USC-UT and March Madness Open Thread
by Gamecock Man on Mar 21, 2010 2:26 PM EDT
in Baseball
6 comments
The Yardcocks are currently experiencing a rain delay; whether or not we'll play is TBD. If so, Tyler Webb and Stephen McCray (2-1 0.73) will start as the 'Cocks go for a sweep.
We can also chat about March Madness, which is truly madness at its finest this year. Northern Iowa's victory over Kansas yesterday has to be one of the most incredible, dramatic upsets I've seen in some time. It was an instant classic, the kind of game you'll never forget. I expect there will be more carnage today. My upset pick--as well as Flounder's--is Cornell over Wisconsin. As in their last outing against Temple, I really believe that Cornell is more deserving of the high seed than Wisconsin. Another game to keep your eyes on is Georgia Tech against Ohio State. I think OSU wins, but Tech is capable beating anyone on any given day. They're easily one of the most talented teams in the counry. Their coaching holds them back, but when they're on, they're on.
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Gamecocks Spring Practice News and Notes
by Gamecock Man on Mar 21, 2010 2:17 PM EDT
in Football
0 comments
Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks held their first spring scrimmage yesterday at Williams-Brice.The stats were as follows, courtesy of Joe Person on Football:
Scoring Summary
Giles 3 run
Gilchrist 25 interception return
White 10 pass from Clifford
(Red-zone offense)
Saunders 5 pass from Garcia
LeCorn 25 pass from ShawPassing – Garcia 6-15-1 88 yards, 1 TD; Shaw 8-13-0 120 yards, 1 TD; Hillary 0-2-1 0 yards; Clifford 3-3-0 33 yards, 1 TD; Brindise 1-3-1 30 yards.
Rushing – Giles 8-82; Garcia 3-(-7); Maddox 4-42; Miles 2-9; Gurley 1-(-6); Shaw 3-2; Sherman 4-15; Hillary 2-18; Brindise 1-(-7).
Receiving – Jeffery 4-75; Miles 1-2; Flint 2-31; LeCorn 3-56; Moore 2-28; Sherman 2-32; Bennett 1-22; White 1-10; Saunders 1-5; Maddox 1-0.
A few interesting points to note about the scrimmage:
Quarterback report. The big news out of spring drills continues to be the stellar play of freshman early enrollee Conner Shaw. An old saying goes that the the backup quarterback is the most popular player on the team, and that continues to be the case here, as many--including, apparently, Spurrier--are wondering if Shaw has what it takes to supplant Stephen Garcia at the quarterback position.
My thinking on this issue is as follows. If Shaw is indeed good enough to challenge Garcia, then he'll get his chance to prove it over the summer, and I'm all for that. While I think, because of his experience, that Garcia is likely the guy, I want the best players on the field at all times, and if Shaw is our best quarterback, then he's our best quarterback. I also think it's clearly a good thing for Garcia to feel a bit of pressure. It will make him work harder to keep his grip on the first-team spot. All in all, it's great to have better options at quarterback this year. Just think what would have happened last year if Garcia had gone down.
However, if Shaw is not ready to start this season (and, again, I think this is likely to be the case), then I think we should do whatever we can to redshirt him and give any garbage time to Andrew Clifford or Aramis Hillary. Shaw already appears to be significantly better than either of those two players, so we should definitely keep him ready to take over if Garcia goes down. We shouldn't, though, burn a year of his eligibility needlessly, as it's very likely that--barring us signing a bluechipper over the next couple of years--he'll need to be a multiyear starter after Garcia graduates. I also really--and I mean really--do not want to see Spurrier burn that year of eligibility because he wants to keep Garcia on a short leash. Like I said, if Shaw is better, then he's better. But if that's not the case, then I believe Garcia should take just as many snaps as he did in 2009. I know Spurrier likes to have options at quarterback, but in this case he has a talented veteran who is probably the best option and a talented freshman who needs all the eligibility he can hang on to. Please, Spurrier: don't let your ego muck this situation up.
Runningback Report. The other big news we're hearing a lot about is the play of Jarvis Giles. Kenny Miles remains the first-team back, but Giles stole the show on Saturday, averaging over 10 ypc. Giles has put a lot of effort into getting his name back in the conversation for starting back, working on his game and spending time in the weightroom. I wouldn't be surprised if you see him overtake Miles by spring's end. Whatever happens, it's good to have so many options in the backfield.
