
I have a confession to make. I actually agree with the always bombastic Dick Vitale on something. The firing of LSU head basketball coach John Brady puts major college athletics on a slippery slope it may have a hard time getting out of. The firing of a college coach in mid-season, short of strong evidence of major rules violations, is unacceptable and shouldn’t happen. If they wanted to buy Brady out at the end of the season, that’s fine. Pay him the money he’s owed and show him the door. The players deserved better than the way things went down. Prior to Dave Odom’s ‘retirement’ announcement, I was asked several times if USC AD Eric Hyman would fire Odom before the end of the season. Each time, I said ‘no way.’ Hyman doesn’t operate like that, nor should any Division I athletic director worth his salt. Of course, circumstances may require an AD to act swiftly to protect the integrity of a program. Kelvin Sampson at Indiana, for example, could be a coach who deserves to get fired for his continuously deliberate violations of NCAA rules, but not Brady. Sampson is one of those coaches who’s always looking for the gray area, a loophole that he can drive through in order to circumvent the spirit of the NCAA rules, which, I acknowledge, there are many. Sadly, he’s far from being alone. But Brady wasn’t like that. His only sin was not winning enough games to satisfy the insatiable appetites of LSU AD Skip Bertman and the gluttonous Tiger fans. Why didn’t he win this season? It probably had a lot to do with the fact his entire starting front line defected early to the NBA. Yet, I can imagine Bertman having a hissy fit in his office after each loss this season that only a five-year old can appreciate. I spoke with Odom about the Brady situation on Tuesday following our bi-weekly press briefing previewing the next game. Odom, as usual, was thoughtful in his answers. “You would hope the fans and the university would focus on the future,” Odom said. “LSU was a young team getting better. They were playing better. John Brady wasn’t given anytime to turn it around. For him to lose his job in the middle of the conference season with a good young team and the promise of a good team next year is a tragedy.” Just think, two years ago, LSU had both their men’s and women’s basketball teams in the Final Four. Now, neither head coach is still around in Baton Rouge. There’s no question multi-million salaries for coaches have changed the priorities. It’s also resulted in extreme impatience on the part of athletic administrators and fans. “The more money universities pay to the coaches, the more they have a right to expect,” Odom said. “We the coaches understand that. We need to come together and decide what we want. Do we want to continue the trend of making as much money as you possibly can? If that’s true, you can expect more of this. If you want to get some sort of leveling off where we get more security like tenure, that might be something we look at.” Word of caution to all Division I heads football and basketball coaches – win now or else. Oh, and welcome to the world of instant gratification. “There’s a lot of information available and people have a tendency to make snap judgments and decisions,” Odom said. “The truth is, fans don’t walk in the shoes of the coach or the players. They don’t know the day-to-day problems they have.” Is tenure a legitimate option for coaches? Arguments in favor of that have been made in the past, but nothing has been done. Here’s hint - don’t hold you breathe waiting for the NCAA to take action. They’re too busy chasing the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. As I often say, college athletics is a lot like the weather. If you don’t like it, wait five minutes. Unfortunately, the Brady episode provides further proof college athletics is becoming more and more like pro sports every day. In short, winning is everything. And so are those precious revenue streams. The NCAA loves to give lip service to graduation rates and the APR and all that academic stuff just to try to show it matters, but coaches are still, in the end, judged exclusively by their won-lost record. It’s all about the W’s. And I’m not talking about the President of the United States, either. Is college basketball becoming more and more like the NBA in the way it thinks and operates? You bet. “I definitely think (the Brady firing) is a trickle down from the NBA,” Odom said. “The difference should be that the NBA is an entertainment business, whereas collegiately, we’re presumably still involved with student-athletes and universities. There should be a purity of competition that doesn’t necessarily exist at the NBA level, where it’s all about wins and losses and entertainment.” Major college athletics has everything pro sports does except for one thing: the players aren’t paid directly, though you could argue a scholarship providing for a free education is a form of payment. Look around and this is what you’ll find in college stadiums and arenas today throughout the country: luxury suites, expensive tickets, hypermarketing, seat licenses, advertising galore and, of course, multimillion TV deals. There’s no question major college athletes are the medium through which universities are getting rich. Is there a way to stop the madness? I’m waiting.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home page, Contact author
