B
Brian Shoemaker
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Gamecock Nation Today
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Good morning and Happy Wednesday!
Softball. The Gamecocks are at home today to play a doubleheader against Bryant. The first game is set to begin at noon. You can watch on SECN+.
Baseball. Celebrate St. Pat's on Sunday at Founders Park. A "Luck of the Gamecocks" green t-shirt featuring Cocky will be given to the first 300 fans and the first 200 students.
Do you have something exciting you'd like to have mentioned in this newsletter? Go here and tell us about it -- or email us.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
Chris Silva, A.J. Lawson/Credit: Katie Dugan
1. MBB: What are the Gamecocks chances of making the Dance? ❔❓
In Tuesday's edition of Gamecock Nation Today, Chris Clark detailed some of the reasons that South Carolina's men's basketball team should be on the bubble for this month's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Today, we use our friends at TeamRankings.com again to determine the Gamecocks actual chances of making the Big Dance.
As a reminder, in their own words, TeamRankings simulates the entire college basketball season every single day in order to deliver intelligent, up-to-date, algorithmically derived odds for thousands of future college basketball outcomes and thus the percentages of each team to make the tournament.
The site gives the Gamecocks an 8.4 percent chance of making the tournament currently. Let's look at the possible scenarios for the rest of the season and how it changes the numbers.
The possibility of the Gamecocks getting freshman guard A.J. Lawson back for the SEC Tournament appears to be on the rise. Head coach Frank Martin gave the latest on Tuesday on his SEC All-Freshman standout, who is still rehabbing the sprained ankle he suffered against Alabama.
Barnes: Gamecocks are a 'NCAA-worthy team' – USC starts an important stretch of the season this week, needing a strong conference tournament to elevate itself into the bubble conversation before Selection Sunday. But to some SEC coaches, the Gamecocks have already done enough to work their way into a tournament spot. (subscription)
– Wes Mitchell (email)
Daniel Lloyd/Credit: Montez Aiken
2. Baseball wins by a run
Credit: South Carolina Athletics
3. New and notes
Beach Volleyball: We Are ... USC – South Carolina added an impressive win to its resume on Tuesday, taking down No. 2 Southern Cal and Florida Gulf Coast as part of the Georgia State Day of Duals event. The Gamecocks are just the third team from the east region to ever defeat the Trojans, and it's the highest-ranked opponent South Carolina has ever beaten. (link)
Baseball: Whit Merrifield’s roots explain his unyielding path to stardom – An in-depth feature from The Kansas City Star about current Kansas City Royal and former South Carolina Gamecock Whit Merrifield. (link)
Softball: NCAA Softball Instagram takeover. South Carolina softball will take over the NCAA Softball Instagram account today - all day before, during and after the Bryant doubleheader - to give fans a look into game day for the Gamecocks.
Baseball podcast with Kip Bouknight: Bulldogs and more Bulldogs this weekend – Gamecock great Kip Bouknight discusses this week's matchups with The Citadel and Georgia. (link)
Football Discussion: Biggest surprise, biggest concern? – After two weeks of practice, South Carolina football is now on spring break, but that gives us plenty of time to break down some of the storylines from the first five practices of the year. (subscription)
Football: USC hires firm to conduct fan survey for Williams-Brice Stadium planning – USC is partnering with Legends to conduct a comprehensive study of Williams-Brice Stadium with a focus on enhancing the fan experience. Fans will be receiving a survey via email starting March 14. (link)
Football Recruiting: The Insider Report – Gamecock Central's Chris Clark gives the latest on offensive line recruiting, and why May could be a significant month for that. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Will South Carolina land 4-star athlete Cartavious Bigsby? – Rivals experts update the recruitment of one of the Gamecocks' top 2020 targets and discuss if they will be able to land his commitment with stiff SEC competition. (subscription)
Men's Golf: Gamecocks run away with title – South Carolina won the 2019 Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate by a 35-shot margin. It was a new school and tournament record 813 (-27). USC's Will Miles earned his first collegiate win. (link)
Swimming & Diving: USC continues Zone B Diving Championships – Divers Anton Down-Jenkins (3-meter) and Mikaela Lujan (1-meter) each finished inside the top six of their respective events on the second night of the Zone B Diving Championships to qualify for the NCAA Championships. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: P.J. Hall updates recruitment after visit – South Carolina hosted one of the top players in the 2020 class last weekend in P.J. Hall, and it was his first chance to see how the Gamecocks go about their game day preparations. (subscription)
