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Hargrove ready for homecoming

Former RNE star returns with Auburn; SEC could lose last ranked team

Written by SETH EMERSON

semerson@thestate.com
Posted on 01.09.09
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The last time Lucas Hargrove came home to play in Columbia, he was pumped. It was two years ago, his freshman year at Auburn, and the Richland Northeast High graduate was ready to show off against USC.

He never got off the bench.

Two seasons later, Hargrove hopes for a better homecoming. The forward is Auburn’s second-leading rebounder and figures to play a lot Saturday in his second and final visit to USC as a Tiger.

“I think that game (two years ago) was very, very pivotal in my career,” Hargrove said Thursday. “When I went back and didn’t play, it hurt me a lot. It gave me a lot of hunger and desire to get better. Actually this game, not that I’m overlooking any one game, but this has been a big game on my calendar for a long time.”

Hargrove is averaging 8.1 points per game and has started 10 of 14 games for Auburn, which has won seven in a row. Hargrove is averaging 25.6 minutes per game, a gradual increase over each of his first two seasons, and is rotating between both forward spots.

So this promises to be a much prouder return for Hargrove, who played on the same AAU team as USC’s Devan Downey, Mike Holmes and Zam Fredrick. He is also friends with Dominique Archie.

“Devan’s been talking to me all week,” Hargrove said. “We have little conversations back and forth.”

The struggling SEC. Tennessee is the only SEC team ranked in this week’s AP poll, and the Volunteers might fall out after losing at home to Gonzaga on Wednesday. The league ranks sixth in the Ratings Percentage Index.

Perhaps that’s why coaches weren’t rushing to defend the league during the year’s first teleconference Thursday.

Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said this “could be a year of transition.” Florida’s Billy Donovan was among those calling it “a young league,” because of the number of departed players.

“We were strong at the top the last three years. This year, that is definitely not the case,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. “I think that’s going to make for an even more competitive championship race. The champion is going to have more losses than we did last year.”

Not hiding it. The weakness of Darrin Horn’s first nonconference schedule at South Carolina has been pointed out. But the league’s other first-year coach, LSU’s Trent Johnson, arranged an even lower-ranked schedule, coming in 328th out of 343 teams, according to the RPI.

And Johnson isn’t apologizing for it. He said he did it because of two factors. Key players like Garrett Temple were dealing with injuries, and the player’s academics were in enough trouble that playing too many road games would have resulted in a decimated roster.

“It sounds like we made the right decision,” said Johnson, whose team is 12-2 and has suffered no academic casualties.

Conrad prognosis. USC may have both its injured players back within a few weeks. Sophomore center Sam Muldrow could play his first game of the season Saturday if his sprained elbow is ready. And Horn said he is hoping guard Branden Conrad (foot) will be ready by the end of the month.

He said it. “I know he’s not the best ball-handler out there, maybe not the tallest guy. He may not be the best 3-point shooter. ... But you’ll find a hard time finding someone who’s tougher, and he’s got a bad habit of winning.”

— Arkansas coach John Pelphrey on freshman guard Courtney Fortson, who is averaging 15.1 points per game

Reach Emerson at (803) 771-8676.

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