B
Brian Shoemaker
Guest
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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. Please contact me if you need assistance. – Brian Shoemaker, shoe@gamecockcentral.com
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Gamecock Nation Today
Helping You Be The Ultimate Gamecock Fan
Monday, Feb. 25, 2019
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Good Monday morning!
Pictured: Derek Boykins. Credit: Rivals.com
1. Newcomers set to make first impression this spring
South Carolina inked a quality recruiting class during the December and February signing periods, with several of those players set to participate in the Gamecocks’ 2019 spring practices beginning this week. While not everyone from the class will make a big impact in year one, there are several players who project to play roles, or at the minimum garner plenty of attention during spring ball. Here, we take a look at several of those January enrollees who will see their first action beginning this week.
Derek Boykins – During the recruiting process, our staff at Gamecock Central frequently remarked that Boykins was a player who already looked college ready, even prior to his senior football season. We’ve continued hearing after his arrival on campus that he’s been impressive from a physical standpoint. USC has some openings on the depth chart at linebacker and will see a couple players at the position sit out the spring. That should open the door for Boykins to step in and have a chance to draw more quality reps and make an impression on the staff.
Devontae Davis – As a junior college transfer, this South Carolina product did not draw the accolades of some other defensive line prospects in the class, but he’s nonetheless a player that Will Muschamp has been excited to get on campus. He has a good blend of size and athleticism to go with positional versatility, and will have every opportunity to step in and grab some snaps in year one. How well he progresses during spring ball will go a long way to telling just how much.
Kevin Harris – With senior A.J. Turner staying (for now) at defensive back, new running backs coach Thomas Brown has seniors Rico Dowdle and Mon Denson back at running back, plus a pair of redshirt freshmen in Deshaun Fenwick and Lavonte Valentine. All of those would figure to have a leg up, but Harris is a bigger, strong back who could make some noise in the preseason. The battle at running back figures to be wide open, and if nothing else Harris should get an opportunity to show what he can do. He’ll have spring, summer, and preseason to show what he can do leading up to the season, but it will be interesting to see how he stacks up to others already on the roster.
Ryan Hilinski – The rationale for having the California product here is easy: he’s the highest-ranked quarterback signee the program has landed in the Rivals.com era and has plenty of talent and intangibles to back up that ranking. The battle for backup quarterback behind Jake Bentley will be plenty intriguing, and Hilinski should have a say in terms of potential to make a move up the depth chart in his first year. More than anything, there’s a curiosity factor at seeing just how good Hilinski looks through the few practice days and then in a scrimmage setting during the spring game in April.
Zacch Pickens – Muschamp’s first five-star signee during his time at USC arrived on campus last month with plenty of buzz as well, and that will only increase with spring practice beginning. A player who could factor in both inside and outside, Pickens still has a good bit of untapped potential but lots of raw ability. It’s not easy to find guys his size who move as well as he does, and he’ll be a welcome addition for a USC defensive line that should feature more depth and talent in 2019.
Football Links: News | Spring Roster | Scholarship Breakdown
– Chris Clark, clark@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: Reid Morgan. Credit: Katie Dugan
2. Big Weekend for Baseball ⚾
After sweeping Utah Valley over the weekend, the baseball team is 6-1 on the season. USC hosts Appalachian State at 4 p.m. Tuesday before a big three-game series against Clemson this weekend (more about that later in the week).
