FEBRUARY 2017 • VOLUME 39 • ISSUE 2 • $1.50
FIRST PITCH Gamecocks armed for return to Omaha P. 4 Also, P. 20: Basketball teams surge toward tournament time February 2017
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
1
THANK YOU!
CONTACT US: 326 Rutland Drive N.W. PO Box 456 Aiken, SC, 29801
TO SUBSCRIBE:
Please call 1-800-559-2311 Annual subscription price is $50
s always, thanks for your incredible support of the Gamecock Club and the University of South Carolina. Below is our publication schedule for the 2017 year. Please note, the magazine for December could move to January if the Gamecock football team plays in a bowl game.
A
March 15 April 26 May 24 June 14 July 26 Aug. 23 Sept. 6 Sept. 13 Sept. 20 Sept. 27 Oct. 4 Oct. 11 Oct. 18 Oct. 25 Nov. 1 Nov. 8 Nov. 15 Nov. 22 Nov. 29 Dec. 20 -
Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper BYE WEEK (no publication) Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Newspaper Magazine
STAFF
Rhonda Overbey
Publisher/ Advertising Director Aiken Communications, Inc. roverbey@aikenstandard.com (803) 644-2345
Jeff Owens
Executive Editor jowens@spursandfeathers.com
Kyle Heck
Reporter kheck@spursandfeathers.com
Kathy Boyette
Advertising Sales Manager (803) 295-3654 kboyette@spursandfeathers.com
Brooks Rogers
Advertising Representative (803) 446-4022 brooks@spursandfeathers.com
Ed Girardeau
Contributing Editor/ Sales Account Executive ed@spursandfeathers.com (803) 646-9807
Allen Sharpe Jenny Dilworth Photographers
Dre Lopez
Graphic Designer
Contributing Writers
Bill Gunter, Langston Moore, Ed Girardeau, Phil Kornblut and Brian Hand.
Postal Information:
SPURS & FEATHERS (USPS 12779) (ISSN7454368X) is published 20 times annually. The frequency is monthly in January, April and July. The publication is weekly from September-November. SPURS & FEATHERS also publishes two slickpaper magazine issues — one in August and one in December. The annual subscription price is $50 for non Gamecock Club Members. Members of the Gamecock Club receive a discounted subscription as a member benefit. Spurs & Feathers is published by Aiken Communications, Inc., 326 Rutland Drive NW, Aiken, SC, 29801-4010. Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, SC Postmaster: Send changes to SPURS & FEATHERS, PO Box 456, Aiken, SC, 29802
Need more Gamecock Updates? Get More and daily coverage at www.spursandfeathers.com 2
GAMECOCK CLUB
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
February 2017
Returning to my Gamecock roots with Spurs & Feathers By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor
A
sI dribbled around the dirt court in my backyard, launching jump shots at a crooked rim, I fantasized about playing for the South Carolina Gamecocks. I was Alex English, Jeff Owens Mike Dunleavy Executive Editor or Brian Winters, playing for Frank McGuire’s nationally ranked teams. On the baseball diamond — or tossing a ball against a brick wall — I played for Coach June Raines, trying to help Mookie Wilson and the Gamecocks get back to the College World Series. On the gridiron, I was quarterback Jeff Grantz, scrambling away from defenders and slinging spirals down the field. As a kid growing up in South Carolina, that’s what you did — unless, of course, you were cursed to be a Clemson fan. Growing up in the Greenville-Spartanburg area in the 1970s, I followed every Gamecock team I could. When McGuire’s powerhouse teams played, I was in front of
the television. I went to Gamecock basketball camp, where Dunleavy, the future NBA star, was my first coach. I went to Raines’ baseball camp, which was held in Myrtle Beach back then. In high school, I attended my first football games at Williams-Brice, watching George Rogers rumble to the 1980 Heisman Trophy. During those years, I grew to love the Gamecocks above all other sports teams. I spent many hours at the home of my best friend, whose parents, William and Gail Wilson of Duncan, S.C., were South Carolina alums and among the biggest Gamecock fans in the state. It was there that I was first exposed to a magazine called Spurs & Feathers, which chronicled South Carolina’s biggest games and profiled its biggest stars. I consumed S&F like it was Sports Illustrated or The Sporting News. Years later, my love affair with USC has come full circle as I join Spurs & Feathers as it’s new executive editor. As a teen, my dream was to attend USC and major in journalism, with the hope of one day covering the athletic program. I realized that dream from 1983 to 1986. As a writer and editor for the student paper — The Gamecock — I covered the football, basketball and baseball teams. I was there during the Joe Morrison years, covering the thrilling
1984 Black Magic season, which was highlighted by a stunning victory over Florida State at Williams-Brice and a dramatic upset at Clemson. A year later, I followed the baseball team as Raines led the Gamecocks to another CWS appearance. I also had the privilege during those years to work part-time for The State and the old Columbia Record, learning from legendary sports editor Doug Nye, editors Bertram Rantin and Bill Eichenberger and awardwinning writers like Bob Gillespie and Jim McLaurin. They each taught me lessons I carried on down the road. After graduating, I returned in 1990 to cover the Gamecocks for the Florence Morning News, following football coach Sparky Woods and colorful QB Steve Tanneyhill as USC began its foray into the SEC. I’ll never forget Woods rallying the troops after an 0-5 start in 1992 and finishing 5-6 after an upset at Clemson, a game where Tanneyhill infuriated Clemson fans by writing his name on the Tiger paw at Death Valley. In 1993, I took off on another adventure, moving to North Carolina to cover NASCAR, the NFL and NBA. Though I’ve covered a variety of teams and sports over the past 23 years, I’ve always kept my eye on the Gamecocks. I followed their wild roller coaster ride through the SEC, and like all Gamecock fans,
“The Ribs & Wings are Great!”
was thrilled when Steve Spurrier built the football program into a national power and heartbroken when he abruptly stepped aside. I was ecstatic when Ray Tanner delivered South Carolina’s first major national championships in the 2010 and 2011 College World Series. And I can’t wait to see which Gamecock teams make history next. Now I’m returning to my roots, ready to cover every aspect of USC athletics and follow the Gamecocks as they chase glory in the SEC and on the national landscape. It’s a great time to be a Gamecock fan and follower of USC athletics. Frank Martin and Dawn Staley have the basketball programs on historic runs, heading toward the NCAA tournament. Chad Holbrook should have his best baseball team yet, with a great shot at leading the Gamecocks back to Omaha. And Will Muschamp appears to have the rebuilding football program on the right track heading into his second spring practice. I’m thrilled to be in position to follow it all for Spurs & Feathers and excited about continuing the legacy of the publication Gamecock fans have been reading for decades. Jeff Owens can be reached at jowens@spursandfeathers.com or on Twitter at @jowens_SpursUp.
5
$ 00 COUPON
YOUR SPORTS EVENT HEADQUARTERS CAYCE, SC 2423 Fish Hatchery Rd. 803-926-9622
RED BANK, SC 1767-E S. Lake Dr. 803-808-0488
LEXINGTON, SC 105 Northpoint Dr. 803-356-6244
$5.00 Off on all orders of $25.00 or more. Dine In or Take Out Can not be used with any other specials. House rules apply. Expires March 31, 2017.
BALLENTINE, SC 1000 Marina Rd. (803) 851-4500
February 2017
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
AS14-1540594-1
CarolinaWings.com EDITOR'S NOTE
3
Baseball all baseball content sponsored by:
COMING UP
ACES Story by Kyle Heck | Photos by Allen Sharpe
South Carolina’s staff is ‘the best in the country’
M
ost teams in the country would love to be in South Carolina’s shoes when it comes to pitching. The Gamecocks were already bringing back two of the three weekend starters, and the pitcher slated to take over for Braden Webb in the weekend rotation is none other than Wil Crowe, a projected first-round MLB Draft pick who missed last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery. That gives South Carolina two Friday night starters as well as a sophomore in Adam Hill who didn’t lose a game last season.
4
BASEBALL | COVER STORY
The toughest decision for head coach Chad Holbrook is not who should start on the weekends, but rather who should start on Friday nights. “That’s a good problem to have for me,” Holbrook said on the first day of spring practice. The team announced that Clarke Schmidt would start on Opening Day, while Crowe and Hill would follow on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. Not only does South Carolina have three stars to start on the weekend, but the bullpen is incredibly deep as well. Josh Reagan (11
saves, 2.08 ERA last year), Tyler Johnson (nine saves, 2.42 ERA) and Reed Scott (29 appearances, 2.56 ERA) all return for the Gamecocks. “We have a bunch of good guys,” Crowe said. “It doesn’t matter who is on the mound, we’re going to believe in them and trust them. We have a bunch of studs and it doesn’t matter who is on the mound, they’re going to get outs. That’s all they’re worried about is winning, so there’s a lot of team guys.” Schmidt was the Friday night starter last season and won nine games to go with a 3.40 ERA and a whopping 129 strikeouts, which
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
ranked second in the SEC. As a freshman, Hill made 14 starts and compiled a 7-0 record to go with 72 strikeouts in 66.1 innings pitched. With those kind of stats all throughout the roster, it’s no wonder that members of the national baseball media list South Carolina as the team with the best pitching staff in America. “I believe that,” Reagan said of the honor. “That’s not by chance. It’s because we put in the work and put in the effort. That’s not anything that we’re boastful of.” Johnson was one of the postseason heroes February 2017
Adam Hill
for the Gamecocks as he pitched a complete game in a victory over UNC Wilmington in the NCAA Regionals. After the season, the junior joined the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in the summer, and that was
an eye-opener for him. “I got a chance to play with some of the best players in this country and around the world,” Johnson said. “Pitching with those guys will be a very big benefit to myself.”
Other players that made contributions last season and could be in line for more work on the mound include Tyler Haswell, Colie Bowers and Brandon Murray. There could be a few freshmen and junior college transfers who make an impact as well. “We definitely have a lot of talent out there and you can tell that everyone is on the same boat (and) everyone is going toward the same goal,” Reagan said. Opponents will likely have a difficult time scoring runs off South Carolina’s pitchers, but the Gamecock position players already know how difficult it is. “Very exciting team this year,” outfielder Alex Destino said. “Our pitching staff this year, I’m saying it biased, but they’re the best in the country. Facing these guys in scrimmages is tough. It’s been a tough task hitting off them, but that’s only going to make us better.” After a strong year last season where the Gamecocks were just two wins away from Omaha, they are hoping to take that extra step and make their way back to the College World Series. Consistently ranked in the top five to begin the year, South Carolina certainly has the talent, particularly on the mound, to make a deep run. “It’s certainly the best pitching staff that I’ve played with by far,” Johnson said. “We work hard, we’re dedicated in the weight room. Just go out there and work on these expectations that we have.”
Tyler Johnson
Return to Omaha main goal for Gamecocks Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
A
fter missing the NCAA Tournament for the first time in more than 15 years in 2015, South Carolina was able to bounce back last season and make its way to postseason play. However, the Gamecocks dropped the first game of the NCAA Tournament against Rhode Island, putting themselves on the edge of elimination. South Carolina won five games in four days to punch its ticket to the NCAA Super Regional. Needing just two wins to get back to Omaha for the College World Series, the Gamecocks were upended by Oklahoma State at Founders Park. It was a tough break for the Gamecocks after working so hard to get to that point, but it set the tone for what was a busy and strenuous offseason. “I think we were all disappointed about not making it to Omaha,” pitcher Tyler Johnson said. “We were all really close, so we really took it upon ourselves to get out here and we’ve been working for an awfully long time. We’re all excited to be here. I think all of the hard work that we put in will translate to games.” The Gamecocks set the tone early in the February 2017
offseason and the main focus for every player on the team was to improve as a player and do everything possible to make sure no one felt that disappointed feeling again. With the rich history of South Carolina baseball, making it to the College World Series is a goal year in and year out. After missing out on the postseason altogether in 2015, there was some pride among the players for getting back to playing “South Carolina baseball.” “Any time you play at South Carolina, that’s the goal of the team,” head coach Chad Holbrook said. “You want to finish the season in Omaha and have a chance to win the National Championship. There was certainly some disappointment with the way it ended last year and getting so close, but there was also some pride from some of our guys. We were coming off a little bit of a tough year last year, and they felt like they put our program back on the map.” South Carolina is consistently ranked in the top five of all the preseason polls and certainly have the talent to stand alone at the end of the season in Omaha. The Gamecocks have an excellent pitching
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Photo courtesy of USC Athletics
staff and several outstanding position players returning as well. Junior Alex Destino is coming off an impressive sophomore season and as one of the leaders of the team, he’s witnessed the common mindset everyone on
Spurs & Feathers
the team has. “We want to be in Omaha and take things as far as we can,” Destino said. “Being the last team standing is our goal.”
