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Postgame: 7-footer takes in action
Posted on 12.31.08
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Beas Hamga, a 7-foot center who started the season at UNLV, sat behind the South Carolina bench. Hamga said he wants to decide where to transfer in time to enroll in the spring semester.
The native of Cameroon also plans to visit Rutgers and at least one other school, after canceling a previously scheduled trip to Mississippi. Hamga said he has no preference yet.
“I haven’t really made up my mind yet,” Hamga said before the game. “I’m just looking at the players, looking at the situation, and look at the opportunities to see where I would fit. Everything that I see here I like, and I’ve enjoyed everything so far.”
Hamga redshirted his first season at UNLV. If he joined the Gamecocks, he would be eligible after the end of the 2009 fall semester, and then have three full seasons of eligibility.
Tough love. Two opposing big men had a back-and-forth of elbows in the first half.
USC sophomore Mike Holmes, protecting a defensive rebound, elbowed Clemson junior Trevor Booker, who stared a few seconds at the official, unable to believe a foul wasn’t called. Booker got his revenge a few minutes later when he threw down a left-handed put-back dunk, while giving Holmes a shove down with his right hand. Holmes stayed down a few moments but returned to the game.
“It is all tough love, just playing hard,” Holmes said.
Praising Downey. While USC star Devan Downey called his own game “horrible” because he had zero assists and eight turnovers, his coach was focusing on the 37 points.
“I wouldn’t trade Devan Downey for anybody in America, period,” Darrin Horn said. “He’s got tremendous heart, he’s got a tremendous will to win. I think what you saw tonight was that.
“I think as he continues to grow as a player and a point guard, and understanding all the other little things to do, to help your team win, besides just going and getting the 37 tonight, I think you’re talking about someone who’s really, really, special.”
KEY MOMENT: At several points in the second half Clemson's Terrence Oglesby answered USC runs with a 3-pointer. But perhaps the biggest back-breaking 3 came from Clemson's Andre Young, the 5-foot-9 reserve guard, who hit a 3 with the shot clock expiring with eight minutes left. That pushed the lead back up to 10.
STAR OF THE GAME: Oglesby scored 12 less than points than USC's Devan Downey. But it seemed that each of Oglesby's 25 points were crucial, whether it was powering the first-half comeback, or answering a Gamecock second-half run.
POINT OF EMPHASIS: Clemson forced a plethora of turnovers after baskets, not necessarily on the inbounds itself, but off the pressure resulting from it. South Carolina coach Darrin Horn predicted that when he watched film of the game, that would be the most disappointing thing he would take away.
INJURIES: No new ones reported.
— Seth Emerson
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