Gamecock football signees set sights on high school basketball championships
Alex Huntley admitted he didn’t know much about Tracy Rocker when South Carolina’s new defensive line coach when he was hired.
But Huntley’s mom did a little research for her son on Rocker, who was officially introduced Feb. 14 to replace John Scott, who left for a job at Penn State. Rocker was a standout defensive tackle at Auburn, winning the Outland and Lombardi awards in 1988. USC is his sixth different SEC coaching job, and he’s also coached in the NFL for the Tennessee Titans.
During his coaching career Rocker has worked with 15 All-Americans and five future first-round draft picks.
“I’m excited for what he brings in, what he has done before and the players that he has coached. I’m excited,” Huntley said. ”I had a good relationship with coach Scott but he’s gone. So we are on to a new coach and on to great things.”
Huntley said he spoke briefly with Rocker a couple days after his hire became official and plans to talk to him more during the spring.
Huntley, a four-star defensive tackle at Hammond, signed with USC in February and will enroll after graduation along with five-star teammate Jordan Burch. The Hammond duo and Conway’s Tonka Hemingway are part of a strong defensive line group in the Gamecocks’ 2020 class.
USC coach Will Muschamp said earlier this week that Burch will likely play the Buck position, a hybrid spot that requires some pass coverage and linebacker traits, when he arrives on campus.
Football has taken a bit of a backseat for the three players as they look to lead their teams to basketball state titles. Hammond and Conway are playing in their state semifinals this weekend.
Hammond defeated Porter-Gaud, 50-37, on Wednesday in the SCISA 3A quarterfinals. The Skyhawks play rival Cardinal Newman on Friday at 5 p.m. in Sumter with the winner advancing to Saturday’s championship.
Burch had 19 points, including 10-of-15 from the free-throw line, against Porter-Gaud. Huntley added eight points.
Burch entered the playoffs averaging 16.1 points and 9.5 rebounds a game. USC basketball coach Frank Martin said earlier this month that Burch has the option to play hoops for the Gamecocks in addition to football.
“He doesn’t say much but over the past six weeks he has been one of the best players I have ever coached and far away one of the best players in the state,” Hammond coach David Ross said of Burch. “He is hard to stop, is under control, handles the ball for us, plays in the post for us, rebounds. He is coming on at the right time.”
Hemingway also has excelled on the court this season in helping Conway to its first 5A Lower State championship appearance. The Tigers play Dutch Fork on Saturday at the Florence Civic Center.
The 6-foot-2, 250-pound Hemingway was the Region 6-5A Player of the Year and an all-state basketball selection. He also will play in the North-South All-Star game at Lexington next month.
Hemingway is averaging 20.4 points, 12.7 rebounds 3.9 assists and shooting 61.9 percent from the field. He had 27 points and 20 rebounds in a second-round win over River Bluff on Feb. 22 and made quite an impression on Gator coach Ben Lee.
“He was everywhere and he was impactful,” Lee said. “Watching film on him did not do him justice. He has great hands, he has great feet and his touch around the basket is unreal. He has a lot of physical gifts that most people just don’t have.”