COVER STORY | BASEBALL
5
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASEBALL TEAM 2017 SCHEDULE
6
DATE
MATCHUP
RESULT/TIME
GAME INFO
Fri, Feb 17
vs UNCG
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Sat, Feb 18
vs UNCG
2:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Sun, Feb 19
vs UNCG
1:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Tue, Feb 21
vs Charlotte
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Thu, Feb 23
vs Kansas State
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Fri, Feb 24
vs Wright State
2:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Sat, Feb 25
vs Wright State
2:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Sun, Feb 26
vs Wright State
1:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Tue, Feb 28
vs Appalachian St
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Fri, Mar 3
@ (12) Clemson
6:30 PM ET
Sat, Mar 4
@ (12) Clemson
1:00 PM ET
At Greenville's Fluor Field
Sun, Mar 5
vs (12) Clemson
1:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Tue, Mar 7
vs The Citadel
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Wed, Mar 8
vs Winthrop
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Fri, Mar 10
vs Michigan State
7:00 PM ET
Michigan State, one of the best teams in the Big Ten, finished 3620 last year and leads the series with South Carolina 16-5.
Sat, Mar 11
vs Michigan State
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sun, Mar 12
vs Michigan State
1:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Tue, Mar 14
@ Furman
7:00 PM ET
At Greenville's Fluor Field
Fri, Mar 17
@ Tennessee
7:00 PM ET
South Carolina kicks off conference play at Tennessee. The Gamecocks lead the series with the Volunteers 58-36. TV: SEC Network +
Sat, Mar 18
@ Tennessee
2:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sun, Mar 19
@ Tennessee
2:00 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
Wed, Mar 22
vs Charleston So
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Fri, Mar 24
vs Alabama
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sat, Mar 25
vs Alabama
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sun, Mar 26
vs Alabama
1:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Tue, Mar 28
@ The Citadel
7:00 PM ET
Fri, Mar 31
@ Auburn
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sat, Apr 1
@ Auburn
6:00 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
Sun, Apr 2
@ Auburn
2:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Tue, Apr 4
vs Furman
7:00 PM ET
Thu, Apr 6
vs (6) Vanderbilt
7:00 PM ET
The Gamecocks host No. 6 Vanderbilt for a key SEC East series. South Carolina leads the series 54-30. TV: SEC Network
Fri, Apr 7
vs (6) Vanderbilt
7:00 PM ET
TV: ESPNU
Sat, Apr 8
vs (6) Vanderbilt
12:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN2
Tue, Apr 11
@ (13) UNC
7:00 PM ET
The Gamecocks play another neutral-site game against ACC rival North Carolina at BB&T Park in Charlotte.
Fri, Apr 14
vs Miss St
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sat, Apr 15
vs Miss St
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sun, Apr 16
vs Miss St
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
BASEBALL | SCHEDULE
Archrival Clemson, 44-20, was ranked No. 12 in the preseason by Collegiate Baseball. The Tigers won two of three against South Carolina last year and lead the series 174-136-2.
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
February 2017
Tue, Apr 18
7:00 PM ET
vs Davidson
TV: SEC Network The Gamecocks travel to Gainesville for what should be a huge series against No. 3 Florida. South Carolina leads a tight series with the Gators, 44-42. TV: ESPNU
Thu, Apr 20
@ (2) Florida
7:30 PM ET
Fri, Apr 21
@ (2) Florida
6:30 PM ET
Sat, Apr 22
@ (2) Florida
12:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN2
Fri, Apr 28
vs Kentucky
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sat, Apr 29
vs Kentucky
4:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sun, Apr 30
vs Kentucky
1:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Wed, May 3
vs Wofford
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Fri, May 5
@ (3) LSU
8:00 PM ET
South Carolina plays yet another SEC power on the road when they travel to Baton Rouge to play No. 2 LSU. leads the series 34-25-1. TV: SEC Network
Sat, May 6
@ (3) LSU
8:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
Sun, May 7
@ (3) LSU
3:00 PM ET
TV: ESPN
Tue, May 9
vs Presbyterian
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Fri, May 12
@ Missouri
7:30 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sat, May 13
@ Missouri
3:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sun, May 14
@ Missouri
2:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Tue, May 16
vs USC Upstate
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Thu, May 18
vs Georgia
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Fri, May 19
vs Georgia
7:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network
Sat, May 20
vs Georgia
3:00 PM ET
TV: SEC Network +
TV: SEC Network
Vacation
RENTALS
Enjoy our beaches every da y... Call about proper ties for sale.
JAMES W. SMITH REAL ESTATE CO. Real Estate Sales & Vacation Rentals
Over 40 Years....Making Vacation Dreams Come True
North Litchfield • South Litchfield Pawleys Island • Litchfield by the Sea
CALL FOR GAMECOCK SPECIALS! INFO@JWSRE.COM
www.JWSRE.com call 800.746.5651 or 843.237.4246 AS14-1545273-1
February 2017
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
SCHEDULE | BASEBALL
7
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASEBALL 2017 TEAM ROSTER No.
Name
Pos.
Hgt.
Wgt.
Class
Hometown
4
Danny Blair
OF
5-9
190
So
Bel Air, Md.
40
Colie Bowers
P
5-10
175
Sr
Lexington, S.C.
20
Jonah Bride
3B
5-10
200
Jr
Owasso, Okla.
23
Sawyer Bridges
P
5-11
175
Fr
Summerville, S.C.
8
Carlos Cortes
INF/OF
5-7
195
Fr
Oviedo, Fla.
37
Will Crowe
P
6-2
245
Jr
Sevierville, Tenn.
33
Chris Cullen
C
6-5
220
So
Cumming, Ga.
19
Chase DeMars
INF
5-10
180
Jr
Overland Park, Kan.
24
Alex Destino
OF
6-2
225
Jr
Weaverville, N.C.
31
Christian Flint
INF
5-11
160
Fr
Delray Beach, Fla.
25
Ross Grosvenor
1B
6-4
250
Sr
Franklin, Tenn.
17
Rian Haire
P
6-2
205
Fr
Hudson, N.C.
18
Tyler Haswell
P
5-11
180
Jr
Lawrenceville, Ga.
15
Adam Hill
P
6-5
210
So
Anderson, S.C.
32
Riley Hogan
1B
6-1
210
Fr
Orlando, Fla.
5
TJ Hopkins
OF
6-1
190
So
Summerville, S.C.
10
Jonathan Jahn
P
5-11
195
Fr
Augusta, Ga.
21
Tyler Johnson
P
6-2
205
Jr
Midlothian, Va.
22
John Jones
C
5-11
200
Jr
Orlando, Fla.
13
Graham Lawson
P
6-1
215
So
Woodruff, S.C.
26
Colby Lee
P
5-10
165
Fr
Latta, S.C.
44
Brandon McIlwain
OF
6-1
200
So
Newtown, Pa.
49
Cody Morris
P
6-4
210
Fr
Laurel, Md.
9
Brandon Murray
P
6-2
200
Jr
Hobart, Ind.
7
Jacob Olson
UT
5-11
175
So
Monroe, Ga.
28
John Parke
P
6-3
215
Jr
Greenville, S.C.
30
Joey Polak
1B
6-2
220
Fr
Quincy, Ill.
47
Josh Reagan
P
6-1
175
Sr
Lexington, S.C.
3
Rustin Row
INF
5-7
170
Jr
La Verne, Calif.
6
Clarke Schmidt
P
6-1
205
Jr
Acworth, Ga.
39
Reed Scott
P
6-1
185
Sr
Marietta, Ga.
14
Madison Stokes
INF
6-2
200
Jr
Columbia, S.C. )
38
Hunter Taylor
C
5-11
215
Jr
Onley, Va.
11
LT Tolbert
INF
6-2
190
So
Piedmont, S.C.
48
Matt Williams
INF
6-0
215
Jr
Honea Path, S.C.
2
Chad Holbrook
Head Coach
12
Jerry Meyers
Associate Head Coach
41
Sammy Esposito
Assistant Coach
55
Brian Buscher
Volunteer Assistant Coach
Blake Cooper
Student Assistant Coach
Tyson Lusk
Director of Baseball Operations
Alex Destino had a team-high 10 home runs and 59 RBI while slugging .509. His 59 RBI were the most since Christian Walker's 62 in 2011.
John Jones had one of the greatest weeks in school history last season. In a three-game series against Penn State, Jones went 8-for-8 and reached base in all 14 plate appearances to win National Player of the Week. With two home runs, including a grand slam, Jones slugged 1.750 for the weekend. Right-hander Clarke Schmidt, 9-5 with a 3.40 ERA, was a third-team All-American in 2016 and a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy as the nation's top player. His 129 strikeouts were second in the SEC and sixth in the nation.
Adam Hill earned Freshman All-American honors in 2016, going 7-0 with a 3.53 ERA. Hill had 72 strikeouts in 66.1 innings and opponents hit just .208 against him.
Junior Jonah Bride started 63 of 64 games at third base last year and made just three errors for a .975 fielding percentage. Bride was also solid at the plate, hitting .283 with a .393 on-base percentage.
Coaches
8
BASEBALL | ROSTER
spursandfeathers.com
Photos by Allen Sharpe and Jenny Dilworth
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
February 2017
Photo by Allen Sharpe
Crowe ready for much-anticipated return Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
W
il Crowe’s story has been well-documented over the past couple of years. After struggling during the first part of the 2015 season, Crowe found out he would have to undergo Tommy John surgery, a procedure that would keep him from the baseball team for the foreseeable future. Head coach Chad Holbrook thought that Crowe had thrown his last pitch as a Gamecock. Crowe was high on a lot of MLB draft boards and the coach figured that his pitcher would skip his junior season and go ahead and begin his professional journey. That thought never really stuck with Crowe, however. He made the commitment to rehab and fight through the injury and after missing the entire 2016 season, Crowe is poised to make his return in the Garnet and Black this season. “It wasn’t tough at all,” Crowe said of the decision to return to school. “It wasn’t even an ordeal. I told coach basically the day of the February 2017
Gamecock and it’s hard to imagine just how draft that I was coming back to school. I want high the excitement level is for the junior rightto be here, I want to succeed (and) I want to hander. However, it’s important for Crowe to win. I wanted to be with these guys. They’re my not let that excitement get the better of him. brothers and I love them to death and I didn’t “I’m just going to want to leave that take it like another behind.” day,” Crowe said of Crowe, a native his first appearance of Sevierville, Tenn., We've got a bunch of good guys. It back. “You can’t was drafted by the Cleveland Indians doesn't matter who's on the mound, really get too hyped one outing. I for the second time we're going to believe in them and trust about just want to go out in his career in last and throw strikes June’s MLB Draft. them. We've got a bunch of studs.” He turned down a — Wil Crowe and try to get guys out and help the team lot of money to come win.” to South Carolina Crowe is coming back to a stacked pitching after being drafted out of high school by the rotation. Players like starters Clarke Schmidt Indians, and has shown a lot of commitment to and Adam Hill and bullpen aces Reed Scott, Holbrook and the Gamecocks. Josh Reagan and Tyler Johnson all return and Of course, it’s been well over a year and the Gamecocks could have two or three firsta half since Crowe last took the mound as a
“
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
round MLB Draft picks in that group. So instead of getting thrown back into the rotation as the lead dog, Crowe can be himself and have confidence that there are talented guys all around him. “We’ve got a bunch of good guys,” Crowe said. “It doesn’t matter who’s on the mound, we’re going to believe in them and trust them. We’ve got a bunch of studs.” Probably no one knows just how hard a journey it was for Crowe more than his teammates. They’ve been with him every step of the way and have seen all of the sweat and tears during his rehab. The respect that Crowe has in the locker room is hard to quantify. “He looks great,” Johnson said of Crowe. “He’s worked some of the hardest that I’ve ever seen. It’s been really impressive to see him come back.”
CROWE | BASEBALL
9
Madison Stokes (14) and Alex Destino congratulate Chris Cullen.
Cullen, Jones poised for big seasons after adjustments Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter | Photos by Allen Sharpe
F
or the most part, John Jones and Chris Cullen split the reps behind the plate last season. With both players being newcomers to the program, it was a learning experience. Both are extremely talented players who showed flashes of brilliance. They were consistent on defense and were a huge help to the Gamecock pitching staff, as was Hunter Taylor, the third catcher. Because Jones and Cullen were in a similar position, they bonded quickly and are extremely familiar with each other’s games. Cullen didn’t necessarily have the offensive season he would’ve liked, but still contributed 23 RBI and 11 doubles as a freshman. Meanwhile, Jones started the year on an absolute tear that garnered national attention. In the first series of the year against Albany, the junior hit .600 with a home run, four runs scored and nine RBI. The next weekend, Jones was even better as he reached base in all 14 plate appearances with six walks, two homers and a whopping 10 RBI. That performance earned him National Player of the Week honors, but Jones suffered through a significant midseason slump that eventually dropped his batting average to .269 for the season.