Morgan providing calming influence on rotation. Reid Morgan's outward appearance conveys one sort of person, but when he steps onto a baseball field his persona is exactly the opposite and it’s helping not only his game but the entire pitching staff. (link)
By the numbers: Dominant bullpen, great hitting pacing Gamecocks.South Carolina is now 4-1 after a 15-3 win over Utah Valley Friday night in another solid offensive performance supplemented by excellent relief pitching. After five games, trends are starting to take shape and as the sample size grows, the stats are becoming more reliable. (link)
Baseball Links: News | Roster | Breakdown | Schedule | Statistics
– Brian Shoemaker, shoe@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: Karly Heath. Credit: South Carolina athletics department
3. More From The Weekend
Men’s Basketball. From the Ole Miss game to the Mississippi State game, the Gamecocks flipped the script, but not in a good way, losing to the Bulldogs, 76-61. (link)
Collyn Taylor has some notes on the Gamecocks' NET ranking and their upcoming schedule. (subscription)
Justin Mckie interview where he discusses the 2017 Final Four team, the state of basketball in South Carolina, and life at Carolina. (link)
Women’s Basketball. The Gamecocks built a big first-half lead, and then held off a second-half rally to beat Tennessee, 82-67. (link)
Softball. On Saturday, the No. 14 softball team used an eight-run fifth inning to earn its fifth-run rule win in its last six games in a 10-1 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday. Jana Johns blasted a three-run home run, her third of the year, to end the contest via run rule with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. (link)
On Sunday, Carolina extended its run-rule victory streak to six-consecutive games with a pair of wins in Charlotte over Charlotte and Winthrop. The Gamecocks defeated the 49ers 9-1 in five innings before closing the weekend with a 15-1 win in five frames over Winthrop. (link)
Track & Field. Quincy Hall captured the men's 400m title Saturday at the 2019 SEC Indoor Championships. Carolina women's 4x400m relay won a silver medal and senior 60m hurdler Isaiah Moore earned a bronze. Jordan Fields (women's high jump), Lissa Labiche (women's high jump), Otis Jones (men's 800m) and Benjamin Womble (men's heptathlon) also scored crucial points on the final day of the meet. In the team standings, Carolina finished 10th on the men's side with 29 points and 12th on the women's side with 14 points. (link)
Swimming & Diving. South Carolina completed the SEC Championships with a program record four individual champions and set a total of 14 school records during the five-day meet. (link)
Men’s Tennis. Men's Tennis (9-1) defeated Georgia State (4-4) 5-2 Saturday, extending its current win streak to seven-consecutive matches. The Gamecocks are now a perfect 8-0 at home to begin the spring and 26-2 over the past three seasons at the Carolina Tennis Center. (link)
Equestrian. South Carolina lost to Texas A&M, 13-6, Saturday in College Station. The No. 3 Gamecocks move to 5-5 overall and 1-4 in the SEC, while the No. 2 Aggies improve to 8-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC. (link)
Beach Volleyball. Beach Volleyball lost two matches to nationally ranked foes on Sunday. The Gamecocks (1-3) lost to No. 7 LSU, 3-2, and dropped a 4-1 decision to the No. 3 Seminoles (4-1). (link)
Women's Tennis. Saturday's matches against Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina were postponed due to inclement weather.
– Jackson Fields, jackson@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: Will Muschamp
4. Plan your schedule accordingly
Tuesday, Feb. 26
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5. Signee of the Day - Shilo Sanders
With South Carolina's 2019 recruiting class completely signed and locked up, Gamecock Central is spotlighting one prospect each business day for 23 days.
Today's signee of the day is Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian three-star cornerback Shilo Sanders, who is, of course, the son of NFL great Deion Sanders.
Other offers: Florida State, Tennessee, Colorado State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Texas A&M.
Coach's corner: “He’s a guy that’s really only played high school football for two years. He’s only spent his time and dedicated himself to the game for those two years. Kevin Mathis was his position coach, who played with T-Rob with the Atlanta Falcons. Listening to him talk to us about how quickly he’s matured and his genetic upside is huge. He’s got really good length, speed at the top end and very good change of direction. He also played receiver and has return skills.” - South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp
– Wes Mitchell, wes@gamecockcentral.com
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6. This Date in Gamecock History
February 22, 1989. The Gamecocks were coming off a home loss to The Citadel just three days earlier, but rose up and knocked off No. 8 Louisville in front of a home crowd of 12,051. Carolina had an 11-point lead in the second half, but saw it evaporate as the Cardinals got within 3 and had the ball with 16 seconds left. The ball swung to Louisville's Tony Kimbro for a potential game-tying 3 but USC forward John Hudson stole the ball and was fouled with a second left to ice the win. Hudson led Carolina scoring with 20 points and added seven rebounds. Other top USC scorers were Terry Dozier (16), Barry Manning (14) and Brent Price (13). The win snapped a 10-game losing streak to Louisville.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
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7. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
Feb. 27: Spring football practice begins (2 days)
Feb. 28: NFL Combine begins (3)
March 6: SEC WBB Tourney begins (9)
March 13: SEC MBB Tourney begins (16)
March 21: Football: Pro Timing Day (24)
March 22: Muschamp Coaches Clinic (25)
April 6: Spring football game (40)
April 25: NFL Draft begins (59)
July 15: SEC Media Days begins (140)
Aug. 31: Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (187)
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8. Gamecock Nation Birthdays
Weekend birthdays of Gamecock Central members. (If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or pay - you can add your birthday here.)
