TheState.com: GoGamecocks

Gamecocks receive an urgent message

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:45 EST

When he came to South Carolina four years ago, Brandis Raley-Ross expected he would play in the NCAA tournament at least once, if not more.

Now the guard is a senior, the last half of his final SEC season has arrived, and the possibility exists that Raley-Ross will end his career without a trip to the Big Dance.

"A sense of urgency, that's the word," Raley-Ross said. "I'm not really trying to look at it like that, I just know I want to do all I can and try to motivate the guys and make sure we go out fighting.

"I don't want to look back and say I shoulda, coulda, woulda."

The Gamecocks are in a precarious position: They have the opportunity to qualify for the NCAA tournament but have little margin for error. A sharp drop-off even could put an NIT berth in doubt.

Shorthanded to start: 5 questions facing USC baseball

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:46 EST

With high hopes entering this season, the No. 10-ranked USC baseball team has its sights set on returning to the College World Series for the first time in six years.

But nine days before the first pitch is scheduled to be thrown against Duquesne at Carolina Stadium, coach Ray Tanner's Gamecocks have encountered enough adversity to last an entire season.

Getting past the early part of the schedule without a couple of key players is just one of the questions heading into 2010.

HOW DOES JACKIE BRADLEY'S INJURY STATUS IMPACT THE OUTFIELD?

Arguably the team's best all-around player, the sophomore center fielder broke a bone in his right hand during a scrimmage this past weekend. He is expected to miss between four and eight weeks after having surgery this week. While losing Bradley in the short term hurts offensively and defensively, it allows other players to gain experience.

Downey injures ankle but expects to play

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:45 EST

South Carolina's Devan Downey was held out of Tuesday's practice with an ankle injury, but the team said its star is expected to play today against Florida.

The senior point guard wore a walking boot Tuesday, which the team said was for precautionary reasons. Downey rolled his ankle Monday after landing on it awkwardly, according to team spokeswoman Emily Feeney.

Feeney said Downey was "in good spirits" Tuesday.

Downey is averaging 23 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.1 steals per game. In SEC play, he is averaging a league-high 30.9 points per game.

- Seth Emerson

Men's pregame: Gamecocks vs. Gators

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 06:45 EST

When: 8 p.m.

Where: Colonial Life Arena

TV: WIS-10.2 (TWC 806)

RADIO: WNKT-FM 107.5

RECORDS: USC 13-9 overall, 4-4 SEC; Florida 17-6, 6-3

No. 22 Vanderbilt routs No. 12 Tennessee 90-71

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:50 EST

Jeffery Taylor scored 16 of his career-high 26 points in the first half, and No. 22 Vanderbilt never trailed Tuesday night in routing No. 12 Tennessee 90-71.

The Commodores (18-5, 7-2) grabbed sole possession of second place in the Southeastern Conference's Eastern Division, one loss behind No. 3 Kentucky. They also swept the season series against their instate rival for the first time since 2004-05 - the season before coach Bruce Pearl took over Tennessee.

Tennessee (18-5, 6-3) had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Jermaine Beal scored 20 points and A.J. Ogilvy had 11 for Vanderbilt, which didn't miss reserve John Jenkins. The freshman who had been averaging 10.4 points was hospitalized with flu.

J.P. Prince led Tennessee with 19 points, Wayne Chism had 16, Melvin Goins 11 and Scotty Hopson 10. Brian Williams, suspended for nine games after a New Year's Day arrest, returned to the rotation but didn't enter the game until 13:34 was left and the game well in the Commodores' control.

SEC basketball: Midseason report

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

The midpoint of the SEC regular season has arrived, and the stretch is upon us. The league fared better in nonconference play, as expected, and much of league play has gone according to expectations, too.

Kentucky is strong, and the race for second in the East is frantic. But it is a bit strange to see Arkansas atop the West.

A review of the first half of the SEC season:

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Florida was picked to finish fifth in the East after guard Nick Calathes left to play in Europe. But the Gators (17-6 overall, 6-3 SEC) are in the battle for second in the East and in good shape to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007. The Gators are doing it with contributions from a bevy of players: Freshman guard Kenny Boynton has provided an unexpected spark with a team-leading 14.1 points per game, and junior forward Chandler Parsons finally has emerged.

USC recruit could be removed from high school

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00 EST

Incoming South Carolina defensive back Victor Hampton faces possible reassignment to an alternative school after the 17-year-old was arrested for bringing liquor to Darlington High School last week.

Darlington County School District spokesperson Audrey Childers said Hampton has been suspended from school pending an administrative hearing that likely will be held in the next week or two.