10 BASEBALL | CULLEN & JONES
“It’s a tough league,” Jones said. “It will chew you up and spit you out. If you’re not feeling good, there’s no time to feel sorry for yourself. I really don’t get down on myself, but I really have to not be so hard on myself. Trust my teammates a little bit more and not try to hit a homer on every pitch.” Those kind of lessons are important for a player in his first season in a conference like the SEC, and both Jones and Cullen are better for what they went through last season. Cullen has taken advantage of the weight program at South Carolina, and it’s allowed him to gain around 25 pounds, which is huge for the sophomore. “Working with (Director of Sport Performance) Billy (Anderson) and being in there
four or five times a week and working the program that he has for us, it’s put a lot of muscle on me,” Cullen said. “It’s something I need. Buying into that program that the coaches have for us has been tremendous for us.” Cullen also studied things that could make him better at the plate, and it resulted in a change that fans will immediately notice on Opening Day — a leg kick. “I’ve been working with (Volunteer Assistant Coach Brian) Buscher a lot from the start of last season,” Cullen said. John Jones “I wasn’t getting the results I was hoping for at the plate, and coach Buscher is a great resource and I tried to ask him what he saw in my swing and what could I improve on for this upcoming season. One thing he noticed was just getting a little more
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
weight into the ball, and I started working on a leg kick. I feel comfortable with that now.” Head coach Chad Holbrook has raved about Cullen’s improvement since the fall, and Jones has also witnessed it firsthand. “Chris has always been talented, and he’s one of my best friends on the team,” Jones said. “I hit with him every day before practice, and I’ve got to actually watch the jump. He started a leg kick, and it’s made him a nightand-day different type of hitter. He’s more patient and he’s just strong. He works hard and it’s paying off for him right now.” Both players have enjoyed watching the other players in the lineup as well. The Gamecocks bring a lot of experience back, led primarily by players like Alex Destino and Madison Stokes. In addition, Taylor has been a big help to the two younger catchers and is one of the leaders of the team. There’s so much talent, in fact, that it’s going to be hard for Holbrook to decide on a lineup every day. “You’re watching batting practice and you’re like, ‘It’s crazy; one of these guys is not going to play Opening Day,’” Jones said. “These are top-caliber guys.”
February 2017
McIlwain ready to meet expectations Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
W
hen Brandon McIlwain arrived at South Carolina last January, there were a lot of expectations that came with him. In baseball, McIlwain was a can’t-miss prospect who passed up a lot of money by not enrolling in the MLB Draft. In football, the Pennsylvania native was also a highly-touted player who was expected to come in and compete for the starting quarterback job right away. In regards to baseball, last season didn’t go the way McIlwain wanted as he managed just 10 at-bats. He played quite a bit as a freshman in football, but now his focus is 100 percent on the diamond. McIlwain said that when he first came to college, everything was new to him and it took a while to adjust. It’s tough to adjust when you play just one sport, but being a two-sport athlete made it even harder on the true freshman. “I’ve been here for a year now, so I have a little bit more experience and I’ve been able to do a little more and go through everything,” McIlwain said. “Now I can kind of come out here and just play. I get to relax a
little more and get into the swing of things and have some fun.” That journey began with the start of spring practice on Jan. 27, and McIlwain is focused on breaking into the lineup. Unlike last season, he has had time to prepare for the season and at least has an idea of what to expect. McIlwain wasn’t able to participate in fall scrimmages because of his football obligations so he’s still behind most of the team, but it is still a better situation than the season before. “I was hoping to do more because I’m a competitor,” McIlwain said of last year. “(But) I came in in the middle of January, I hadn’t been here around the coaches and everything and I was also brand new. It was a difficult transition.” The sophomore spent a lot of time in the weight room when he wasn’t on the football or baseball field, and that hard work has appeared to pay off. “From just playing in college and going through a college baseball season and a college football season, physically and mentally,
I’m completely changed,” McIlwain said. “I’m much better than I was in high school. I’m a lot stronger, faster, more explosive.” McIlwain will have a lot of competition for playing time on the diamond as the Gamecocks are extremely talented at every position. He knows he will have to work extremely hard to become a regular, but he has faith that he can find a place somewhere. “I’m out here to compete,” McIlwain said. “I want to be able to play as good as I can every day and continue to compete with the other guys out here. There’s a lot of good talent out here. That’s my goal this year is to play and contribute to the team as much as I can.” Photo by Allen Sharpe
Holbrook knows what it takes to return to Omaha Story by Jeff Owens | Executive Editor
C
had Holbrook has been superb in his first four seasons as South Carolina’s head baseball coach, compiling a record that would be the envy of most college coaches. A .671 winning percentage (165-81). More than 40 wins in three of his four seasons. Three NCAA Regional appearances. Two Super Regionals. And he won the SEC East last season with a record of 46-18, 20-9 in the toughest conference in the country. But if you’re the head coach at South Carolina, more is always expected. Especially when you’re coaching a program that has gone to the College World Series 11 times, including six in the last 15 years. And especially when you’re following in the footsteps of Ray Tanner, who won back-to-back national championships in 2010 and 2011 and nearly won a third in 2012. Holbrook, an associate head coach on those championship teams, had the enviable and unenviable task of replacing Tanner when the legendary head coach was named athletic director in 2012. Enviable because who wouldn’t want to take over such a vaunted program? Unenviable because those are some big shoes to fill and loft y expectations to live up to. “I’m awfully lucky to coach at South Carolina,” Holbrook said prior to opening day. A master recruiter, Holbrook has held his February 2017
Photo by Allen Sharpe
own as Tanner’s successor so far. But he still has a big step to take — leading the Gamecocks back to Omaha. This could be the year. Coming off his best season, Holbrook has a deep, talented and experienced roster and his best opportunity to take South Carolina back to the CWS. South Carolina appears to have everything it needs to get back to Omaha, including one of the deepest and most talented pitching staffs in the country. Few teams can boast an All-American (Clarke Schmidt), a Freshman All-American (Adam Hill) and a
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
2014 Freshman All-American (Will Crowe) in the starting rotation. And few have two dominant closers like Tyler Johnson and Josh Reagan anchoring the bullpen. “This staff hasn’t thrown an inning yet, but they are a talented group,” Holbrook said. “They have the talent to be exceptional. … I have a feeling from their competitiveness, they are going to give us a chance to win.” The key offensive player will be junior outfielder/first baseman Alex Destino, who led the Gamecocks with a .321 average and a team-high 10 home runs and 59 RBI last season. A preseason All-SEC selection, Destino could double his home run total and be one of the top RBI men in the country. He should anchor a powerful offensive attack that returns six offensive starters and several others who played key roles last season. But perhaps the most important thing the
Spurs & Feathers
Gamecocks have going for them is an experienced coach with a level head and a calm, methodical approach. Having learned under Tanner, Holbrook knows what it takes to play deep into the postseason. The key is not to worry about getting back to Omaha. “We are just going to do one game at a time,” he said. “I hate to use the coaching cliche, but that’s what it is. The teams we play are too good. If we start looking ahead, we will screw up what is in front of us. We’re not that good. We’ve got some good players, but if we are all not right in the present time and the game we are participating in that day, it’s going to be a struggle for us. “If we can just take it one game at a time, play up to our ability each and every day, try to improve in practice when we are not playing and come down to the park every day with energy and enthusiasm and heightened awareness and a sense of urgency, I think we have a chance to have a special year. I don’t want to look toward June yet. You don’t get to Omaha in February and March. You have to take one step at a time.” If the pitching shines and the lineup delivers, these Gamecocks can take a very big step. And Holbrook will live up to those loft y expectations and follow in his mentor’s extraordinary footsteps.
MCILWAIN • HOLBROOK | BASEBALL 11
Football
Photo by Allen Sharpe
Christmas Day: Donors excited about NSD Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
S
hortly after wrapping up his press conference at Williams-Brice Stadium on, Feb. 1, South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp made his way up to
“The Zone� inside the stadium to speak to donors about National Signing Day. The Gamecocks brought in a very talented recruiting class, and were able to pick up a few
commits on Signing Day to strengthen the class. At the special event, “Voice of the Gamecocks� Todd Ellis introduced University President Harris Pastides before Athletics Director Ray Tanner made his way to the stage. It was then Muschamp’s turn to talk about players that had everyone so excited about the future. “It’s kind of like Christmas Day for our fan base,� Executive Associate AD/Development and Gamecock Club Jeff Crane said. “We’re
excited that things like this make them excited. That passion that our donors have for this program is unmatched.� Those in attendance were impressed with everything Muschamp had to say as he talked in-depth about each kid as a highlight reel played on the big screen. “The best thing is we have a lot of quality kids, and kids that are addressing a lot of the needs that we have,� Chris Fulmer said. “It’s just a good day all around.� Along with all of the great recruits coming into the program, there are many other great things going on off the field. For instance, construction recently began on a state-of-theart football operations building across from Williams-Brice Stadium that will change how South Carolina is perceived on a national level. “It’s a sign of the times right now,� Fulmer said. “Right now you have to be a trendsetter and you have to be doing stuff like this.� It took a lot of work to organize the event and Blair Cauthen and the rest of the support staff did a tremendous job organizing the Signing Day event. Crane wanted to make sure and thank all those involved and was pleased to see all of the positivity in the room. “This has become the event of the year for our big supporters of the program,� Crane said. “They get so excited about being here and learning about our newest football studentathletes.�
GAMECOCK MARKETPLACE SENIOR RATES $22 MONDAY - FRIDAY $34 SATURDAY-SUNDAY-HOLIDAYS Pine Ridge Township • 222 Clubhouse Drive West Columbia, SC 29172 • 803.755.2000 WWW.CHARWOOD.COM Monday-Friday 7am to 6pm Saturday 7am to 4pm Closed Sunday
Mac Senn Financial Advisor
101 Westpark Blvd. Suite D Columbia, SC 29210 Bus. 803-772-2221 mac.senn@edwardjones.com
www.edwardjones.com
The Publick House Restaurant & Pub
Family Hair Salon Men’s Haircuts $15 and up
“The best Pimento Burger in town! It melts in your mouth!� – Ed G S&F 7235 St. Andrews Rd. Columbia, SC 29212 MathiasSandwich.com
phone 803.781.4002 fax 803.781.4220
1410 Colonial Life Blvd. In Colonial Village
2307 Devine Street 803-256-2625
www.publick-house.com
Established in 1970
IT’S GREAT TO BE A GAMECOCK!
12 FOOTBALL | NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
AS14-1546546-1
February 2017
Muschamp, Gamecocks land nice haul on NSD Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
F
rom the outside looking in, it looked as if this National Signing Day would be an interesting and uncertain one for South Carolina. Several recruits were making their decisions on the big day and deciding between South Carolina and one or more other schools. However, head coach Will Muschamp and the Gamecocks entered NSD on Feb. 1, confident, and for good reason. They knew that the players hanging in the balance were going to choose the Garnet and Black, and it resulted in another outstanding class for South Carolina. “You’re always looking to get your football team better,” Muschamp said. “We needed to get faster as an entire organization, and we got a lot faster. You look at some guys we signed on both sides of the ball, we got longer and more athletic on the offensive line, we signed three receivers that I’m really excited about and I felt like on all three levels helped ourselves defensively.” The Gamecocks signed 24 recruits, 10 on offense and 14 on defense. Of those recruits, 11 came from the Palmetto State while South Carolina snagged five more from neighboring Georgia. As Muschamp has always stated, there can’t be too much excitement yet over this year’s recruiting class, regardless of where they stand in the national recruiting rankings. The head coach said that he and his staff will know how this class stacks up in “two to three
years” when they have a chance to develop and get on the field. “There will be some guys in this signing class who will certainly contribute to our team next fall,” Muschamp said. The day ended with a huge Spurs Up from a guy who could very well be one of the players from this class who immediately makes an impact. Defensive back Jamyest Williams from Athens, Ga., had been committed to South Carolina since last fall, but the hometown school Georgia had upped the recruiting in recent weeks. In the end, Williams made the decision to stick with the Gamecocks. “He’s talented in a lot of ways,” Muschamp said of Williams. “In my opinion his greatest talent is his work ethic and his competitive edge. Those are the two things that really jump out at you when you see him compete.” Muschamp and his staff obviously ended up with many other talented players, and the head coach made sure to take time to thank a lot of people, from the interns all the way to his assistant coaches, who basically spent the entire month of January on the road recruiting. In the end, however, it all paid off and South Carolina ended up with an extremely solid class. Last year, Muschamp and his new staff had less than two months to go put a class together. Even with that time constraint, the Gamecocks still managed to have a top 25 class. The 2017 class is consistently ranked in the top 20, and Muschamp and his staff were
Photo by Allen Sharpe
able to make a lot of contacts. “It’s all about relationships in recruiting,” Muschamp said. “They’ve seen a product on the field now, they have an idea of what we want to be in all three phases and they have an idea of what we’re going to do academically here. There’s a lot less uncertainty with the 24 guys we signed today. We know a lot about these guys.” In order to close as strong as they did on National Signing Day, the Gamecocks needed a strong performance from everyone involved.