Basketball Starts The Stretch Run
posted by Scott Hood, 2/12/2008 10:47:00 AM
Unfortunately, six seconds of exceptionally poor defense trumped 39:54 of excellent basketball by South Carolina last Saturday night in the 66-65 loss to Vanderbilt. You can use any adjective you want to describe it: agonizing, frustrating, gut-wrenching, bitterly disappointing, discouraging, baffling. But here’s one thing it wasn’t – inevitable. I’ve seen and heard a lot of fans squarely put the blame on Dave Odom for the loss, claiming “poor coaching” cost USC the game. Please, stop it. You can point the finger at Odom for a lot of things that have gone wrong for USC since his tenure began seven years ago. But, last Saturday’s loss is not one of them. Odom has been an assistant or head coach in college basketball since 1976. That’s 32 years. Knowing Odom and a little bit of how he wants his teams to play defense, I doubt he told his players to part like the red sea when the man with the ball is frantically dribbling down the court for the final shot. Sorry, but this one’s on the players. They should fairly get the blame for that defeat. To their credit, most of the players said that afterwards. But that’s ancient history. So, how will the Gamecocks respond to such an emotionally draining loss? Hopefully, by kicking the crap out of reeling Georgia in Athens on Wednesday night. And, quite frankly, they should. I’ll put it another way – at this point in time, there’s no excuse for losing to Georgia. I don’t care if they’re playing in Timbuktu, USC should win that game. The Bulldogs are a bad basketball team right now. They’ve lost five games in a row and head coach Dennis Felton is, apparently, feeling the heat from a lot of folks in the Peach State. He declined to appear on the SEC teleconference Monday, sending an assistant coach to answer questions from an increasingly skeptical media. It's not a good sign when your head coach is ducking the media. I can assure you Odom would never pull a stunt like that. But, besides being awful, Georgia is also dysfunctional. The latest episode resulted in Billy Humphrey, one of Georgia’s top scorers and its leading 3-point shooter, being suspended for three games. His crime? Underage drinking. But that’s just the latest in a head-scratching string of suspensions and dismissals for Georgia. Last year’s two leading scorers – Mike Mercer and Takais Brown – were kicked off the team before the season began for breaking team rules. But the worst part is the nonchalant way Humphrey took his punishment, saying he had “mixed feelings” about it and that the legal issues surrounding his case were a “nag.” Say what you will about Odom, but at least his players have behaved themselves for the most part. Yes, there’s been a few isolated incidents here and there, but nothing approaches the level of problems Georgia is facing right now. So, what will USC encounter on Wednesday? First, they’ll have to endure the ‘wrath’ of about 2,000 apathetic Bulldog fans inside the arena. That kind of environment is scary because great players get revved up by a hostile crowd. USC has handled that well this season, battling Vanderbilt and Kentucky down to the wire in Nashville and Lexington, respectively, and beating Arkansas and Ole Miss on the road. Wednesday’s game in Athens will mark the first time this season USC must deal with empty seats and silence in the home team’s arena. That’s tougher than it appears. USC stands at 11-11 overall, 3-5 in the SEC. Based on their remaining schedule, they have a decent chance to finish .500 in the league. After facing the woeful Bulldogs, USC has the three worst teams in the SEC West remaining on its schedule starting this Saturday night – Alabama (2/16), LSU (2/27) and Auburn (3/1). Those three clubs are a combined 5-21 in the conference. That’s seven conference games USC should win. Is there an eighth victory out there to reach the .500 mark? Possibly Mississippi State next weekend during the 100th Year of Gamecock Basketball celebration. The other three games left on the schedule are road trips to Florida and Tennessee and a home game against Kentucky (I call it the annual “blue-out game” because the upper bowl at the Colonial Center is always filled with UK fans). Honestly, I don’t see the Gamecocks winning those games. So, barring an upset, whether USC finishes .500 in the league will likely come down to the Mississippi State game on Feb. 23. If USC goes 5-3 down the stretch, that will give them a 16-14 record heading into the SEC Tournament in Atlanta. Even if they lost in the first-round there, they would qualify for the NIT or this new ‘third tournament’ created by ESPN. Ah, March Madness is almost here.
- Link to this entry,
Discuss this entry, Blog home p |