Track & Field: Go turn by turn with the national champions – Stephanie Davis, Aliyah Abrams, Tatyana Mills and Wadeline Jonathas won the women's 4x400m national championship at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The quartet offers their first-person accounts on what it took to be No. 1. (link)
Women's Tennis: Gamecocks climb two spots in poll – Women's Tennis is ranked No. 7 in the newest Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) poll, which was released Tuesday. (link)
– Jackson Fields (email)
Credit: South Carolina Athletics
4. Plan your schedule accordingly ⚾
Wednesday, March 13
• All day – Swimming & Diving, NCAA Zone B Diving Championships (Auburn)
• 12 pm & 2:30 pm – Softball hosts Bryant, doubleheader, SECN+
Thursday, March 14
• All day – Swimming & Diving, CSCAA National Invitational (Cleveland)
• 7:30 pm – Men's Basketball, Frank Martin speaks with the media (Nashville)
Friday, March 15
• All day – Swimming & Diving, CSCAA National Invitational (Cleveland)
• All day – Track & Field, Black and Gold Invitational (Orlando)
• 3:30 – Men's Basketball, SEC Tournament (Nashville), ESPN
• 5 pm – Women's Tennis hosts Tennessee, YouTube
• 5 pm – Men's Tennis at Tennessee
• 7 pm – Softball at Arkansas
• 7 pm – Baseball hosts Georgia, SECN+
– Jackson Fields (email)
5. This Date in Gamecock History
March 13, 1971 – The Gamecocks closed out their ACC era in basketball with a classic, winning the ACC Tournament with a 52-51 win over North Carolina. With 20 seconds left USC trailed by one and faced a challenging jump-ball situation with 6-foot-3 Kevin Joyce going up against 6-foot-10 Tar Heel Lee Dedmon. Joyce shocked everyone by outjumping Dedmon, tipping the ball to Tom Owens, who sank a layup with four seconds left for the win. There were multiple heroes in the game. All-American John Roche led USC with 18 points and was named co-player of the tournament, Owens had 14 points and 19 rebounds, and John Ribock had two free throws and two rebounds in the final 45 seconds.
March 13, 2001 – Michael Floyd became just the fourth player in USC history to hit for the cycle, as the Gamecocks battered Davidson, 19-1. Floyd homered, drove in three and walked to go along with his four hits. Chris Plummer homered twice and had a double, with Tim Whittaker and Yaron Peters also hitting home runs in the slugfest. Starter Tommy MacLane picked up his first win of the year as seven USC pitchers gave up just one run on two hits.
– John Parker (gamecockarchives.com)
6. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
• March 13 – SEC MBB Tourney (today)
• March 21 – Football: Pro Timing Day (8 days)
• March 22 – Muschamp Coaches Clinic (9)
• April 6 – Football: Spring game (24)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (43)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (56)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (69)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (124)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (171)
7. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Gamecock Central birthdays
• @Section4Row6 (Member since 2001)
If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or subscription - you can add your birthday here.
Gamecock Nation birthdays
• Mike Durrah – Durrah selected South Carolina over Clemson and Georgia. He was a backup linebacker in 1980 as a true freshman. Durrah started some in 1981 and was third on the team in tackles, while he finished fifth on the team in tackles in 1982. As the starting middle linebacker in 1983, he led the team in tackles with a whopping 179. He was fifth on the squad in tackles for loss. Durrah was one of the stars of the 38-14 win over Southern Cal, recording 14 tackles, two sacks, forcing a fumble and breaking up two passes. Sports Illustrated named him National Defensive Player of the Week for that effort. Durrah, a captain on the 1983 squad, was named All-South Independent and honorable mention All-America by The Associated Press at year end.
• Mike Gustavson (men's soccer/goalkeeper, 2005-06)
• Brandon Murray (baseball/pitcher, 2015-17)
• Zach Reeves (baseball/pitcher, 2003-04)
• Bob Roe (football/defensive end, 1970-73)
• Carlos Spikes (football/wide receiver, 1997-01)
– John Parker (gamecockarchives.com)
8. Around Gamecock Nation
• March 14 – Anderson County Gamecock Club meeting ***
• March 27 – Greenville, President's Reception (link)
• April 10 – Give 4 Garnet (link)
• April 23 – Augusta, Spurs Up Tour
• April 24 – Midlands, Spurs Up Tour
• April 29 – Lancaster, Spurs Up Tour
• April 30 – Greenville, Spurs Up Tour
• May 2 – York, Spurs Up Tour
• May 7 – Sumter, Spurs Up Tour
• May 8 – Myrtle Beach, Spurs Up Tour
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
*** The Anderson County Gamecock Club has a meeting this Thursday and Gamecock Central's Wes Mitchell will be the guest speaker. It'll be held at the Earle Street Bar & Grill. Admission is free. A cash bar and food menu will be available. Doors open at 6 and the program begins at 6:30.