Muschamp was proud of the way his current players handled the incoming recruits on their official and unofficial visits, and it certainly made an impression. “Our guys did a fantastic job in the recruiting process,” Muschamp said. “They have to really help us on recruiting weekends. Great players like to play with other great players, and when they’re able to meet those guys on the visits and able to form a relationship and be able to ask them the hard questions about the coaches (it’s great).”
Greenville Gamecocks excited about Muschamp Story and photo by Kyle Heck | Reporter
J
ust one day after National Signing Day, South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp made his way to the Upstate to recap National Signing Day with the
February 2017
Gamecock fans in Greenville. The event on Feb. 2, was held at the Hilton in downtown Greenville, and started with “Voice of the Gamecocks’ Todd Ellis
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
and Athletics Director Ray Tanner speaking to the crowd. Muschamp then came to the stage and spoke about each recruit before taking several questions from the crowd. Around 150 people came out for the special event as Muschamp was able to break down every single recruit South Carolina signed. “Just continues to show the passion of our Gamecock fans and how much they care about the student-athletes and the future of our program,” Executive Director of the Gamecock Club Patrick McFarland said. “Greenville Gamecocks always turn out, and tonight is no different.” Muschamp talked about how it was important for the Gamecocks to improve their team speed and sign quality players who have great work ethic and determination. As the question-and-answer session was ongoing, one individual in the crowd thanked Muschamp for taking time out of
Spurs & Feathers
his busy schedule to come to the Upstate and talk with the fans there. With that other school in that area, the Gamecock fans there love to see coaches make the trip north for events like the Signing Day special. Muschamp made an appearance in Greenville last year as part of the SpursUp tour, and everyone was extremely impressed with what the head coach had to say then. That’s why they were so excited when they heard Muschamp was going to make another appearance to talk about National Signing Day. “We’re real excited,” said T. Wayne Poole, the Vice President of the Greenville Gamecock Club. “We love him up here. When he came up here and did what he did last year, we were on board. Everyone up here loves him to death.” Gamecock fans in Greenville are looking forward to having Muschamp back for a Spring event in May.
NSD • GREENVILLE | FOOTBALL 13
Photo by Jenny Dilworth
Bentley connection could land another in-state WR Recruiting Roundup by Phil Kornblut | Contributing Writer
of Byrnes will be one of the state’s leading prospects in the 2018 class coming off a season with 61 catches for 800 yards and 7 Phil Kornblut touchdowns. South Contributing Writer Carolina is one of his offers and he’s been friends with Gamecock quarterback Jake Bentley since middle school. It’s Bentley’s presence and the progress the offense made when he became quarterback in the second half of last season that impressed Gregory about the Gamecocks and has him thinking of one day joining his old friend. “They want to keep all the good in-state guys in the state and I’m one of the guys that can help them build up the program,” Gregory said of what he hears from Gamecock recruiter Bobby Bentley. “They are a good school and I’m really looking into them, but I’m open to anything. I feel like they are headed in the right direction.
14
FOOTBALL | PHIL KORNBLUT
They’ve definitely got the talent around and I feel like in a couple of years they are going to do something big.” Gregory is not sure if he’ll attend South Carolina’s junior day later this month. He went to Kentucky in January. He also has offers from N.C. State, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, West Virginia, Marshall and Cincinnati. Gregory said he’d like to make his commitment decision this summer. Georgia Military JC has provided South Carolina with several quality players over the years and the Gamecocks were the first to offer another up-and-comer from Bert Williams’ program in DE Jabari Ellis (6-5 285), who is a product of Lake Marion. “I was extremely happy, more excited,” Ellis said. “This is my first offer. Playing JUCO ball is tough, but now I know I have a place to go. They said they like my speed for a guy my size and I would make a great three technique (defensive lineman). Being from South Carolina, staying home does play a part. It’s definitely something to consider.”
spursandfeathers.com
AS20-1546539-1
W
R Demarcus Gregory
1421 Atlas Road I 776-4466 I www.jeffersmcgill.com I Serving the Midlands for over 50 years
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
February 2017
Ellis said he will get to USC for a practice this spring. He said Miami also is recruiting him hard at the moment. He is on track to graduate in December. As a freshman last season, Ellis recorded 14 tackles with 4 tackles for loss and one sack. DL Kelijah Brown (6-3 310) of Saluda made an unofficial visit to Wake Forest recently and the Demon Deacons stand as his early favorite, though not by a big margin at this point. He also likes USC and Virginia Tech. “It’s like Wake Forest is a 51 and South Carolina is a 50. Virginia Tech is a 45,” he said. “What I like about Wake Forest is they make me feel like I’m honored there. They showed me major love, they made me feel wanted and that means a lot coming from a small town. I want to go somewhere where I’m wanted and I feel like they want me there. It’s a good school surrounded by good people and a good campus. It’s not big but it’s not small either.” Brown went to Wake Forest for a game last season. He also visited South Carolina and East Carolina for games. And he visited Virginia Tech unofficially last month. As for the Gamecocks, Brown said they also are coming at him hard. “They are recruiting me heavy, telling me I’m a priority guy in-state. I play nose guard and they are taking one nose guard and I’m their guy they want. Coach Thompson likes how I fire off the ball, use my hands and the way I stay low.” Brown said he will attend South Carolina next junior day on February 25th. He said he’s also getting interest from Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Penn State, North Carolina and Coastal Carolina. He is graduating early so his decision will come early as well. Brown said he had about 50 tackles and 10 sacks last season.
Lewisville DL Josh Belk, who was expected to carry out a long recruiting battle between Clemson and South Carolina, cut all of that short last month with a commitment to the Tigers. South Carolina also was working him hard and had in him for several visits as well. The Gamecocks are continuing to recruit Belk but at this point those efforts appear fruitless. “They just asked me why and stuff like that,” Belk said, adding he’s 100 percent with his Clemson commitment and his only planned visits are to Clemson for spring practice and the spring game. RB Caleb Johnson of Cordova, TN visited South Carolina last season for the Western Carolina game and met up with running backs coach and recruiter Bobby Bentley. A few weeks later, Johnson said he was given a verbal offer from Bentley, which he hopes will become an official offer when he attends a camp in Columbia the first week of June. Johnson said he liked the looks of the Gamecock offense and can succeed in the I-formation or the spread. The game he at-
February 2017
tended was the one where Rico Dowdle rushed for 226 yards. “If Rico Dowdle can do it, I can do it,” said Johnson, who talked with Bentley about a month ago. Johnson is going to Mississippi State for a junior day on February 18th. He’s also talking with Kentucky, Arkansas and Memphis. Last season Johnson was a semi-finalist for a Mr. Football Award in Tennessee. He rushed for 2,098 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Photo by Jenny Dilworth
McCormick RB Mataeo Durant recently
was in touch with South Carolina but has not received an offer from the Gamecocks. He said Bentley invited him to attend one of the Gamecocks’ spring practices, and he plans to go to one. As for other visits, Durant said he’s going to Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State soon. He visited Wake Forest recently and received an offer from the Demon Deacons, so he is planning to visit again to watch a spring practice. Durant said he routinely communicates with the coaching staffs from Florida State, Indiana, Notre Dame, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State and Tennessee. South Carolina is the first offer for TE Katerian Legrone of Atlanta. “I like the Gamecocks a lot, it’s a very good program,” he said. “They like my versatility with me being able to play wide receiver and tight end.” Legrone visited South Carolina last month. He’s also been to Georgia and Troy. He’s also getting interest from Georgia State. Ridge View DL Damion Daley visited South Carolina a few weeks ago and has spoken with head coach Will Muschamp, defensive line coach Lance Thompson and new offensive line coach Eric Wolford. He said if South Carolina offered, the school would be one of his favorites because it is close to home. His brother, who has been at Georgia Military JC, signed with South Carolina earlier this month. Daley has offers from Cincinnati and Georgia State. He recently visited North Carolina and will visit Wake Forest and Appalachian State. He does not have a favorite as of now. South Carolina offered OL Jerome Carvin (6-5 310) of Cordova, TN.
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
“I was very excited about getting the offer from South Carolina,” he said. “I like that South Carolina is on the rise in the SEC East, and they like how physical I play and they say I can fit great within their offensive line.” Carvin said he might visit for the spring game. He also has offers from Kentucky, Memphis, Missouri and others. He recently visited Kentucky. South Carolina offered OL Nicholas Petit-Frere (6-6 260) of Tampa. Some of
his other offers are from Alabama, Auburn, Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Penn State and Ole Miss. South Carolina also offered DB Gurvan Hall of West Palm Beach, FL and DE Thomas Booker of Baltimore, both of whom have a Clemson offer. DE Tyreke Smith of Cleveland and OL Tramonda Moore (6-6 330) of Independence CC, KS are also in the mix. Punter Joe Doyle of Knoxville committed to Tennessee. He had a walk-on offer from South Carolina.
picked up an offer from Miami. He also has a South Carolina offer. South Carolina target LB Dax Hollifield of Shelby, N.C. received an offer from Florida State. He’s visiting UNC this weekend. DB Kyler McMichael of Dublin, Ga. was offered by Ohio State. He also has a USC offer. DE Xavier Thomas of IMG Academy said he plans to visit USC again soon but has not stated a date.
Spring Valley LB Channing Tindall visited Georgia Saturday and was offered by the Bulldogs. He currently favors South Carolina and will visit for the junior day. Phil Kornblut’s latest “Recruiting Roundup” for Spurs & Feathers. Catch Kornblut every night on SportsTalk and get more of his statewide recruiting news at SportsTalkSC.com and on Twitter at @SportsTalkSC.
DE Stephon Wynn Jr. of IMG Academy
Spurs & Feathers
PHIL KORNBLUT | FOOTBALL 15
Photo by Jenny Dilworth
by starting the first two games, but eventually found himself behind talented freshmen Brandon McIlwain and Jake Bentley. Some players would’ve scoffed at that, but Orth embraced the situation and became the best mentor he could to the younger quarterbacks. “It’s been great,” Orth said of his new business. “Everyone has said that they want to come back. I had a family that said they specifically wanted to train with me because of the way I handled myself at the end of last year. I thought that was really cool to hear and cool to see.” Orth is also training in Greenville, where he currently lives. He will train quarterbacks during the week in the Upstate and will make the trek to Columbia every other weekend. Orth and Cowgill hope to continue to grow QB1 Athletics and make it a business that has a tremendous impact on young quarterbacks and their future. Several former Photo courtesy of QB1 Athletics Gamecocks have a huge impact on Columbia and the surrounding community, and in general student-athlete graduates of the university do a great job of giving back to those that supported them while they were in college. Former Gamecock quarterback Erik Kimrey is the head coach at Hammond and allowed Orth to use the fields at the school to train. “That’s the community that you have when you go to South Carolina,” Orth said. “You become family, and whether you graduated in 2016 or 1986, it doesn’t matter. We’re all family and we’re all Gamecocks. That’s something that is pretty special that most want all that knowledge to go to waste. This throughout my career,” Orth said. “Imuniversities don’t have.” was a good opportunity to do that.” provised a little bit, but it was a really good It took a tremendous amount of work for Orth and Cowgill had been talking since turnout. A lot of kids were here to work Orth to rise from the bottom of the depth the beginning of December about what they hard, and it was just good to bring that chart, but that is one of the reasons there wanted to do, knowledge of aren’t many more qualified to train quarterand starting up the game to backs in the area. Orth knows what it takes a quarterback those young to impress coaches and earn playing time. training busikids.” I thought that I had a lot of knowledge about ness seemed Developing an excellent work ethic durOrth said ing the offseason makes all the difference in he initially quarterbacks playing for coach Spurrier and like the best the world, and that is an important trait for to take. thought about coach Roper. I just learned a lot and felt route young quarterbacks to understand. Both gradugetting into “There were a lot of things that I did coaching after like I didn't want all that knowledge to go ated from throughout my career that helped me be the esteemed graduating but to waste.” ready to play physically,” Orth said. “These University of wasn’t sure if are the drills that I’m giving to the kids. I’m — Perry Orth South Carolina he would be not saying that every single kid I train is going Darla Moore able to handle to be an SEC quarterback, but these drills are School of Business, so they had the tools the schedule that being a college coach going to help them get their game (up) as best and knowledge to kickstart the business. demands. as they possibly can.” So far, the reception has been amazing “I thought that I had a lot of knowledge For more information about QB1 Athletand a lot of people respect what Orth overabout quarterbacks playing for coach (Steve) ics, visit the website or like/follow the busicame during his time at South Carolina. Spurrier and coach (Kurt) Roper,” Orth ness on Facebook and Twitter. Orth began his senior season this past year said. “I just learned a lot and felt like I didn’t
Orth helping young QBs realize dreams Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
P
erry Orth came to South Carolina as a walk-on, but that didn’t stop him from believing that he would one day become the starting quarterback. That was always the primary goal, and it came to fruition for Orth in the fall of 2015. He started eight games that season, and it was the end of an impressive rise from sixthstring walk-on quarterback to starter in the SEC. After recently graduating from the university, Orth has now made it his goal to help others accomplish the same dreams he once had. Orth and best friend David Cowgill recently started QB1 Athletics, a personalized quarterback training business. The first weekend of training for QB1 Athletics was on Jan. 28 and 29 at Hammond School, and it was a major success. The nine-hour slot on Saturday was completely fi lled, as was the seven-hour slot on Sunday. “It was a lot of the same drills that I did
16 FOOTBALL | ORTH
“
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
February 2017
An ode to my first love Column By Langston Moore | Contributing Writer
M
y parents wouldn’t allow me to do it before high school. No dropping me off to go on a date. No late-night phone conversations. “You’re too young” Langston Moore would always be their Contributing Writer reasoning. AlI I knew was I just couldn’t wait to get to high school so I could finally be with my crush. I had been “eyeballing” her from afar since I could remember, and soon I’d have my chance to fall in love … “It’s gonna always be this way …” Listening to Billy Stewart in February is the perfect time to discuss “love.”