Ed Lynch. Known equally for his baseball and basketball abilities coming out of high school, Lynch became an anchor of the Gamecock pitching rotation as a junior in 1976. In 16 appearances that year Lynch went 9-1 with a save and a 2.63 ERA. The Miami native repeated his success as a senior, going 6-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 10 starts on a squad that made it to the championship game of the College World Series. Lynch also played one game as part of the basketball team during the 1973-74 season, seeing time in a win over Canisius. Lynch would go on to pitch eight years in the majors with the Cubs and Mets, twice winning 10 games in a season.
Justin King, Sunday, USC Associate Athletics Director for New and Creative Media
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
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9. Around Gamecock Nation
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10. Another Carolina Podcast
If you missed it last week, we have a new edition of Another Carolina Podcast. Gamecock Central's Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell discuss the latest on 2020 recruiting, spring football storylines, the men's basketball run and more with host Pearson Fowler. (link)
We have breaking news alerts and more newsletters: customize preferences
Spread the word about the Gamecocks and this newsletter! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or two. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can sign up here to start receiving your own copy.
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. Please contact me if you need assistance. – Brian Shoemaker, shoe@gamecockcentral.com
******************
Gamecock Nation Today
Helping You Be The Ultimate Gamecock Fan
Monday, Feb. 25, 2019
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Good Monday morning!
- It was a bad Saturday for men's basketball, a good Sunday for women's basketball and a clean-sweep weekend for baseball.
- This week features - take a deep breath - spring football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball and the NFL Combine. Yeah, it's going to be a busy (and fun) week in Gamecock Nation.
Pictured: Derek Boykins. Credit: Rivals.com
1. Newcomers set to make first impression this spring
South Carolina inked a quality recruiting class during the December and February signing periods, with several of those players set to participate in the Gamecocks’ 2019 spring practices beginning this week. While not everyone from the class will make a big impact in year one, there are several players who project to play roles, or at the minimum garner plenty of attention during spring ball. Here, we take a look at several of those January enrollees who will see their first action beginning this week.
Derek Boykins – During the recruiting process, our staff at Gamecock Central frequently remarked that Boykins was a player who already looked college ready, even prior to his senior football season. We’ve continued hearing after his arrival on campus that he’s been impressive from a physical standpoint. USC has some openings on the depth chart at linebacker and will see a couple players at the position sit out the spring. That should open the door for Boykins to step in and have a chance to draw more quality reps and make an impression on the staff.
Devontae Davis – As a junior college transfer, this South Carolina product did not draw the accolades of some other defensive line prospects in the class, but he’s nonetheless a player that Will Muschamp has been excited to get on campus. He has a good blend of size and athleticism to go with positional versatility, and will have every opportunity to step in and grab some snaps in year one. How well he progresses during spring ball will go a long way to telling just how much.
Kevin Harris – With senior A.J. Turner staying (for now) at defensive back, new running backs coach Thomas Brown has seniors Rico Dowdle and Mon Denson back at running back, plus a pair of redshirt freshmen in Deshaun Fenwick and Lavonte Valentine. All of those would figure to have a leg up, but Harris is a bigger, strong back who could make some noise in the preseason. The battle at running back figures to be wide open, and if nothing else Harris should get an opportunity to show what he can do. He’ll have spring, summer, and preseason to show what he can do leading up to the season, but it will be interesting to see how he stacks up to others already on the roster.
Ryan Hilinski – The rationale for having the California product here is easy: he’s the highest-ranked quarterback signee the program has landed in the Rivals.com era and has plenty of talent and intangibles to back up that ranking. The battle for backup quarterback behind Jake Bentley will be plenty intriguing, and Hilinski should have a say in terms of potential to make a move up the depth chart in his first year. More than anything, there’s a curiosity factor at seeing just how good Hilinski looks through the few practice days and then in a scrimmage setting during the spring game in April.
Zacch Pickens – Muschamp’s first five-star signee during his time at USC arrived on campus last month with plenty of buzz as well, and that will only increase with spring practice beginning. A player who could factor in both inside and outside, Pickens still has a good bit of untapped potential but lots of raw ability. It’s not easy to find guys his size who move as well as he does, and he’ll be a welcome addition for a USC defensive line that should feature more depth and talent in 2019.
Football Links: News | Spring Roster | Scholarship Breakdown
– Chris Clark, clark@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: Reid Morgan. Credit: Katie Dugan
2. Big Weekend for Baseball ⚾
After sweeping Utah Valley over the weekend, the baseball team is 6-1 on the season. USC hosts Appalachian State at 4 p.m. Tuesday before a big three-game series against Clemson this weekend (more about that later in the week).