If Hampton is reassigned to Darlington County Intervention School, he still could receive his diploma from Darlington High, Childers said. It would be Hampton's fifth school in the past four years.

"We consider it a serious infraction," Childers said Monday.

Police said Hampton, rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, took a small quantity of liquor to school on Friday morning, two days after signing with the Gamecocks.

Morris: USC's Nainima develops into star

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

Dawn Staley introduced a new offense to her South Carolina women's basketball team during the preseason. Not surprisingly, the player who knew all about the Triangle Offense made popular by coach Phil Jackson and the Los Angeles Lakers was guard Valerie Nainima.

The 23-year-old Nainima is late to the game of basketball, having picked it up a decade ago on her native island of Fiji in the South Pacific. Ever since, she has been on a crash course to learn the game, from soaking in reading materials on the game's nuances while in Fiji to late-night videotape sessions while attending Long Island University.

Now Nainima is helping lead the resurgence of the women's program at USC. She leads the team in several categories: scoring (17.7 ppg.), minutes played per game (34.7), 3-pointers (69), assists (68) and free-throw shooting (79.2 percent).

She launches 3-pointers with a picture-perfect jump shot, and she is fearless in her drives to the basket. Her ball-handling skills allow her to slide into the point-guard position when needed, and her defensive prowess is as strong as anyone on the team.

Beyond all that, Nainima (pronounced Nye-KNEE-muh) possesses a work ethic that has transformed her from a "little chubby girl" recruit in Fiji to potentially the best player Staley has coached.

SEC releases baseball TV schedule

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

USC will make four television appearances during the 2010 SEC regular season:

- 1 p.m. March 27, at Auburn, CSS

- 2 p.m. April 4, vs. Mississippi State, ESPNU

- 3 p.m. April 17, vs. Mississippi, SPSO

- 1 p.m. May 1, vs. Alabama, CSS

Bone named SEC freshman of the week again

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

USC's Kelsey Bone has earned her third SEC freshman-of-the-week honor this season.

Bone had 32 points and 20 rebounds in helping the Gamecocks win back-to-back SEC road games - against Auburn and Georgia - for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

MEN'S TENNIS

DeMars to retire at end of season

USC coach Kent DeMars will retire at the end of the 2009-10 season.

Break hurts Bradley's hand, USC's lineup

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

Two weeks before the start of the college baseball season, the fortunes of No. 10 South Carolina took another hit when sophomore center fielder Jackie Bradley sustained a broken bone in his right hand.

He is expected to be sidelined four to eight weeks.

Coming on the heels of All-SEC first baseman Nick Ebert being academically ineligible to start the season, the Gamecocks will be scrambling to replace their projected third and fourth hitters in the lineup.

“Certainly, in the beginning, it’ll be different than we anticipated,” USC coach Ray Tanner said.

Bradley, a consensus freshman All-American who batted .349 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs last season, broke his hand in Saturday’s intrasquad scrimmage while swinging through a high fastball. Tanner said the swing may have been the final straw for a nagging injury.

Women: USC turns over Georgia

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

ATHENS, Ga. - South Carolina turned the ball over a bit more than No. 14 Georgia, but the Gamecocks were far more opportunistic.

Valerie Nainima scored 21 points, and USC (13-10, 6-5 SEC) got 12 points off Georgia's nine turnovers in a 52-42 win Sunday.

Georgia (19-5, 6-5) failed to score off USC's 10 turnovers.

"Valerie played extremely well," USC coach Dawn Staley said. "She was there when we needed her to hit the big shot."

USC led 30-18 at halftime and held a double-digit lead most of the second half.

Recruiting: Compare and contrast never ends

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 01:38 EST

IN THE FINAL analysis, Clemson and USC both signed top 25 classes Wednesday. The Tigers' haul was regarded as slightly better than the Gamecocks' on a national level.

The four major Internet recruiting services - Rivals, Scout, ESPN and The Sporting News - each had Clemson's group rated higher than USC:

Rivals rated Clemson 18th and USC 25th. Scout had Clemson 23rd and USC 34th. ESPN ranked Clemson 19th and USC 23rd. The Sporting News ranked Clemson 18th and USC 23rd.

How do these numbers compare with the past five recruiting seasons? Here is a breakdown of the highest ranking for each using the Rivals and Scout rankings.

2009: USC 9; Clemson 37

Nothing goes right for USC in rout

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:06 EST

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - As the final seconds wound down, Darrin Horn leaned down, pointed at three of his players and gave them a closing thought:

"Remember this feeling," the South Carolina coach told Devan Downey, Sam Muldrow and Austin Steed. The players nodded, though somewhat dazed.