We all remember our first little school crush, when we first started to notice that other person on the playground or in the hallways at school. Maybe you’d find yourself daydreaming about whatever young lovers dream about. Possibly something along the lines of, “This is the one … my soulmate, my everything.” Or, “I don’t know how I can ever live without them.” Funny how you know all of this before you turned 13. “I just couldn’t get enough …” — Depeche Mode.
Not being allowed to play football before high school, I would long for the days when I could try out for the team. As the husky kid who was still trying to find his “swag” in middle and elementary school, high school would be my sweet spot. My parents encouraged me to play (date) everything else except football. Not as svelte as the other kids, too big to play sports like soccer and basketball (too much running!), always too big and out of place in those small desks and chairs in class, my first true love welcomed me without any judgment. She would welcome and accept my huskiness. She wouldn’t make me feel bad for not being able to run for miles like other guys. She encouraged me to eat and get bigger. In fact, she had a perfect place for me with the other thick, beefy linemen in training. Unlike basketball with its fouls for too much contact, football allowed me to have as much contact with her as I wanted. Football gave me purpose, direction and discipline, something to be excited about all the time. Daydreaming in class about games. Sneaking to get extra time together alone in a dark room watching film. Late-night/earlye morning training sessions, even though we’d be practicing in a few hours. Football loved me back as much as I loved her, and I couldn’t get enough.
February 2017
“I would do anything for love …” — Meatloaf. Football seemed like something that would last forever, like your first school crush. You could never see yourself without her. How would you make it if it wasn’t in your life? “Who would I be?” you ask. All things I’ve said to myself when I was deep in the throes of being a passionate athlete “in love” with football. Spending every waking moment doing all I could to show my “adoration” for football. Everything I did or didn’t do would be centered around this love. “Love movement.” — A Tribe Called Quest. Waking up at 4 a.m. to workout “for the love.” Working out three times a day when the season is months away “for the love.” Taking extra classes to stay eligible “for the love.” Avoiding other sexy temptations like pizza or hot Krispy-Kreme doughnuts (don’t cheat!!!!) to stay in shape “for the love.” We sacrifice so much for our love, but it’s totally worth it even if you know this love won’t last like a summer-camp crush. Some sports allow their loves to be able to play well into their twilight years. Adult tennis leagues and golf can be played until they read your eulogy. The closest we get to playing football later in life will be the annual Letterman’s flag football game or mock two-hand touch games in the backyard (only if I get to be “all time QB”). But with football, especially playing it, you see this is a young person’s love. One that you do all the little things for, go to all the extremes for, but this love won’t last. I’ve been asked, “When did you know football was over for you?” Well, for one, they asked me not to come back after my sixth NFL season, so that was one sign. But I seriously knew “our” time together as a couple was over when I stopped doing all the little things you do when in love. Like trying to find ways to get extra workouts in. Or allowing myself more excuses to cheat. Becoming more undisciplined with my diet, neglecting to rehab my body, sacrificing what I wanted then instead of what I wanted in the future with my love. My mind may have been saying, “Yeah, we’re in love” but my actions and focus proved otherwise. We became the “old couple” who didn’t grow stronger in love
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
and relied on familiarity (the past) to get us through our days. It was only a matter of time before one of us had to find a new love. “Love is a losing game …” — Amy Winehouse. Like all love stories, they eventually end. Be it through time or just growing apart after so many years together, love can feel like a “losing game.” You chase the passion that you felt when you first met your “sweetheart.” You look to capture that feeling of endearment and bottle it up to have forever, but deep down you know, “It can’t be this way forever.” Sitting on the opposite end of my football love life, I get to watch young lovers (play-
Spurs & Feathers
ers) walk around love struck. It causes me to reminisce on my days in love like it’s some sappy romance movie like the “Notebook.” Witnessing the players doing all the silly little things young lovers do when they get hit by cupid’s arrow. But these “little things” aren’t foolish, they’re necessary to play this game we all love at a high level. Being in love takes a lot of work. Being a football player takes a lot of work. And the work never ends. The moment you start to take the game for granted and dismiss all the ways to show your commitment, love and affection, she will leave. To the one that got away.
LANGSTON MOORE | FOOTBALL
17
SEC champs, current team share similar styles Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter BJ McKie Photo courtesy of USC Athletics
dad’s footsteps as he tries to help lead the Gamecocks to glory. Justin is one of three senior guards on the team who has been around during the tough times and has been a part of the rise of South Carolina basketball. Count Fogler one of the many people who are impressed by what South Carolina is doing this year. “It’s fun to watch a team that plays the game the right way,” Fogler said. “Guards as (good) as anyone in the country. Plays unselfishly, knows what good shots are. Great effort every day. There’s no days off.” Fogler, some of his former players and a lot of other former Gamecocks celebrated Legends Weekend with a reception on Friday and a halft ime ceremony during the Georgia game honoring the 1997 team. The Georgia game was sold out, which is another fitting development as the Gamecocks were used to playing in front of packed crowds at the old Carolina Coliseum. “It’s the way they used to play,” Martin said. “In 1997, they played at the Coliseum and you couldn’t get a seat inside that building when that team played. It’s great that we get to honor them and our guys, the effort that they’ve played with (has) brought back the fans to where those guys can come back and be a part of this in front of 18,000 people.” Martin has long admired Fogler and the way he coached, but didn’t receive the chance
to meet him until he went to coach at Kansas State. “I always respected the heck out of him, but I didn’t know him,” Martin said of Fogler. “I got to know him through (now West Virginia coach Bob) Huggins and he’s the guy that convinced me to come to (South Carolina) at the end of the day.” That has proved to be a monumental decision as Martin has resurrected the Gamecocks’ program and has them poised to make their first NCAA Tournament in nearly 15 years. Fogler admires Martin as well, and is thankful for the opportunity to help honor his former players and what they were able to l accomplish. F “I want to thank coach Tanner (and) coach Martin,” Fogler said. “Coach Martin f is the best in terms of reaching out and ap- b r preciating the past.” The common thread between the two d teams is McKie, and Martin said he’s sure that Justin and the rest of his teammates havep talked about the championship-winning team 20 years ago. They would want nothing i s more than to repeat history. “I don’t know really about the compari- m sons of our team to that team, but I would like to accomplish what they accomplished, c that’s for sure,” Justin McKie said. The three guards for that 1997 team received most of the attention as Larry Davis, BJ McKie and Melvin Watson were terrific in Eddie Fogler | Photo by Allen Sharpe
I
t was 20 years ago when a South Carolina team that featured a player with the last name of McKie shocked the world by sweeping perennial power Kentucky during the season to capture the SEC regular season championship. Fast forward two decades and there’s another South Carolina team with a McKie on its roster battling for first place in the SEC. Coincidence? This year’s Gamecock team
18 BASKETBALL | 1997 SEC CHAMPS
has certainly showed potential to make a lot of noise this spring. Starting on Feb. 3, South Carolina head coach Frank Martin and the Gamecocks honored the 1997 SEC title-winning team and other former players as part of the annual Legends Weekend. It’s very fitting that the 20th anniversary of one of the best teams in school history comes during a time when another Gamecock squad is trying to repeat that same feat. “Celebrate a great team and celebrate all the guys that have come through here,” Martin said of the special weekend. “Like I tell our players all the time, we have a lot of things they didn’t have. They made it better for us. It should be a great weekend.” The 1997 team was led by coach Eddie Fogler, and featured BJ McKie as the star player. BJ’s son, Justin, has followed in his
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
February 2017
Melvin Watson Photo courtesy of USC Athletics
Former coach Eddie Fogler and Sindarius Thornwell, center, watch the 1997 team. Photo by Kyle Heck
leading the Gamecocks’ backcourt. However, Fogler wanted to make sure that some of the frontcourt guys like Ryan Stack, Nate Wilbourne, William Gallman and Bud Johnson received their due credit as well. “The guards were tremendous, but you don’t win championships without good, big people as well,� Fogler said. Fogler also has fond memories of coaching BJ, South Carolina’s all-time leading scorer, and watching his son grow into a man. “When Justin was a little guy and I was coaching his dad, he would call me ‘Fogler
coach,’� Fogler recalled. “So I’ve watched Justin grow up and I occasionally go, ‘Fogler coach’ and he just laughs. It’s pleasing to see Justin’s progression.� Everyone wants to ask the obvious question — what other similarities are there between the 1997 SEC Championship team and this year’s Gamecock team? Well, there may be no better person to answer that question than Fogler himself. “I see toughness, I see grit, I see great coaching and I see a commitment to the defensive end of the court,� Fogler said. “That’s a great formula for success.�
GAMECOCK MARKETPLACE Mac Senn Financial Advisor
SENIOR RATES $22 MONDAY - FRIDAY $34 SATURDAY-SUNDAY-HOLIDAYS Pine Ridge Township • 222 Clubhouse Drive West Columbia, SC 29172 • 803.755.2000 WWW.CHARWOOD.COM Monday-Friday 7am to 6pm Saturday 7am to 4pm Closed Sunday
www.edwardjones.com
The Publick House
February 2017
Family Hair Salon Men’s Haircuts $15 and up
“The best Pimento Burger in town! It melts in your mouth!� – Ed G S&F 7235 St. Andrews Rd. Columbia, SC 29212 MathiasSandwich.com
101 Westpark Blvd. Suite D Columbia, SC 29210 Bus. 803-772-2221 mac.senn@edwardjones.com
Restaurant & Pub
1410 Colonial Life Blvd.
phone 803.781.4002 fax 803.781.4220
In Colonial Village
2307 Devine Street 803-256-2625
www.publick-house.com
Established in 1970
IT’S GREAT TO BE A GAMECOCK! spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
AS14-1546546-1
1997 SEC CHAMPS | BASKETBALL 19
Gamecock basketball surges toward postseason By Kyle Heck | Reporter | Photos by Allen Sharpe
A
s the calendar starts to flip toward March, it signals the start of an important stretch in college basketball. Conference play has been in full swing for well over a month, but March immediately brings one thing to mind — March Madness. Postseason basketball is just a couple of weeks away, and it appears the month of March will be busy for South Carolina. Both the men's and women's teams are in great shape to go dancing in March. The Gamecock women are fighting for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament while the men are fighting for a seed. If the Gamecock men can hold on and avoid a big collapse at the end of the regular season, they will punch a ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years. Here is a breakdown of where each team stands heading toward March and the postseason.
Men's basketball After a loss at Kentucky, the Gamecocks won four straight games to put themselves in a tie at the top of the SEC standings. Then came a four-overtime home loss to Alabama before South Carolina rebounded to take a game on the road at Mississippi State.