- Game 1: Thanks to 12 hits from the heart of the order, the Gamecocks used a few big innings in the middle of the game to jump out to a big lead and cruise to a 15-3 win over Utah Valley in game one of the series. (link to story, photos)
- Game 2: When Noah Campbell dug into the box with a runner on third and the Gamecocks down a run, he wasn’t thinking about the long ball. Then the pitcher made a mistake and Campbell, down to his last strike, belted a two-run, walk-off home run to secure a 6-5 win. (link to story, photos)
- Game 3: It seems like South Carolina has had a different player step up and play hero over the first seven games of the year. Sunday, it was the bottom of the order. Three of the final four batters combined for four home runs and nine RBI while Reid Morgan turned in a gem of a start as the Gamecocks beat Utah Valley 10-3 to sweep the series. (link with story, photos, video)
Morgan providing calming influence on rotation. Reid Morgan's outward appearance conveys one sort of person, but when he steps onto a baseball field his persona is exactly the opposite and it’s helping not only his game but the entire pitching staff. (link)
By the numbers: Dominant bullpen, great hitting pacing Gamecocks.South Carolina is now 4-1 after a 15-3 win over Utah Valley Friday night in another solid offensive performance supplemented by excellent relief pitching. After five games, trends are starting to take shape and as the sample size grows, the stats are becoming more reliable. (link)
Baseball Links: News | Roster | Breakdown | Schedule | Statistics
– Brian Shoemaker, shoe@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: Karly Heath. Credit: South Carolina athletics department
3. More From The Weekend
Men’s Basketball. From the Ole Miss game to the Mississippi State game, the Gamecocks flipped the script, but not in a good way, losing to the Bulldogs, 76-61. (link)
Collyn Taylor has some notes on the Gamecocks' NET ranking and their upcoming schedule. (subscription)
Justin Mckie interview where he discusses the 2017 Final Four team, the state of basketball in South Carolina, and life at Carolina. (link)
Women’s Basketball. The Gamecocks built a big first-half lead, and then held off a second-half rally to beat Tennessee, 82-67. (link)
Softball. On Saturday, the No. 14 softball team used an eight-run fifth inning to earn its fifth-run rule win in its last six games in a 10-1 victory over Youngstown State on Saturday. Jana Johns blasted a three-run home run, her third of the year, to end the contest via run rule with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. (link)
On Sunday, Carolina extended its run-rule victory streak to six-consecutive games with a pair of wins in Charlotte over Charlotte and Winthrop. The Gamecocks defeated the 49ers 9-1 in five innings before closing the weekend with a 15-1 win in five frames over Winthrop. (link)
Track & Field. Quincy Hall captured the men's 400m title Saturday at the 2019 SEC Indoor Championships. Carolina women's 4x400m relay won a silver medal and senior 60m hurdler Isaiah Moore earned a bronze. Jordan Fields (women's high jump), Lissa Labiche (women's high jump), Otis Jones (men's 800m) and Benjamin Womble (men's heptathlon) also scored crucial points on the final day of the meet. In the team standings, Carolina finished 10th on the men's side with 29 points and 12th on the women's side with 14 points. (link)
Swimming & Diving. South Carolina completed the SEC Championships with a program record four individual champions and set a total of 14 school records during the five-day meet. (link)
Men’s Tennis. Men's Tennis (9-1) defeated Georgia State (4-4) 5-2 Saturday, extending its current win streak to seven-consecutive matches. The Gamecocks are now a perfect 8-0 at home to begin the spring and 26-2 over the past three seasons at the Carolina Tennis Center. (link)
Equestrian. South Carolina lost to Texas A&M, 13-6, Saturday in College Station. The No. 3 Gamecocks move to 5-5 overall and 1-4 in the SEC, while the No. 2 Aggies improve to 8-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC. (link)
Beach Volleyball. Beach Volleyball lost two matches to nationally ranked foes on Sunday. The Gamecocks (1-3) lost to No. 7 LSU, 3-2, and dropped a 4-1 decision to the No. 3 Seminoles (4-1). (link)
Women's Tennis. Saturday's matches against Presbyterian and Coastal Carolina were postponed due to inclement weather.
– Jackson Fields, jackson@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: Will Muschamp
4. Plan your schedule accordingly
Tuesday, Feb. 26
- 1 pm, Will Muschamp pre-spring practice presser
- 4 pm, Baseball hosts Appalachian State (no video)
- 7 pm, Men's Basketball hosts Alabama on ESPN2
- Morning, Football spring practice No. 1 (closed to public)
- 6 pm, Softball hosts Coastal Carolina
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5. Signee of the Day - Shilo Sanders
With South Carolina's 2019 recruiting class completely signed and locked up, Gamecock Central is spotlighting one prospect each business day for 23 days.
