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Turnaround fair play for USC
Gamecocks handle Wofford, head into SEC schedule full of confidence
Wofford's Jason Dawson drives around USC's Dominique Archie in the first half of their game.
Jeff Blake/jblake@thestate.com
Written by SETH EMERSON
semerson@thestate.com
Posted on 01.06.09
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Highlights from the game
KEY MOMENT: Even as his team jumped out to a 6-0 lead, Wofford coach Mike Young sent five subs to the scorer's table as part of his pregame plan. USC coach Darrin Horn called timeout, put in the team's full-court press, and the Gamecocks scored the next eight points. They never trailed again.
STAR OF THE GAME: Devan Downey's 17 points dropped his scoring average a tick, but he still ranks second in the SEC at 20.5 per game. Better yet on Monday, he only had one turnover.
POINT OF EMPHASIS: USC played well in its half-court offense, which Horn said has been a recent focus. Wofford forced a slower tempo, something SEC teams are also likely to try against the up-tempo, trapping Gamecocks.
INJURIES: No new ones reported. The team had been aiming to get sophomore center Sam Muldrow back in time for the SEC season, but indications are his sprained elbow may not be fully healed just yet.
— Seth Emerson
The coach is new, but all the players were around before. So the contrast between this and last year is both appropriate and remarkable.
As it wrapped up nonconference play last season, the South Carolina men’s basketball team was mentally beat up. A plethora of close games and debilitating losses had already crippled its postseason hopes, and its coach would soon announce his retirement.
It was a completely different feelings Monday night at the Colonial Life Arena.
After polishing off Wofford 78-61, the Gamecocks entered the SEC season brimming with confidence. They have an 11-2 record, and are coming off a road victory against a top 25 team.
“I think this year we’re a little more fresh, mental-wise,” guard Devan Downey said.
Senior guard Zam Fredrick even dared to speak of March.
“I think looking at the rest of the schedule, the SEC, hopefully the NCAA tournament, we feel we can play with everybody,” Fredrick said.
Such heady talk is understandable given the team’s win last week at then-No. 19 Baylor, a good resume’-builder.
And South Carolina will enter the SEC season with its best record since it started 13-1 in 2003-04. That was the last time it went to the NCAA tournament.
The only problem for the Gamecocks is their weak schedule, ranked among the nation’s worst. But they largely escaped the upset bug, the lone exception an overtime road loss at College of Charleston.
And RPI or not, the Gamecocks figure to start SEC play with a lot more self-assurance than last season. The latest confidence-builder came against Wofford (4-6), which forced USC into a slower tempo, but not much of a close game.
The Gamecocks finished the first half on a 17-4 run. The second half was left for a couple ovations surrounding reserve guard Robert Wilder: The former walk-on’s first field goal of the season, a 3-pointer, and an alley-oop pass to Austin Steed.
Wofford was without leading scorer Junior Salters, who has a pulled muscle in his rear end. But Wofford coach Mike Young emphasized that Salters would not have made a difference against USC.
Coach Darrin Horn said effort level was one of the main focuses for the early season. The team finished well in that respect; Late even against Wofford, Downey and Fredrick got chippy with officials, and Mike Holmes had to be taken out after a few skirmishes with opponents.
Still, Horn said the team’s energy level did not start out too high. That was inevitable, the coach indicated, considering last week.
“All in all the important thing is finding a way to bounce back after a really emotional win on Friday, after an emotional win on Tuesday,” Horn said. “That’s progress for our team and our program. Now everything we’ve done up to this point is to get us ready for Friday, which is for us what we’ve been working for.”
The Gamecocks open Saturday at home against Auburn.
“It’s always about league play,” Horn said. “If you don’t do well in league play, the rest of the stuff doesn’t matter. I don’t think it matters what league you’re in.”
Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.
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