South Carolina then endured possibly its toughest loss of the season at home against Arkansas. It was the second straight home loss for the Gamecocks, and after the game head coach Frank Martin didn't mince words when talking about his team and how they need to regroup and refocus. The loss naturally had Gamecock fans thinking back to last season, when South Carolina started the season strong before faltering at the end. It eventually cost the Gamecocks a NCAA Tournament berth, but what fans need to understand is that this year is different. Last season, the Gamecocks were struggling with a poor strength of schedule and the SEC was weak in general. Because of those two things, South Carolina's RPI did not reflect its good overall record (24-8 after the SEC tournament). This year, South Carolina is on track for a similar record, but what is not similar is the strength of schedule. And the SEC in general is better than it was last year. Even counting the loss to Arkansas, the Gamecocks have an RPI of 26 and a strength of schedule that is in the top 40. Around this time last season, the Gamecocks' RPI was bouncing around in the 40s and the strength of schedule was a
20 BASKETBALL | MEN'S & WOMEN'S ROUNDUP
particular block holding down their NCAA hopes. South Carolina has several quality wins this year, including victories over Monmouth, Michigan, Syracuse, Vermont, two wins over Georgia, a win at Tennessee and a win over Florida. At no point last season did South Carolina have that kind of resume. So with three regular-season games remaining, the Gamecocks are not facing a must-win scenario. Of course, Martin knows his team must play better as the postseason approaches.
Women's basketball The South Carolina women are in the midst of yet another impressive season. Sitting on three straight SEC regular-season championships, the Gamecocks are in fantastic shape to make that four in March. As of Feb. 17, South Carolina was tied with Mississippi State for first place in the SEC. The Gamecocks held their conference destiny in their hands, which is the position you always want to be in. South Carolina had its 30-game SEC winning streak snapped by Tennessee in late January, but rebounded to win three consecutive games. Then came a big game at No. 1
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
Connecticut. The Huskies have been the class of women's college basketball for several years, and it would've taken a perfect game to knock off UConn on its home court. Unfortunately for the Gamecocks, that perfect game did not come, and they fell 66-55. It was the Huskies' 100th straight win, but their 66 points scored against South Carolina were a season low. It was just the Gamecocks' third loss of the season, and with a RPI of three they are in great shape to claim a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Earning a No. 1 seed and winning the SEC regular-season and conference tournament championships are the primary goals for right now. The Gamecocks have played an incredibly tough schedule and have an impressive four wins over top-15 teams. That schedule will help them prepare for the NCAA Tournament, and if they can earn a No. 1 seed, it will guarantee that they spend the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament at home. The end of the regular season should be fun to watch, and one extra incentive for South Carolina is that the SEC Tournament will be held nearby in Greenville. The Gamecocks continue to lead the nation in attendance, and Gamecock Nation will surely pack the Upstate for the SEC Tournament. February 2017
The best ever? Enjoy Thornwell while you can Column by Bill Gunter | Contributing Writer
I
n recent weeks on my radio show, “The All New Early Game” on 107.5 The Game, Tim Hill and I have started to debate just what exactly Thornwell is doing this season for South Bill Gunter Carolina basketball. Contributing Writer I have always been a believer that we as fans and media tend to take things for granted as they are happening and do not appreciate greatness or a fantastic individual season until they are in the rearview mirror and we miss an opportunity to enjoy the player and his accomplishments as they are actually happening. Thornwell is having one of, if not the best, single season in Gamecock basketball history. His senior season is so good, in fact, that I have started to ask if he is the best all-time Gamecock basketball player that I have ever seen. Now it should be noted I am 34 years old. I did not see the likes of Kevin Joyce, Alex English or Zam Frederick, so keep that in mind if you have seen them play and instantly start questioning my judgement on Gamecock basketball. Still, the three best players I have seen in my time watching as a fan and covering the team are BJ McKie, Devan Downey and now Thornwell. There have been plenty of other good players — Melvin Watson, Larry Davis, Chuck Eidson, Carlos Powell and Tre Kelley instantly come to mind. Thornwell, however, is likely the best of the bunch. I believe he is likely the most complete
player of the group that includes McKie and Downey. The 6-foot-5 senior has not only led the Gamecocks in scoring and scored big basket after big basket when the Gamecocks need one but he has also been the team’s and potentially the league’s best defender. He is a force on the boards and has led the league in steals. The Gamecocks are poised to have a big season and are on the cusp of making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 13 years. Of course, that could also play into the overall resume of Thornwell when it is time to celebrate his career and look at where he stacks up in regards to all time Gamecock greats. But that time is still a few months away. Enjoy Thornwell while you can. The Lancaster native did something different you don’t see many in-state players do and that is stay in the Palmetto State and attempt to make South Carolina basketball great. It would have been easy for Thornwell to bolt for greener pastures and the opportunity to play for a national name. Instead he trusted in the program that head coach Frank Martin was building and appears to be ready to lead the Gamecocks to the NCAA Tournament. His games this season against Alabama and on the road at Kentucky were games for the ages. Against the Wildcats, Thornwell showed why he should be SEC Player of the Year as he single handily kept the Gamecocks in the game and proved he has NBA qualities to his game. In the loss to the Crimson Tide, Thornwell was magnificent getting to the foul line time after time and hitting nearly every big shot the Gamecocks needed in the dramatic
Photo by Allen Sharpe
four-overtime game. So with two home games remaining, I encourage Gamecock fans to enjoy and embrace Thornwell and what he has become for the Gamecocks. Following the loss to Arkansas, I watched as he took time to pose for pictures and speak to children waiting by the locker room after the game. Maybe that is one thing fans do not see enough of, but Thornwell has not only represented the team well on the court but he continues to do so off the court as well. Make sure you attend Senior Night and honor a player that could have easily turned
down the Gamecocks and sought a higher profile. Instead he elected to come to South Carolina and helped build a program. In my book, that places him among the all-time greats to ever wear a Gamecock uniform, regardless of sport. When it is all said and done, we will then rehash his place in Gamecock lore and whether he is indeed the best player I have ever seen in Columbia. Until then, enjoy the ride and enjoy watching the in-state product carry the Gamecocks through the final few weeks of the regular season and into the postseason.
Charleston Gamecocks enjoy oysters, hoops Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter | Photo courtesy of the Charleston Gamecock Club
F
or the past several years, the Charleston County Gamecock Club has held an oyster roast in downtown Charleston where fans come to eat great food and usually enjoy a basketball game. This year’s roast was on Saturday, Jan. 21, and it was another fantastic event. It was held at the new downtown location of Home Team BBQ, and it attracted a lot of attention. “People in the Lowcountry love their oysters,” Charleston County Gamecock Club President Jen Skoy Krizan noted. The event featured all-you-can-eat oysters, and Home Team BBQ also provided smoked chicken chili for the non-oyster eaters. Even with dreary weather on that Saturday, around 100 people showed up to have a great time with the Charleston Gamecocks. “I was really impressed with this one in February 2017
particular because it was kind of cold, and it had been raining all weekend,” Krizan said. “But the skies were clear for us for most of the day. It started to rain right at the end.” The club auctioned off a signed Frank Martin basketball and four tickets to the men’s basketball game against Alabama. There were some more giveaways, and Assistant Director of the Gamecock Club Hayden Lipham made an appearance as well. Both the South Carolina men’s and women’s basketball teams are in the midst of excellent seasons, and the fan support has been overwhelming. Colonial Life Arena has become the place to be and fans in Charleston wanted to do what they could to cheer on the Gamecocks. “Everyone is really excited,” Krizan said. “It’s really easy to get people together
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
to watch basketball now. In the past, you could always get people together for football, but other sports were a little challenging. For example, Saturday after the oyster roast the majority of the restaurant, even people that didn’t attend our oyster roast, were cheering for the Gamecocks. It sounded like we were a little section of Colonial Life Arena down here in Charleston.” The Charleston Gamecock Club is already looking forward to the upcoming spring meeting, which promises to be a fantastic event. As always, there will be a
Spurs & Feathers
big event in August at the Cotton Dock at Boone Hall Plantation to kick off the football season. For more information about the Charleston Gamecock Club, you can follow them on Twitter or like their page on Facebook.
BILL GUNTER • CHARLESTON GAMECOCK CLUB | BASKETBALL 21
Softball
Photo by Allen Sharpe
Excitement surrounds Gamecock softball team Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
T
he South Carolina softball team has had back-to-back 38-win seasons and NCAA Regional berths, but as the Gamecocks enter this season, they could have their most talented team in recent memory. Sure, the Gamecocks lost the services of All-American Alaynie Page, but the majority of the offense returns as well as every inning pitched from last season. South Carolina also added several talented freshmen and transfers from other schools to round out an extremely talented roster. Of course, playing in the SEC means South Carolina plays one of the toughest schedules in the country, and it will have to battle against several national title contenders in conference play. But head coach Beverly Smith has prepared her team for this moment for several years, and the Gamecocks once again have a difficult nonconference schedule to prepare for conference play. Leading the team are senior pitchers Jessica “Jake” Elliott and Nickie Blue. Last year, the two combined to pitch 390.1 of 396.2 innings played. Blue led the team with a 2.45 ERA while Elliott wasn’t far behind with a 2.77 ERA. The latter had a fantastic debut season for the
22 SOFTBALL | SEASON PREVIEW
Gamecocks after transferring from Chipola College in Florida. “It’s a nice feeling as a coach just because they’re seasoned veterans now,” Smith said of her two pitchers. “There’s just so much to be said for the experience and the wisdom that they have. I’ve already talked to both of them about being able to pass on their mentorship to Cayla Drotar, who’s our freshman.” Drotar enters the fold with a locker full of accolades, including six All-American nods and three Gatorade Player of the Year honors while in high school at Hartsville. As a senior at Hartsville, Drotar went 20-2 on the mound with a 0.42 ERA and
204 strikeouts in 130 innings pitched. At the plate she hit .500 with 10 home runs and 49 RBI. As for some of the newcomers who could contribute right away, Smith is excited about freshman Mackenzie Boesel, who could hit near the top of the lineup. Alyssa VanDerveer, a transfer from Penn State who led the Nittany Lions in home runs and RBI last season, is also expected to make a big impact and is listed as a catcher. Leading the returners is first baseman Kaylea Snaer, who hit .374 last season with six homers and 41 RBI. She also led the entire country in doubles with 27. Kennedy Clark and Kenzi Ma-
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
guire are two players who were very impressive as freshmen last season. For a lot of players, the biggest jump comes between their freshman and sophomore seasons, so those two could have big seasons for the Gamecocks. Along with Snaer, utility players Taylor Williams and Victoria Williams are two other seniors who are expected to lead South Carolina. When you throw in players like Maguire and Clark, the Gamecocks have a great mix of young and experienced talent. “There’s a lot of talent, but I don’t think there’s one superstar on our team,” Smith noted. Smith has talked for several months about how much she likes this particular team, and has raved about the mindset and will to be great. After four consecutive postseason appearances under Smith, the Gamecocks are looking to make that next step and advance deep into the NCAA Tournament. “This season is going to be exciting, and I’m not just saying that from my perspective,” Smith said. “I think I get that feeling from the girls. They’re ready to go.” It should be an exciting spring over at Carolina Softball Stadium. February 2017
Senior duo gives Gamecocks dominant presence on mound
Jessica Elliot Photo by Allen Sharpe
Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
L
ast year, the South Carolina softball team had quite the 1-2 punch on the mound. Juniors Nickie Blue and Jessica “Jake” Elliott were unique, but they both had similar results. Blue racked up 19 wins with a 2.45 ERA while Elliott won 18 games with a 2.77 ERA. Luckily for the Gamecocks, both players returned for the 2017 season, and it has head coach Beverly Smith and her team extremely excited about the future. South Carolina officially opened the season on Feb. 10, and Elliott started the year with a three-hit shutout in a dominating win over Ohio. Neither player was able to pitch much in the fall as they each recovered from injuries, so that made it even more exciting to get back on the field and join their teammates in game action. “I think it’s great,” Blue said. “Jake and I split innings last year, and just knowing that if I wouldn’t be able to get the job done, she would, and vice versa, I think it’s huge leaning on each other. Being able to have that person who’s gone through it with you for one year is phenomenal.” Blue was impressed by what Elliott was
able to do last year in her first season in a Gamecock uniform, but wasn’t surprised. She knew that Elliott pitched against SEC competition at Chipola College before arriving on campus and had a lot of success. “It was basically a sigh of relief knowing that she was here to weather the storm with me,” Blue said. Blue and Elliott were dominating last year, but they had to carry the team when it came to pitching. Both players pitched at least 179 innings and while they were able to put up gaudy numbers, this year ushers in the arrival of a highly-touted freshman from nearby Hartsville that should relieve some of the pressure on the senior duo. Cayla Drotar was a threetime Gatorade Player of the Year at Hartsville High School and was a dominant force on offense and on the mound. She was an early priority and a prize recruit for the Gamecocks. In her first career college start against Presbyterian, Drotar tossed a five-inning shutout, allowing just one hit and one walk with six strikeouts. “That’s what we needed her to do — come in and eat innings and pitch well,” Blue said. Drotar has an extra plus of being able to
learn under two veteran pitchers. It’s an opportunity that not a lot of players have, and it could allow her transition from high school to college to be much easier. Drotar’s presence allows either Blue or Elliott to get a day off during the weekend. That rest is welcomed early in the season, but even more so when the competition heats up during SEC play. “That’s when it becomes a really big factor when we start getting into conference play,” Elliott said. “Not only do we have our conference series, but we have our midweeks and it’s really hard for just two of us to tackle that.” The Gamecocks enter this season with high expectations, and it has a lot to do with how much talent returns on the mound. And
they have talented seniors throughout the lineup “We have a lot of depth,” Elliott said. “That gives us a lot of confidence when we have that depth.”