Today's signee of the day is Cedar Hill (Texas) Trinity Christian three-star cornerback Shilo Sanders, who is, of course, the son of NFL great Deion Sanders.
Other offers: Florida State, Tennessee, Colorado State, Michigan State, Nebraska and Texas A&M.
Coach's corner: “He’s a guy that’s really only played high school football for two years. He’s only spent his time and dedicated himself to the game for those two years. Kevin Mathis was his position coach, who played with T-Rob with the Atlanta Falcons. Listening to him talk to us about how quickly he’s matured and his genetic upside is huge. He’s got really good length, speed at the top end and very good change of direction. He also played receiver and has return skills.” - South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp
– Wes Mitchell, wes@gamecockcentral.com
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6. This Date in Gamecock History
February 22, 1989. The Gamecocks were coming off a home loss to The Citadel just three days earlier, but rose up and knocked off No. 8 Louisville in front of a home crowd of 12,051. Carolina had an 11-point lead in the second half, but saw it evaporate as the Cardinals got within 3 and had the ball with 16 seconds left. The ball swung to Louisville's Tony Kimbro for a potential game-tying 3 but USC forward John Hudson stole the ball and was fouled with a second left to ice the win. Hudson led Carolina scoring with 20 points and added seven rebounds. Other top USC scorers were Terry Dozier (16), Barry Manning (14) and Brent Price (13). The win snapped a 10-game losing streak to Louisville.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
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7. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
Feb. 27: Spring football practice begins (2 days)
Feb. 28: NFL Combine begins (3)
March 6: SEC WBB Tourney begins (9)
March 13: SEC MBB Tourney begins (16)
March 21: Football: Pro Timing Day (24)
March 22: Muschamp Coaches Clinic (25)
April 6: Spring football game (40)
April 25: NFL Draft begins (59)
July 15: SEC Media Days begins (140)
Aug. 31: Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (187)
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8. Gamecock Nation Birthdays
Weekend birthdays of Gamecock Central members. (If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or pay - you can add your birthday here.)
- @hugercock, Friday, member since 2001
- @adrockthegamecock, Saturday, member since 2003
- @Landrum gamecock, Saturday, member since 2014
- @bryanmoon, Sunday, member since 2006
- @NAGamecock, Sunday, member since 2013
Ed Lynch. Known equally for his baseball and basketball abilities coming out of high school, Lynch became an anchor of the Gamecock pitching rotation as a junior in 1976. In 16 appearances that year Lynch went 9-1 with a save and a 2.63 ERA. The Miami native repeated his success as a senior, going 6-1 with a 2.32 ERA in 10 starts on a squad that made it to the championship game of the College World Series. Lynch also played one game as part of the basketball team during the 1973-74 season, seeing time in a win over Canisius. Lynch would go on to pitch eight years in the majors with the Cubs and Mets, twice winning 10 games in a season.
- Billy Boyte (football/offensive tackle, 1969-71)
- Payton Brady (football/tight end, 2010-11)
- Freddie Chalmers (football/offensive tackle, 1979-82)
- Tim High (football/nose guard, 1986-89)
- Steven Kennedy (football/linebacker, 2001-03)
- Keith Lewis (baseball/third baseman, 1987)
- Jewel May (women's basketball/forward, 2007-11)
- Kevin Wade (football/offensive guard, 1990-94)
Justin King, Sunday, USC Associate Athletics Director for New and Creative Media
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
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9. Around Gamecock Nation
- Feb. 25 - Atlanta, Alumni Association President's Reception (link)
- March 9 - Charlotte Gamecock Club, Gamecock Yoga & Mimosas (link)
- March 27 - Greenville, Alumni Association President's Reception
- April 23 - Augusta, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- April 24 - Midlands, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- April 29 - Lancaster, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- April 30 - Greenville, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- May 2 - York, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- May 7 - Sumter, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- May 8 - Myrtle Beach, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- May 9 - Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
- May 14 - Charleston, Spurs Up Tour featuring Will Muschamp
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10. Another Carolina Podcast
If you missed it last week, we have a new edition of Another Carolina Podcast. Gamecock Central's Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell discuss the latest on 2020 recruiting, spring football storylines, the men's basketball run and more with host Pearson Fowler. (link)
We have breaking news alerts and more newsletters: customize preferences
Spread the word about the Gamecocks and this newsletter! If you enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to a friend or two. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can sign up here to start receiving your own copy.
