I remember the flying hair and that deadly jump shot.
Best player USC ever faced in B-Ball....
- Thread starter FWB4294
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Poor Jeff Rolston. 7ft1in tall with a 2 inch vertical leap. He’s the only 7+ footer I’ve ever seen that could barely dunk.
If not Shaq, I'd say Allan Houston of UT, who went on to have a solid NBA career with the Pistons and Knicks. I think he scored 37 against us.
Don't think we ever played him, but Pete Maravich was the most prolific scorer I ever saw.
Baskerville Holmes from Memphis State may not have been the best player, but he makes my all-name team!
2 years ago JJ Frazier had our # and just seemed to hit one big shot after another on us
USCBatgirl21
Well-Known Member
I was standing on the baseline before the game during warmups. Shaq came and stood next to me. I had to crane my kneck just to make eye contact. We chatted for a bit. Truly a really nice guy. He'll always be one of my favorites.
he was a scoring machine, but never beat us 0-2......1st game vs. us n sugar bowl he hit like a doz. straight but they double teamed roche & riker dropped 36 on em.,,,,,,next yr @ their place took another W home when both were ranked in top 5???
https://espntheundefeated.files.wor...8741846.jpg?w=485&h=700&quality=70&strip=info
The point I made originally was simple. Roche owned Scott. Scott never played particularly well against South Carolina. Overall his teams were 2-4 against SC. In the North South tournament in Roche's sophomore year, he covered Roche and Roche covered Scott. Scott couldn't handle Roche. They eventually tried everybody they had to try to stop Roche. 3 players fouled out trying to stop him. I originally said Roche scored 36. I was wrong he scored 38. In Roche's junior year, (Scott's senior year) We beat UNC double digits both times we played them and Roche outplayed Scott and it wasn't even close. I know you said he didn't have much around him that year, but the roster for UNC was pretty much the same one that won the regular season title the next year.
Plenty of great players at UNC had great games against SC. Larry Miller (the star at UNC in Scott's sophomore year, the player most responsible for getting UNC to the final four), Bob McAdoo and Rusty Clark all had great games against us over the years. Charlie Scott, not so much.
I worked at the Marriott front desk in those days. I remember he came and put his hand on the counter and it stretched all the way across. Then I had to get something for him out of the bell closet and I stood next to him. His hips were at my shoulders. And, yes, he had about a 4-girl posse with him. Gotta love the early 90s.
I saw Curry play several times. Similar to another observation, Curry didn't do anything flashy, didn't seem to force any shots, really didn't seem to be taking that many shots and passed the ball really well. At the end of the game you think, "he's pretty good, but not great", and then you see in the box score he had 34 points, 12 assists and 6 rebounds. He was sneaky that way.
But, without a doubt, the most dominant performances were by Shaq...Although I seem to recall a couple of Kentucky players that we couldn't stop and scored at will on us...
True story about an Allan Houston game in Columbia. Not that UT was great, but Houston was a star...and we were awful. There couldn't have been more than 2500 in the arena. Since the place was empty, most of the students moved down near the court.
Not only were the seats empty, press row was pretty much a ghost town. At half, the few media in attendance exited for a break and the sports information department interns distributed stat sheets. I decided to pick one up.
As I got to the table, a phone on press row began to ring. (old timey press-button phone, no cells). I answered, and it was an ESPN intern calling for some stats and score for the game, presumably to run on their college basketball scoreboard.
I got creative: "You won't believe what just happened. Allan Houston was going in for a breakaway dunk, and Edmond Wilson came in out of control and undercut Houston. No doubt, Houston is injured. You could hear his leg snap around this empty arena. The benches cleared, a huge brawl broke out, and the officials kicked most of the teams out. They are playing 4 on 3 the rest of the way."
I felt guilty, told him the truth, and sat back down.
Not only were the seats empty, press row was pretty much a ghost town. At half, the few media in attendance exited for a break and the sports information department interns distributed stat sheets. I decided to pick one up.
As I got to the table, a phone on press row began to ring. (old timey press-button phone, no cells). I answered, and it was an ESPN intern calling for some stats and score for the game, presumably to run on their college basketball scoreboard.