Any Gamecock .00 Member can get $5 0 5.0 $2 of t ke tic y an off us or more - just show your Gamecock Club Card
BRUNCH BR RUNCH
Sat: 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m | Sun: 10:00 a.m. – Noon Full Bloody Mary Bar REGULAR MENU
Sun – Thurs: 11:15 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. (Bar: 12:00 p.m./till) Fri and Sat: 11:15 a.m. – 12:30 a.m. (Bar: 1:00 p.m./till)
AS20-1546540-1
Full Menu at yesterdayssc.com
February 2017
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
PITCHING | SOFTBALL 23
South Carolina celebrates SEC's first softball champion By Brad Mueller | Contributing writer
T
wenty years ago, South Carolina softball enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in program history after winning the inaugural SEC Championship on the way to a 63-5 record and a berth in the 1997 Women’s College World Series. South Carolina is honoring the 20th anniversary of that team throughout the 2017 season, culminating in reunion festivities the weekend of April 21-23. “The players genuinely liked each other and enjoyed each other’s company,” said former South Carolina head coach Joyce Compton (1987-2010). “I think that really helped as far as what we accomplished. I knew we had really good players going into the season, and the nucleus of the team was seniors. We knew we had a top pitcher, but I think everybody just played to their abilities. You always hope for that, but you’re never sure everybody will.” “We absolutely loved being together,” said Kendra McCutcheon Stout, a sophomore infielder on the ’97 team. “We had many road trips and just had a blast together, on and off the field. We built so many friendships that we continue to have, even after all of these years.” “What made that team fun is that it was a team of ‘gamers,’” added Kim Pietro, a sophomore outfielder on the ’97 team. “We knew how to play the game, and we knew how to win. Nothing really got in our way. You hear a lot about team chemistry, and that’s important, but we were also loaded up with talent.” After starting the season 2-2, the Gamecocks rattled off a NCAA-record 38-game win streak, with 27 of those games played on the road. “I think there was pressure building, but once Tennessee beat us we went on a 23-game win streak to answer that,” Compton said. “That was unbelievable,” All-American pitcher Trinity Johnson said of the streak. “I remember losing the winning streak, and then finishing the rest of the (regular season) without losing again. It was devastating, but at the same time, it took some of the pressure off to keep the winning streak going. It re-lit the fire for us to keep coming back and showed us that we were not invincible.” College softball was dominated by pitching at the time, and South Carolina had the right pieces in place. “Back in 1997, it was really a pitching
and defense dominated game,” Compton said. “Pitching is the name of the game, and we were fortunate. Tennessee and LSU were the next best teams in the league as far as pitching went. The offense wasn’t as big as it is now with all of the changes with the bats and equipment.” The 1997 season was the first year that the SEC sponsored softball as a championship sport, and the Gamecocks were proud to take home the inaugural regular season and tournament titles. “It was huge because nobody else can say that, forever,” Johnson said. “It was a big deal to be able to take that. It’s still such an honor.” “It was a huge deal,” Compton said. “I don’t know how much the kids knew it, but we were playing under pressure from the
Gamecocks surrendered only 37 earned runs in 68 games for a team earned run average of 0.56. “She was under a lot of pressure,” Compton said. “She may not have realized it at the time. When you’re playing all those 1-0 games, the pressure is on the pitcher.” That being said, Johnson wasn’t the only pitcher on the team who helped make the special season possible. “Nikki Beers was a great junk-ball pitcher, and so was Sky Brown,” Pietro said. “Trinity was a great rise ball pitcher. Sometimes those other guys get overlooked, but they had a tremendous impact, as did our catching staff.” With Johnson (34-4, 0.38 ERA), Nikki Beers (15-1, 0.56 ERA), and Sky Brown (14-0, 0.96 ERA) mowing down opposing
time the SEC put softball in the conference because we were the established team. We went into the season with the expectations that we were going to win the conference. You always want to have those expectations. Once the season got going and the players saw that we were a pretty good team, I’m sure they wanted to win everything.” South Carolina’s pitching staff dominated its opponents that year. Johnson would go on to win the Honda Award as the nation’s top player as well as being unanimously selected as the SEC Player of the Year after leading the nation in ERA (0.38) and strikeouts per seven innings (11.5). The
hitters, Compton knew that if the Gamecocks could score one or two runs, they had a great chance to win. “There wasn’t much pressure to get the key hit, because T.J. (Johnson) and Nikki complemented each other quite well,” Compton said. “They just set the tone for the rest of the team. A great pitching staff makes your defense pretty good. T.J. is getting 10 strikeouts per game, and that takes a lot of pressure off the defense where they only have to make 11 plays (outs).” The team was very talented outside the pitching circle as well. Compton said what stood out most to her was the comaraderie
24 SOFTBALL | SEC CHAMPS 20TH ANNIVERSARY
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
among the players. “They were good kids and good players,” Compton said. “The whole senior class could be looked at as leaders. Certainly Kendra (McCutcheon) at shortstop really held the defense together. You had (Kim Pietro) out in centerfield, who did a great job offensively and defensively. You had Tina (Plew) and Chanda (Lee) with speed and defense. They all worked hard and had good attitudes.” “Every player on the team was committed to being ‘in it to win it,’” McCutcheon Stout said. “That was the quote we used all year. It was just a great passionate group of girls to be around.” Lee led the Gamecocks by batting .354 and swiping 31 bases, while Plew was second in hitting (.338) and stolen bases (19). She also led the team with 54 RBI. After winning the SEC Tournament Championship, the Gamecocks hosted the NCAA Regional and posted three straight shutouts over UNC Greensboro (once) and Kansas (twice) to advance to the Women’s College World Series. “I was just so happy for the team,” Compton said. “I think a lot of pressure was taken off at that point. I think the players were really happy for what they accomplished, but of course they were disappointed that we didn’t play well at the World Series. We had beaten both of those teams in the regular season, and then lost to them in the World Series.” South Carolina lost to Washington and Michigan at the WCWS after defeating both of those teams during the 38-game win streak. While she has many memories of that 1997 team, Compton is quick to point out that the history of success isn’t unique to that one team and has carried over even after she retired. “It’s not just the ’97 team,” Compton said. “It’s the culture of Carolina softball, period. Whether it’s the ’97 kids or the 2007 kids or the 2013 kids, it’s all a part of it. Yes, the ’97 team was special, but it’s all part of what South Carolina softball is all about.” Twenty years later, the members of the 1997 team are proud of the special place they have in program history. “Not many teams can say they won 63 games,” Compton said. And no other team can say it was the first SEC Champion.
February 2017
TERRY BISHOP TEAM
#1 RE/MAX agent
in Columbia Former Gamecock Football Player & Letterman
CYPRESS LAKES 6BR, 5BA, 4528 SQ. FT. MLS #410556 $493,700
PRICE IMPROVEMENT
PRICE IMPROVEMENT
DOWNTOWN COLUMBIA 3BR, 3BA, 2200 SQ. FT. MLS#406021 $449,000
FOREST HILLS 4BR, 3BA, 2418 SQ. FT. MLS#411431 $309,900
(803) 665-1442 TerryBishopTeam.com
BAILEY BILL INCENTIVE SHANDON 3BR, 2BA, 1900 SQ. FT. MLS#414324 $249,900
CHESTNUT HILL 4BR, 3.5BA, 2256 SQ. FT. MLS#412587 $229,750
Let us cater your event:
HOME OR AWAY
Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 2 pm!
Pick up our Famous Pimento Cheese and other Gourmet items, or order from our Catering Menu to take home! Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10am-6pm • Sun. 10am-4pm Brunch Served: Sat. and Sun. 10am-2pm AS34-1266227 342 Pickens Street, Columbia • 803.779.0606 • www.dipratos.com February 2017
spursandfeathers.com
Owned O w and operated ope by Bill Bill Muller, USC team tea captain for fo ‘66, ‘67, ‘68 fo Swim Sw Teams.
@SpursFeathers
Since 1972 Si
South Carolina’s Largest and Oldest Pool Builder!
www.aquarianpools.com Spurs & Feathers
AS20-1546542-1
Partner With An Award Winning, Established and Respected South Carolina Swimming Pool Company With Endless Referrals of Satisfied Customers.
AS20-1546541-1
Voted Best Brunch three times by Free Times, Columbia Metropolitan, and The State Newspaper!
AS14-1545271-1
an Dream It.. If You C . We Can Build It!
Delightful. Delicious. DiPrato’s. Brunch at Di Prato’s
DOWNTOWN 2BR, 3.5 BA, 2100 SQ. FT. MLS#404211 $435,000
7433 1/2 Broad River Road Irmo, SC 29063 732-3636 ext 10 or “0” info@aquarianpools.com
25
Photo by Allen Sharpe
Golf
all golf content sponsored by:
Gamecock golf team set for busy spring season Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
I
t will be a busy spring for the South Carolina men’s golf team, but head coach Bill McDonald wouldn’t have it any other way.
After starting the spring season in Texas on Feb. 17, the Gamecocks travel to Aiken for the Palmetto Intercollegiate in
the second event of the spring. That event is the first of three in the Palmetto State that South Carolina will participate in this season. That aspect of the schedule will be nice, but it will be a challenging and busy spring for McDonald and the Gamecocks. “It’s a good mix of different types of golf courses,” McDonald said. “The thing I’m most interested in seeing is how they handle six events for the spring. That’s the most regular- season events we’ve ever played in the spring. Normally we play five. That’s going to be a little bit of a challenge, but it’s a really good schedule.” South Carolina has endured a long break, but the players tried to stay active and keep their touch during the “offseason.” “It seems like all the guys have come back in pretty good form, and we’re just trying to get the rust off,” McDonald said. “A few of them played in some events over the break. I’m always excited about starting the spring.” As always, there’s been a little bit of rust to shake off, but Mother Nature has also helped the Gamecocks. “It’s been a little bit ragged at times, and I’ve seen some good things,” McDonald said of practice. “We’ve had incredible weather overall for a typical winter and I think we’ve been able to get a lot of work in. Sometimes it’s just hard to tell.” Keenan Huskey and Scott Stevens were the leaders of the team in the fall after both
ranked in the top 10 in the country in scoring average. Those two players will hope to keep that momentum up after a long layoff from official competition. “You just hope they don’t put too much pressure on themselves,” McDonald said of the duo. “That was one thing I was impressed with back in the fall was how they handled each week and just played very solid golf.” While Stevens and Huskey were stellar throughout the fall, some of the other golfers struggled a bit with inconsistency. If the Gamecocks hope to accomplish some of their goals this spring, others will have to step up behind Stevens and Huskey. “The two keys to our spring are the development of our freshmen, Caleb Proveaux and Jamie Wilson in particular, and having Will Miles and Ryan Stachler step up and get a little bit more consistent,” McDonald said. “If you look at our team numbers-wise over the fall, if we get that kind of production we’re going to be in fine shape.” McDonald is hoping that his team can get into contention in some tournaments early so that the players can experience what it’s like trying to close out a tournament win. That will be important when the postseason comes around. “Just try to ride that momentum,” McDonald said. “We’ve really got to get some production out of our fourth and fift h players.”