Shawn Elliott. Elliott has reportedly made strides implementing the zone-read, and the results so far are positive. Of course, we were hearing this last year, and then when the season began we were--save a few key games--back to the same draw plays that Spurrier has always run, so the jury is still out on this.
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UT at USC and NCAA Tournament Open Thread
by Gamecock Man on Mar 20, 2010 3:37 PM EDT
in Baseball
58 comments
The Yardcocks, winners of eight in a row, take on the Volunteers for the second of three at 4:00 today. Sam Dyson starts for Carolina and Aaron Tullo (0-0 and 3.52 ERA) for the Vols. Can Carolina break out the bats and take the series? Let's hope so.
We can also chat about our tourney brackets here. The bracket-busting St. Mary's Gaels just pulled off another upset, this time over the Villanova Wildcats. There are some other interesting games this afternoon, including the surprising Ohio Bobcats vs. the Tennessee Volunteers. I'm going with Tennessee in that one. In the other games, I'm going with Murray St., Kansas, Washington, Baylor, Kansas St., and Kentucky. Unfortunately, a good bit of my original brackets are already busted, but what can you do? I know you didn't pick Ohio to beat Georgetown...
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SB Nation Survey + Chance to donate $500 to a charity of this community's choice
by SB Nation Survey on Mar 19, 2010 8:47 PM EDT
6 comments
>> Take SB Nation Survey
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6 comments | 1 recs
Tennessee at USC Baseball Open Thread
by Gamecock Man on Mar 19, 2010 6:04 PM EDT
in Baseball
16 comments
The Gamecocks host the Tennesee Volunteers today in Columbia. Blake Cooper starts for Carolina and Bryan Morgado starts for the Vols. Morgado has been beaten up a little bit from time to time (5.00+ ERA), so it will interesting to see how good we can get the bats going.
Chat about the game in the open thread.
16 comments | 0 recs
Austin Steed Will Not Return in 2010-11
by Gamecock Man on Mar 19, 2010 4:13 PM EDT
in Basketball
0 comments
Darrin Horn has asked Austin Steed to leave the team. Per The State:
Forward Austin Steed will not return to the South Carolina men's basketball team next season, coach Darrin Horn announced Friday.
The decision appeared to be Horn's. The coach said at his postseason news conference Friday that there was not a place for Steed on next year's roster. But Horn added that Steed's scholarship will be honored, if he chooses to stay in school and graduate.
This decision should only come as a minor surprise. Steed was obviously in Horn's doghouse by year's end, and with talented big men R. J. Slawson and Demontre Harris coming to Columbia next fall, it was likely that Steed would never find his way back into the lineup. I'm still not really certain why Horn dislikes Steed, as I didn't think Steed was necessarily any worse than Johndre Jefferson. However, word around the camfire is that Steed wasn't a hard worker and never dedicated himself to developing his game in the ways Horn would have liked him to. If that's the case, then what we're seeing here is likely Horn trying to trim what he views as deadweight.
The interesting question now is whether or not Steed will stay at USC to finish his degree. If he decides to leave, it will free up space for Horn to go out and recruit another big man. With that in mind, you have to admit the graciousness of Horn's choice to honor the scholarship.
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Friday News and Notes: R. J. Slawson SC Player of the Year; Bryce Brown Leaves UT; Tubby Smith to Auburn?
by Gamecock Man on Mar 19, 2010 11:09 AM EDT
in News
0 comments
A lot of Gamecocks fans have fixated on Bruce Ellington and Demontre Harris. Maybe we should all take a closer look at another incoming recruit, big man R. J. Slawson. Slawson had a phenomenal senior season, culminating in netting the SC Gatorade Player of the Year Award. He beat out Ellington for the honor.
What I'm really liking about Slawson is that he has a fairly developed offensive game. We need another scorer on the block in the worst way. Word is that Harris's offensive game will need a bit of work when he gets here.
Another thing to like about Slawson, especially after what we've experienced with some other prize recruits over the past few years, is this:
Slawson has maintained a 3.42 GPA in the classroom. He has volunteered locally as a summer basketball camp counselor, a youth mentor for elementary school students and as a caretaker for the elderly.
0 comments | 0 recs |
2009-2010 Gamecocks Hoops in the Rearview Mirror: What to Look for from Rising Seniors in 2010-11
by Gamecock Man on Mar 18, 2010 12:28 PM EDT
in Basketball
0 comments
As part of our end-of-season hoops wrap-up, I'd like to take some time to take a look at our returning players and think about what the outlook for them is for next season. That'll help us get a better sense of what we can be next year and what we need to do to get there. Today, let's look at our three returning juniors, Johndre Jefferson, Sam Muldrow, and Austin Steed.