I got creative: "You won't believe what just happened. Allan Houston was going in for a breakaway dunk, and Edmond Wilson came in out of control and undercut Houston. No doubt, Houston is injured. You could hear his leg snap around this empty arena. The benches cleared, a huge brawl broke out, and the officials kicked most of the teams out. They are playing 4 on 3 the rest of the way."
I felt guilty, told him the truth, and sat back down.
I love the way he has used that great, open personality and smile of his to become one of the most successful pitchmen among all the ex-athletes. And add to that he has a PhD in education and you have to be impressed.
Doesn't detract one iota from the caliber player he was, unless you intend to say that the fact we had competitive success against him means he really wasn't a great player. Is that the route you want to take? You can't do that without diminishing our people. UNC's team around Scott during Scott's senior year was way below standard for them. Beating them twice that year by double digits was no great accomplishment considering the team we had that year, which still underachieved in postseason.
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Nerdy dude with the glasses? He owned alot of people if that is the guy.
Won that Sugar Bowl Classic in New Orleans in O.T. Like you said, they double-teamed J.R., but Riker made 'em pay. When it got into O.T., Roche killed 'em from the foul line!!
I think Shaq had double digit blocks in that game. He averaged over 5 per game on the year.
Sadly (I guess), we did not face Thompson. We left before he was on the Pack roster.
Our first year out, 1971-72, we played only Clemron in the regular season, and the Tar Holes whipped us on the dance floor (McAdoo was on their roster that year). We did not face the Holes again until 1990. 18 years!
We dropped the Taters after the 1971-72 season, and did not play a single ACC school until 1977-78, when we added back Clemron, and played NCSU in the NIT. David Thompson's career at NCSU was between those dates.
Since leaving the ACC, the only schools who were league members at the time of our departure with whom we've played regular season home-and-homes, are Clemron (of course), NC State around 2003-2004 (good going, Dave Odom!
), Maryland in the early 80s when Bob Wade was coach, and the series with UVA which begins next year. We've played Wake only once, an NIT matchup in 1983, and Dook twice - in Hawaii in the early 2000s and last year. We've played the Pack, Holes, Cavs, and Terps a few additional times in regular and post season "tournaments" over the years, but always at a neutral site. And still, the Taters can't win in Chapel Hole (blue hell for them)!It was so frustrating back then watching exciting ACC basketball and us no longer being a part of it. What a dumb move by Dietzel getting us out. Of course, today's ACC is but a watered-down remnant of it's former self.
Sadly (I guess), we did not face Thompson. We left before he was on the Pack roster.
Our first year out, 1971-72, we played only Clemron in the regular season, and the Tar Holes whipped us on the dance floor (McAdoo was on their roster that year). We did not face the Holes again until 1990. 18 years!
We dropped the Taters after the 1971-72 season, and did not play a single ACC school until 1977-78, when we added back Clemron, and played NCSU in the NIT. David Thompson's career at NCSU was between those dates.
Since leaving the ACC, the only schools who were league members at the time of our departure with whom we've played regular season home-and-homes, are Clemron (of course), NC State around 2003-2004 (good going, Dave Odom!
It was so frustrating back then watching exciting ACC basketball and us no longer being a part of it. What a dumb move by Dietzel getting us out. Of course, today's ACC is but a watered-down remnant of it's former self.
We actually did play against David Thompson. Our freshman team vs. N.C. State's freshman team. They beat us, but Tommy Cox scored around 48 points against them.
This is the last I'm posting in reply, but UNC finished second in the conference behind us, Scott's senior year. The same roster minus Scott, replaced by George Karl won the regular season won the ACC the next year. So was George Karl the difference maker?
Of the performances from guards that played against us, Charlie Scott wouldn't make the top twenty.
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I did not know this. It was our first year out of the ACC. Interesting that the Pack would schedule freshman, but not varsity.
Brian Adrian went crazy and led Davidson in upset of Roach and company in Columbia I think '71 or '72
I still think it is Shaq but Mashburn killed us every time.
Anyone remember Larry Kenon from Memphis who killed our chances of tournament play in 72 or 73...he was about 6'9" and did not miss if I remember correctly...I wish I could remember stuff from my job from earlier in the day...like I can remember sports trivia...