Women's team motivated after strong start Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter
T
he South Carolina women's golf team made quite the statement to begin the spring down in Tallahassee, Florida for the Florida State Match-Up. The Gamecocks led after the first day, and eventually used a program-record 847 (-17) to claim a second place finish at the event. "We didn't come away with the win, but I'm really excited about the way the team started," head coach Kalen Anderson said. "It's a good building point for the spring, and definitely something we can work off of. I'm very pleased with the performance." South Carolina is led by star senior Katelyn Dambaugh, who turned down professional golf to return to the team this spring. However, Anderson has been excited to see the improvement of the other golfers on the team. Freshman Ana Pelaez came into the spring much-improved, and her head coach knew that if she played in a tournament like she had been practicing so far, she could have a special outing. In the first outing of the spring in Florida, Pelaez finished second place in a packed field. "I could definitely see it out of Ana when she got back," Anderson said. "My thought was, 'This girl is going to be in contention
26 GOLF | MEN & WOMEN'S RECAP
Photo by Allen Sharpe
to win a tournament if she settles her mind right.'" Overall, South Carolina had four golfers
finish in the top 10 of the opening event, which shows how special the Gamecocks can be if everyone is clicking at the same time.
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
"If we can keep building on that, we're going to see some really great things late in the spring," Anderson said. The Gamecocks have a couple of events to start the spring before having more than three weeks off from competition in March. It is a long break, but it will allow Anderson and her team to reevaluate where everyone is after the first part of spring and get ready for the home stretch later in the month and into April. "It allows us to kind of see where we are and work on a few things," Anderson said. One thing that Anderson has noticed ever since the spring is that her players want to do whatever it takes to be successful. That seems like an obvious thing for a player to want, but some teams have it and some just don't. For Anderson, she doesn't have to chase her players around and make sure they are doing things right. Instead, the golfers come to the head coach and look for things they can do to improve themselves and the team. "The exciting thing is that we have a core group that is extremely motivated," Anderson said. "I don't have to be on this group at all. They want it, and they're coming to me with ideas. I really haven't had a group that is that excited about getting better and wanting to be the best that they can be." February 2017
Tennis
Gabriel Friedrich
Thomas Mayronne
Gamecock tennis team building confidence
e
Story by Kyle Heck | Reporter | Photos by Allen Sharpe
T
he South Carolina men’s tennis team has gotten off to a strong start to the spring season, and from the outside looking in it would seem that the Gamecocks are clicking on all cylinders. However, head coach Josh Goffi said his team could play a lot better, which is a promising sign to what South Carolina can do later in the spring when SEC play heats up. The guys are still getting adjusted to their games and each other, but with every player returning from last year’s team the Gamecocks are a much more mature group right now. “We haven’t been playing our best tennis, to be very frank about that,” Goffi said. “But I like that because that’s not what we’re focusing on. We’re focusing on just the fundamentals and we’ve been able to execute those fundamentals of quality tennis. It gives that backbone to the team. That’s true confidence.” The Gamecocks have missed out on the NCAA Tournament the past couple of years, and it had a lot to do with tough stretches throughout the middle part of the year. In February 2017
2015, a stretch of five losses in six matches during SEC play hurt South Carolina, but it was able to rebound to win three of the final four contests. Last season, the Gamecocks lost four of five in March and early April before rebounding to win three of the final five regular-season matches. In fact, South Carolina was just one SEC Tournament win away from a bid to the postseason. With a lot of experience returning, South Carolina now understands it has to develop consistency throughout the year. “I think the guys are a very mature group right now,” Goffi said. “Even though we aren’t playing our best tennis, the maturity and the ability to work through certain parts of the match that might get a little bit stressful, they are able to work through those a little bit better than they have in years past.” South Carolina has done what it has needed to do thus far, and now it’s about carrying that momentum into the heart of the schedule. “Coming off the last couple years with
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
the way they’ve gone, the guys have a better understanding of what it’s going to take to be successful,” Goffi said. “They’ve done a good job of understanding what a successful team looks like. It’s not just about the wins. It’s how you go about it through the process.” Junior Gabriel Friedrich has been a steady presence at the top of South Carolina’s lineup, and has already had a huge win this season. Friedrich defeated Old Dominion’s Adam Moundir, a player that was ranked No. 18 in the country at the time. For that effort, Friedrich was named the SEC Player of the Week. “He’s definitely shown big improvement as far as becoming more of a professional or highlevel player in the sense of how he prepares for matches and how he treats each opponent,” Goffi said of Friedrich. “He’s really taken care of his side of the court.” With it still being fairly early in the year, Goffi has been tinkering with his doubles lineup. However, it hasn’t mattered who’s been paired together as the Gamecocks have been
Spurs & Feathers
highly successful during the doubles portion of events so far. With the schedule about to get a lot tougher, Goffi will soon make decisions as to who has earned the right to consistently play with each other. “It’s all about establishing our basics that we’re going to carry throughout the season and then we’ll slowly start dressing it up as we go,” Goffi said. Once SEC play begins, South Carolina will consistently play teams that are ranked in the top 25. That obviously means the players will have to pick up their play on the tennis court, but they are putting in the work to make sure that happens. “I think they get it,” Goffi said of his team. “They’re not panicking that they’re not playing their best tennis. I think our guys are willing to work hard enough. That’s something they do extremely well. They put in the extra time to move their own tennis forward. I think there’s a lot of confidence within the team right now.”
RECAP | TENNIS 27
Gamecocks in Action P h o t o s b y A l l e n S h a r p e a n d J e n n y D ilw o r t h
28 GAMECOCKS IN ACTION
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
February 2017
February 2017
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
GAMECOCKS IN ACTION 29
“
As far as anyone loving the Gamecocks... there’s no one that loves them more” — Rudy Gardner, on Bill Golding
Gamecocks honor superfan Bill Golding by Kyle Heck | Reporter
B
ack in December, Spurs & Feathers featured this headline: “No one loves the Gamecocks more than Bill Gold-
ing.” In that article, one of Bill’s good friends, Rudy Gardner, talked about how much the University of South Carolina meant to Golding. “He’s going to go to the very end,” Gardner said of the well-known Gamecock baseball fan. “He’s always made that clear with everyone that knows him.” Unfortunately, that end came a lot sooner than anyone wanted. Bill Golding passed away on Feb. 10, at the age of 84. His passing came one week before South Carolina baseball’s Opening Day. The Gamecock baseball team and its fans honored Golding prior to its opener Feb. 17. It was because of baseball that Golding became extremely popular as his trademark
30 IN HONOR OF BILL GOLDING
sticker-covered hat and overalls stood out in the crowd. Even more, his “Oot, Oot” chant became a rally cry for Gamecocks everywhere. Bill and Gloria Golding, his wife of more than 50 years, were die-hard Gamecock fans. “As far as anyone loving the Gamecocks more, I don’t think there is a person,” Gardner said. “I’m sure there’s a lot of people that love them as much as he does, but there’s no one that loves them more.
Him and Gloria have been absolutely wonderful over the years. True fans.” Golding served in Korea and Vietnam with the United States military, and for well over three decades has been supporting not only South Carolina baseball, but everything that has to do with the Gamecocks. SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey was familiar with Golding from his frequent appearances at SEC baseball tournaments, and after learning of his pass-
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
Spurs & Feathers
ing tweeted, “Bill was an annual SEC baseball tournament fixture. We’ll miss him!” Several current and former South Carolina baseball players tweeted their condolences as well as the official SEC twitter account. Even Clemson head coach Monte Lee took time to remember the legendary Carolina fan. Golding’s impact was great in and around South Carolina sports and he will truly be missed. Baseball games just won’t be the same without that hard hat and famous chant. “He’s all heart,” Gardner said of Golding back in December. “Everything he’s got inside him, he gives it to the University, and it’s just absolutely amazing to me. My family, we’re big Gamecock fans, but I have to be honest with you, Bill takes it to a level I didn’t even know existed. He’s a very special person.” RIP to a very special Gamecock fan. February 2017
Martin making SC a basketball school again Column by Ed Girardeau | Contributing writer
I
went to my first South Carolina basketball game in 1970. I'm not sure which one was first, but suffice it to say I was there the night of the Maryland game that year at the Ed Girardeau Carolina Coliseum Contributing Writer and those events are etched in my memory. Not just the events of that one game, but the electricity of the place. The crowd and the excitement radiated throughout. Nobody sat down and it was like that for every game. The years prior to 196970 had built that atmosphere. The Coliseum was new and people camped out for tickets. Why? Carolina had three winning seasons in the years before, not only overall but in the ACC as well. By the time I entered college in the fall of 1978, South Carolina basketball had 11 straight winning seasons. They were no longer in the ACC but had five straight conference winning seasons before leaving the conference after the 1971 season. The Gamecocks would have four winning seasons while I was in college to run the streak to 15 straight. It is no wonder I was under the illusion that we were a basketball school and one of the best in the nation. Coach Frank McGuire retired after the 1981-82 season and we had our pick of any coach in the nation for all practical purposes. We chose Duke head coach Bill Foster. Duke, in turn, hired Mike Krzyzewski, while Georgia Tech hired Bobby Cremins. Interesting how all of that turned out. For better, or in this case for worse, South Carolina went into decline. After a couple of good seasons under Foster, South Carolina joined the Metro Conference. The Gamecocks had one winning season in conference play in the Metro, that being 1988-89 under George Felton (8-4). In 1992, Carolina joined the SEC. It wasn't until the 1996-97 season that the Gamecocks had a winning record in the conference. Eddie Fogler led South Carolina to its lone regularseason conference championship with a 15-1 February 2017
record. They followed that up with an 11-5 season the following year. What followed can only be described as the mediocre years. Not once under Dave Odom did South Carolina have a winning record in SEC play. He won a couple of NIT tournaments, which was nice, especially the first one. The second one was a team that beat eventual national champion Florida twice in the regular season and lost at the buzzer to the Gators in the SEC Championship, but unfortunately went 6-10 in the SEC and didn't get to play in the NCAA tournament. USC waltzed through the NIT and only had themselves to blame for not being in the NCAA. Darrin Horn managed to have a winning
season in his first year, leading the Gamecocks to 10-6 in the SEC. Since joining the SEC, South Carolina had only three winning seasons in the conference until last year, when Frank Martin's team went 11-7 The men's basketball team hasn't won a conference tournament since 1971, hasn't won a NCAA tournament game since 1973 and has only five winning seasons in the two con-
spursandfeathers.com
@SpursFeathers
True, Sindarius Thornwell is a senior and far and away the best player on the team. Sin should win SEC Player of the Year and time will tell if that comes to pass. He has senior help. Duane Notice is one of the best defensive players in the country and Justin McKie has gotten better as the sixth man. The underclassmen are good and will get better. There's a reason that pro scouts come to see PJ Dozier. He shows signs of being great, and with some consistency in his offense he will get there. Chris Silva plays with great enthusiasm and toughness, but his discipline is lacking. South Carolina is a much better team with him on the court and most of his fouls come after he's missed a shot or made a bad play and he tries to make up for it. He Photo by Jenny Dilworth wants to be good and he'll get there. The freshmen are, well, freshmen. They are inconsistent, but show signs of greatness. Maik Kotsar will be very good. He has good ball handling skills for a big man. He can dribble and pass and, over time, he'll get much better offensively. Rakym Felder has shown flashes. So has Hassani Gravett. Given time, both will be good players. The rest of the bench has a ways to go, but some good ones will emerge along with the recruits to come. This team will certainly win a few more games and play in the NCAA tournament. It would be great to win the SEC regular season, much less the SEC tournament. But winning a game in the NCAA tournament should be the goal. It would mean wonders for the program and be something that hasn't been done in 44 years. Obviously, you want to be as highly seeded as possible, but we've been seeded as high as No. 2 and No. 3 in the past and that didn't work out. I contend that seeding doesn't matter. Just get in and fight and claw for the seasons before the great team of 1969-70, win against whomever the opponent turns which won the regular season by going 14-0 out to be. in the ACC. After that, we'll worry about winning Martin's group has secured their second a second one. The program wasn't built in winning season in a row for the first time a couple of seasons in the 1960s, but the in 19 years and is challenging for the SEC groundwork was laid over time and the same regular-season championship. This team has applies now. some good players but the future will only get It's a great day to be a Gamecock! better. ferences since leaving the ACC. Five winning seasons in 46 years. I share this not to put down the basketball program. All of this was a revelation to me once I started studying it. I have a feeling that there are still a few people, like me, that were under the illusion that South Carolina is a basketball school. Once upon a time we were, and the good news is there is a distinct possibility that it will happen again. It hasn't been easy, but Frank Martin has laid the ground work for not just a flash in the pan, but a run of winning seasons like we haven't seen since the early-80s. McGuire had two losing seasons while building his program in the '60s. It took three winning
Spurs & Feathers
ED GIRARDEAU | BASKETBALL 31
AS14-1540583-1