Note: Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including specific locations and ticket prices, will be announced as it becomes available.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
Reminder: You get to choose which breaking news alerts and newsletters to receive from Gamecock Central.
Celebrating 20 years! Established in 1998, Gamecock Central provides in-depth and insider coverage of Gamecock sports and recruiting, and is home to The Insiders Forum. Not a member of Gamecock Central? Subscribe here. Read what our members think about Gamecock Central.
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecock Nation Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Just go to this link to enter your email address.
---------------------------------------
Gamecock Nation Today
Wednesday, March 13, 2019
Good morning and Happy Wednesday!
Softball. The Gamecocks are at home today to play a doubleheader against Bryant. The first game is set to begin at noon. You can watch on SECN+.
Baseball. Celebrate St. Pat's on Sunday at Founders Park. A "Luck of the Gamecocks" green t-shirt featuring Cocky will be given to the first 300 fans and the first 200 students.
Do you have something exciting you'd like to have mentioned in this newsletter? Go here and tell us about it -- or email us.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
Chris Silva, A.J. Lawson/Credit: Katie Dugan
1. MBB: What are the Gamecocks chances of making the Dance? ❔❓
In Tuesday's edition of Gamecock Nation Today, Chris Clark detailed some of the reasons that South Carolina's men's basketball team should be on the bubble for this month's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
Today, we use our friends at TeamRankings.com again to determine the Gamecocks actual chances of making the Big Dance.
As a reminder, in their own words, TeamRankings simulates the entire college basketball season every single day in order to deliver intelligent, up-to-date, algorithmically derived odds for thousands of future college basketball outcomes and thus the percentages of each team to make the tournament.
The site gives the Gamecocks an 8.4 percent chance of making the tournament currently. Let's look at the possible scenarios for the rest of the season and how it changes the numbers.
- As the 4-seed in the SEC Tournament, South Carolina will play Auburn (5), Missouri (12) or Georgia (13) on Friday with tipoff coming at approximately 3:20 p.m., depending on the length of the game before it. Given the way those three teams have played, Auburn is by far the most likely opponent.
- A win would set up a matchup with LSU, Florida or Arkansas on Saturday at 1 p.m. Should the Gamecocks face LSU, that would give them another opportunity for a marque win, as the Tigers are currently 14th in the NET rankings and the top seed in the SEC Tournament.
- Sunday's championship game is scheduled for 1 p.m. on ESPN. The simplest and only way for the Gamecocks to guarantee a spot in the tournament is to win three straight games and take home the SEC Tournament crown, thus locking up an automatic bid and a 100 percent chance of making the NCAA Tournament.
The possibility of the Gamecocks getting freshman guard A.J. Lawson back for the SEC Tournament appears to be on the rise. Head coach Frank Martin gave the latest on Tuesday on his SEC All-Freshman standout, who is still rehabbing the sprained ankle he suffered against Alabama.
- On Tuesday, Lawson did some running with the team. On Wednesday, he'll add more team drills to his regimen. Then on Thursday, they'll turn him loose for a full practice and see how the ankle responds. They'll make a decision following that workout.
- Lawson didn't play Saturday against Georgia, but Martin said earlier this week that the freshman could have likely played in an emergency situation.
- In Lawson's words: "I feel like I've been healing very quickly. I feel like I'm getting better day by day and I'm just thankful. I'm just trying to get on the court as much as I can and do more things. Right now I’m just taking it day-by-day and getting better and better. When I get on the court I want to show my best and be 100 percent to help my team out."
Barnes: Gamecocks are a 'NCAA-worthy team' – USC starts an important stretch of the season this week, needing a strong conference tournament to elevate itself into the bubble conversation before Selection Sunday. But to some SEC coaches, the Gamecocks have already done enough to work their way into a tournament spot. (subscription)
– Wes Mitchell (email)
Daniel Lloyd/Credit: Montez Aiken
2. Baseball wins by a run
- Luke Berryhill drove in four runs and Gage Hinson shut the door as the Gamecocks held on to beat The Citadel, 10-9, on the road Tuesday.