Johndre Jefferson
After the loss of Dominique Archie and Mike Holmes, Jefferson found himself playing much more than I think he probably would have originally. It looked like he would ride the bench most of the year, and even after Archie and Holmes went down, it looked like Austin Steed would be getting most of the extra minutes. By the end of the year, though, Jefferson was our main big man off the bench.
Jefferson had a decent year in his role, all things told. I don't think Horn ever intended for him to get the minutes that he did barring disaster. Of course, disaster happened, so he got some playing time, and he did his best with it. He was a relatively reliable defender, showing promising shot-blocking skills. His rebounding could use a little work, but he was decent in that regard, too. On the offensive end, his effectiveness was largely limited. He lacks a strong shot or post moves.
Jefferson will need to improve some of the soft spots in his game if he wants to retain his minutes next year. Incoming freshmen Demontre Harris and R. J. Slawson will definitely push him for playing time, with both players offering skills that Jefferson doesn't seem to possess. If he can improve his offensive game, though, he could continue to be a factor off the bench.
Continue reading after the jump.
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Gamecocks Football Schedule
@
N.C. State
|
Thu 09/03 | W 7 - 3 |
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@
Georgia
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Sat 09/12 | L 37 - 41 |
| Florida Atlantic | Sat 09/19 | W 38 - 16 |
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Mississippi
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Thu 09/24 | W 16 - 10 |
| S. Carolina St. | Sat 10/03 | W 38 - 14 |
|
Kentucky
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Sat 10/10 | W 28 - 26 |
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@
Alabama
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Sat 10/17 | L 6 - 20 |
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Vanderbilt
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Sat 10/24 | W 14 - 10 |
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@
Tennessee
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Sat 10/31 | L 13 - 31 |
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@
Arkansas
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Sat 11/07 | L 16 - 33 |
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Florida
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Sat 11/14 | L 14 - 24 |
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Clemson
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Sat 11/28 | W 34 - 17 |
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@
Connecticut
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Sat 01/02 | L 7 - 20 |
Southeastern Conference Standings
(updated 1.8.2010 at 2:57 AM EST)
| East | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
|
Florida Gators
|
8 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
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Georgia Bulldogs
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4 | 4 | 8 | 5 |
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Tennessee Volunteers
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4 | 4 | 7 | 6 |
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Kentucky Wildcats
|
3 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
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South Carolina Gamecocks
|
3 | 5 | 7 | 6 |
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Vanderbilt Commodores
|
0 | 8 | 2 | 10 |
| West | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
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Alabama Crimson Tide
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8 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
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LSU Tigers
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5 | 3 | 9 | 4 |
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Mississippi Rebels
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4 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
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Arkansas Razorbacks
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3 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
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Auburn Tigers
|
3 | 5 | 8 | 5 |
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Mississippi St. Bulldogs
|
3 | 5 | 5 | 7 |
Gamecocks Basketball Schedule
Last 5 Games
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@
Alabama
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Thu 03/11 | L 63 - 68 |
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@
Alabama
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Thu 03/11 | L 63 - 68 |
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@
Vanderbilt
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Sat 03/06 | W 77 - 73 |
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Alabama
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Wed 03/03 | L 70 - 79 |
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Mississippi St.
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Sat 02/27 | L 63 - 76 |
Southeastern Conference Standings
(updated 3.20.2010 at 10:48 PM EDT)
| East | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
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Kentucky Wildcats
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14 | 2 | 33 | 2 |
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Vanderbilt Commodores
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12 | 4 | 24 | 9 |
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Tennessee Volunteers
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11 | 5 | 27 | 8 |
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Florida Gators
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9 | 7 | 21 | 13 |
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South Carolina Gamecocks
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6 | 10 | 15 | 16 |
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Georgia Bulldogs
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5 | 11 | 14 | 17 |
| West | Conf | Overall | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | W | L | |
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Mississippi St. Bulldogs
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9 | 7 | 24 | 12 |
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Mississippi Rebels
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9 | 7 | 23 | 10 |
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Arkansas Razorbacks
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7 | 9 | 14 | 18 |
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Alabama Crimson Tide
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6 | 10 | 17 | 15 |
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Auburn Tigers
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6 | 10 | 15 | 17 |
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LSU Tigers
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2 | 14 | 11 | 20 |
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