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Downey, Archie dream big for 2009-10
South Carolina forward Dominique Archie
John Bazemore/AP
Written by JOSEPH PERSON
jperson@thestate.com
Posted on 06.23.09
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survey:
Darrin Horn is not ready to pronounce his South Carolina squad as an NCAA tournament team simply because his top two players are returning for their final seasons.
But Devan Downey and Dominique Archie are more emphatic about the Gamecocks’ chances.
In their first public comments since withdrawing from the NBA draft, Downey and Archie said Monday they plan to cap their college careers with a postseason appearance — and it’s not the NIT.
“I feel real good,” Downey said at a media gathering at the Colonial Life Arena. “We’ve got a group of guys now who, for the most part, have been playing together for three years. Then we’ve got some talented freshmen that’s coming in and growing every day.”
Downey and Archie hope to continue to grow their games to become more attractive to NBA scouts. Both worked out for multiple teams, who provided feedback on how the fifth-year seniors can improve their draft stock.
Archie, a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 10.9 points and 6.4 rebounds last season, was told to work on his ball-handling and improve his strength, Horn said.
The 5-9 Downey, the All-SEC point guard who led the Gamecocks with 19.8 points and 4.5 assists in 2008-09, needs to continue to work on his shooting ... and grow.
“I’m getting a little tired of listening to how tall he is. We know that. I don’t think that’s changing,” Horn said. “But he can flat-out play and has done it against the best competition in the country, which are the same people that end up playing in the NBA. So I’m kind of excited about this year with him.”
Downey said although European teams tried to get in touch with him, he never seriously considered playing overseas.
“It was the best decision for me to come back. Work on my game where my stock will rise, instead of going out now and just taking whatever deal you can get,” said Downey, the Chester native who began his career at Cincinnati.
Although the two talked throughout the process, Archie said he and Downey made their decisions independently.
The duo accounted for 39 percent of the scoring and 26 percent of the rebounds in the first season under Horn, who went 21-10 and guided the Gamecocks to the NIT. Despite returning four starters, including one he called the best point guard in the country, Horn sounded a cautious note and emphasized the need for a productive summer from his players.
“It’s good to have those guys back, but let’s not get sucked into, ‘All of a sudden we’re going to be really good,’ “ Horn said. “Because we lost a couple of really tough kids that meant a lot to our program.”
The SEC could field an all-conference team with the players who withdrew from the draft to remain in school. The return of impact players such as Patrick Patterson at Kentucky, Tyler Smith at Tennessee and Jarvis Varnado at Mississippi State should boost a conference that sent three teams to the NCAA tournament last season, none seeded higher than eighth.
“I know we took a whole lot of beating last year about the league being down,” Downey said. “But I’m looking around the country and I feel like this is going to be the best league in the country, hands down. I don’t even think it’s going to be close.”
As for Gamecocks’ standing in the league, Archie said “if we do the things we have to do on and off the court, I think we could be a special team.”
Update on freshmen. Horn said two of the incoming freshmen are on campus — guard Stephen Spinella and small forward Lakeem Jackson — while guard Ramon Galloway is expected to arrive next month for the second session of summer school.
Junior college transfer Johndre Jefferson is taking classes at Orangeburg-Calhoun Tech near his Santee hometown to meet university and SEC entrance requirements, Horn said.
Reach Person at (803) 771-8496.
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