- After jumping out to a 9-1 score, Gamecock pitchers struggled to maintain the lead with five bullpen pitchers combining to give up eight runs on 12 hits and four walked batters.
- They'd pitch out of trouble all-night but it was Gage Hinson who was able to settle things down late with Hinson coming in and shutting the door with a four-out save.
- In his first start, Daniel Lloyd went 2.1 innings on a pitch count, giving up one run on three hits and a walk while striking out three batters. In his first-career start, Lloyd earns his second win.
- The Gamecocks improved to 14-3 on the year, including 2-0 on the road.
- South Carolina starts SEC play Friday, hosting Georgia in a three-game series. No starter has been named yet. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. on the SEC Network Plus+.
- Also see: South Carolina-The Citadel photo gallery
Credit: South Carolina Athletics
3. New and notes
Beach Volleyball: We Are ... USC – South Carolina added an impressive win to its resume on Tuesday, taking down No. 2 Southern Cal and Florida Gulf Coast as part of the Georgia State Day of Duals event. The Gamecocks are just the third team from the east region to ever defeat the Trojans, and it's the highest-ranked opponent South Carolina has ever beaten. (link)
Baseball: Whit Merrifield’s roots explain his unyielding path to stardom – An in-depth feature from The Kansas City Star about current Kansas City Royal and former South Carolina Gamecock Whit Merrifield. (link)
Softball: NCAA Softball Instagram takeover. South Carolina softball will take over the NCAA Softball Instagram account today - all day before, during and after the Bryant doubleheader - to give fans a look into game day for the Gamecocks.
Baseball podcast with Kip Bouknight: Bulldogs and more Bulldogs this weekend – Gamecock great Kip Bouknight discusses this week's matchups with The Citadel and Georgia. (link)
Football Discussion: Biggest surprise, biggest concern? – After two weeks of practice, South Carolina football is now on spring break, but that gives us plenty of time to break down some of the storylines from the first five practices of the year. (subscription)
Football: USC hires firm to conduct fan survey for Williams-Brice Stadium planning – USC is partnering with Legends to conduct a comprehensive study of Williams-Brice Stadium with a focus on enhancing the fan experience. Fans will be receiving a survey via email starting March 14. (link)
Football Recruiting: The Insider Report – Gamecock Central's Chris Clark gives the latest on offensive line recruiting, and why May could be a significant month for that. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Will South Carolina land 4-star athlete Cartavious Bigsby? – Rivals experts update the recruitment of one of the Gamecocks' top 2020 targets and discuss if they will be able to land his commitment with stiff SEC competition. (subscription)
Men's Golf: Gamecocks run away with title – South Carolina won the 2019 Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate by a 35-shot margin. It was a new school and tournament record 813 (-27). USC's Will Miles earned his first collegiate win. (link)
Swimming & Diving: USC continues Zone B Diving Championships – Divers Anton Down-Jenkins (3-meter) and Mikaela Lujan (1-meter) each finished inside the top six of their respective events on the second night of the Zone B Diving Championships to qualify for the NCAA Championships. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: P.J. Hall updates recruitment after visit – South Carolina hosted one of the top players in the 2020 class last weekend in P.J. Hall, and it was his first chance to see how the Gamecocks go about their game day preparations. (subscription)
Track & Field: Go turn by turn with the national champions – Stephanie Davis, Aliyah Abrams, Tatyana Mills and Wadeline Jonathas won the women's 4x400m national championship at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. The quartet offers their first-person accounts on what it took to be No. 1. (link)
Women's Tennis: Gamecocks climb two spots in poll – Women's Tennis is ranked No. 7 in the newest Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) poll, which was released Tuesday. (link)
– Jackson Fields (email)
Credit: South Carolina Athletics
4. Plan your schedule accordingly ⚾
Wednesday, March 13
• All day – Swimming & Diving, NCAA Zone B Diving Championships (Auburn)
• 12 pm & 2:30 pm – Softball hosts Bryant, doubleheader, SECN+
Thursday, March 14
• All day – Swimming & Diving, CSCAA National Invitational (Cleveland)
• 7:30 pm – Men's Basketball, Frank Martin speaks with the media (Nashville)
Friday, March 15
• All day – Swimming & Diving, CSCAA National Invitational (Cleveland)
• All day – Track & Field, Black and Gold Invitational (Orlando)
• 3:30 – Men's Basketball, SEC Tournament (Nashville), ESPN
• 5 pm – Women's Tennis hosts Tennessee, YouTube
• 5 pm – Men's Tennis at Tennessee
• 7 pm – Softball at Arkansas
• 7 pm – Baseball hosts Georgia, SECN+
– Jackson Fields (email)
5. This Date in Gamecock History
March 13, 1971 – The Gamecocks closed out their ACC era in basketball with a classic, winning the ACC Tournament with a 52-51 win over North Carolina. With 20 seconds left USC trailed by one and faced a challenging jump-ball situation with 6-foot-3 Kevin Joyce going up against 6-foot-10 Tar Heel Lee Dedmon. Joyce shocked everyone by outjumping Dedmon, tipping the ball to Tom Owens, who sank a layup with four seconds left for the win. There were multiple heroes in the game. All-American John Roche led USC with 18 points and was named co-player of the tournament, Owens had 14 points and 19 rebounds, and John Ribock had two free throws and two rebounds in the final 45 seconds.