Remember the most lopsided loss of the season, a 79-53 laugher at No. 14 Tennessee?

Yes, Horn reiterated later.

"I wanted them to remember that. Remember how that felt. Because we don't want that feeling," Horn said. "Losing is one thing. But doing it when you don't feel like you gave yourself a chance to (win), that's just disappointing."

Morris: Recruiting is how the rich get richer

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

National signing day came and went Wednesday, proving again the myth that parity exists in college football. The same programs that dominate the recruiting rankings are the same ones who have controlled the game's power for what seems like forever.

Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, Florida, Ohio State, Penn State, Southern California, Georgia, LSU. Those schools - and a few others - annually haul in the most talented players, and those programs annually find their names in the final football polls.

For programs such as South Carolina and Clemson, it is difficult to crack the inner circle of success. Occasionally one of the fraternity's elite drops out and an outsider jumps in, but for the most part the same programs win year-in and year-out in recruiting and on the field.

"Obviously, the rich get richer," USC coach Steve Spurrier says. "The big, highly recruited guys go to the big schools."

Outsiders face an uphill battle. They can occasionally field a top-level recruiting class as USC did in cracking the top 10 in 2003 and 2007. For the most part, they must strive to keep the best talent in state and find athletes who want to be trailblazers.

Vols 'build a wall' around Downey

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:06 EST

While some teams have tried to stop Devan Downey with zone defense, Tennessee tried it with man on Saturday: Lots of men.

There was always one man on Downey, but when he moved to the top of the key another man joined. The Vols also usually kept a player in the post, ready to stop the drive.

"One guy cannot guard Downey. You have to guard him with a team," Volunteers coach Bruce Pearl said. "We cupped him. You just try to build a wall."

Amazing Maze

Bobby Maze doesn't normally come up in a discussion of the SEC's best point guards. But the Tennessee senior outdueled Downey for 25 minutes.

USC men to host soccer clinic

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:38 EST

USC's men's soccer team will host the 11th annual Child and Parent Soccer Clinic on Saturday at Stone Stadium. The event benefits Children's Chance, an organization aiding children with cancer and their families. The clinic is open to ages 4-14 and will run from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Children will be grouped according to age and ability, while parents are encouraged to participate and observe. Players will be available for autographs at the end of the event, which costs $35 per child and $20 per additional sibling and includes lunch and a T-shirt.

Each child should bring a soccer ball, shin guards, water and practice attire. For more information, contact Samantha Higgins at (803) 254-5996.

MEN’S TENNIS

USC edges Charlotte

Women's pregame: USC vs. Georgia

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:24 EST

WHEN: 2 p.m.

WHERE: Stegeman Coliseum, Athens, Georgia

TV: CSS

RADIO: WISW, 1320AM

RECORDS: USC 12-10, 5-5. Georgia 19-4, 6-4

No. 4 Kentucky beats LSU 81-55

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 19:38 EST

Freshman DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 13 rebounds for his sixth consecutive double-double and No. 4 Kentucky cruised past LSU 81-55 on Saturday.

Cousins, who played only 20 minutes, is eighth in the country in doubles-doubles with 14 and 24th in the nation in rebounding.

The Wildcats (22-1, 7-1 Southeastern Conference) trailed 6-1 until John Wall hit a jumper 4:29 into the game. They needed only 3 minutes to erase LSU's lead, scoring 41 of the next 49 points to take a 42-14 halftime lead.

Patrick Patterson had 16 points for Kentucky and Eric Bledsoe added 10. The Tigers limited Wall, the star freshman, to season-low six points on 2-of-9 shooting. It marked only the second time that Wall failed to reach double figures this season.

LSU (9-14, 0-9) shot less than 19 percent from the field in the first half and finished at 26.7 percent overall (21 of 66).

USC recruit arrested on alcohol charge

Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:01 EST

Incoming South Carolina defensive back Victor Hampton was arrested after taking alcohol to Darlington High on Friday, two days after signing with the Gamecocks.

An official at the Darlington County jail said Hampton was booked shortly after noon for underage drinking. The 17-year-old Hampton was released Friday evening after posting a $1,500 surety bond.

A Darlington police spokesperson said an incident report would not be available until Monday. Attempts to reach the school's resource officer were unsuccessful.

Hampton, who is rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, has at least one prior arrest. He was charged with disorderly conduct in Charlotte on July 3, 2008, but said the charge was later dropped.

Hampton's mother, Connie Boykin, said Hampton was arrested for directing an obscenity at an officer in a Charlotte mall.