March 13, 2001 – Michael Floyd became just the fourth player in USC history to hit for the cycle, as the Gamecocks battered Davidson, 19-1. Floyd homered, drove in three and walked to go along with his four hits. Chris Plummer homered twice and had a double, with Tim Whittaker and Yaron Peters also hitting home runs in the slugfest. Starter Tommy MacLane picked up his first win of the year as seven USC pitchers gave up just one run on two hits.
– John Parker (gamecockarchives.com)
6. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
• March 13 – SEC MBB Tourney (today)
• March 21 – Football: Pro Timing Day (8 days)
• March 22 – Muschamp Coaches Clinic (9)
• April 6 – Football: Spring game (24)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (43)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (56)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (69)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (124)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (171)
7. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Gamecock Central birthdays
• @Section4Row6 (Member since 2001)
If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or subscription - you can add your birthday here.
Gamecock Nation birthdays
• Mike Durrah – Durrah selected South Carolina over Clemson and Georgia. He was a backup linebacker in 1980 as a true freshman. Durrah started some in 1981 and was third on the team in tackles, while he finished fifth on the team in tackles in 1982. As the starting middle linebacker in 1983, he led the team in tackles with a whopping 179. He was fifth on the squad in tackles for loss. Durrah was one of the stars of the 38-14 win over Southern Cal, recording 14 tackles, two sacks, forcing a fumble and breaking up two passes. Sports Illustrated named him National Defensive Player of the Week for that effort. Durrah, a captain on the 1983 squad, was named All-South Independent and honorable mention All-America by The Associated Press at year end.
• Mike Gustavson (men's soccer/goalkeeper, 2005-06)
• Brandon Murray (baseball/pitcher, 2015-17)
• Zach Reeves (baseball/pitcher, 2003-04)
• Bob Roe (football/defensive end, 1970-73)
• Carlos Spikes (football/wide receiver, 1997-01)
– John Parker (gamecockarchives.com)
8. Around Gamecock Nation
• March 14 – Anderson County Gamecock Club meeting ***
• March 27 – Greenville, President's Reception (link)
• April 10 – Give 4 Garnet (link)
• April 23 – Augusta, Spurs Up Tour
• April 24 – Midlands, Spurs Up Tour
• April 29 – Lancaster, Spurs Up Tour
• April 30 – Greenville, Spurs Up Tour
• May 2 – York, Spurs Up Tour
• May 7 – Sumter, Spurs Up Tour
• May 8 – Myrtle Beach, Spurs Up Tour
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
*** The Anderson County Gamecock Club has a meeting this Thursday and Gamecock Central's Wes Mitchell will be the guest speaker. It'll be held at the Earle Street Bar & Grill. Admission is free. A cash bar and food menu will be available. Doors open at 6 and the program begins at 6:30.
Note: Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including specific locations and ticket prices, will be announced as it becomes available.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
Reminder: You get to choose which breaking news alerts and newsletters to receive from Gamecock Central.
Celebrating 20 years! Established in 1998, Gamecock Central provides in-depth and insider coverage of Gamecock sports and recruiting, and is home to The Insiders Forum. Not a member of Gamecock Central? Subscribe here. Read what our members think about Gamecock Central.
