B
Brian Shoemaker
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Gamecock Nation Today
- Thursday, May 9, 2019 -
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
• The Spurs Up Tour makes a stop in Atlanta tonight. For the track & field team, it's Day 1 of the SEC Outdoor Championships.
• The baseball team lost to Furman. 7-4. The softball team lost to Florida, 6-5, in the SEC Tournament. The women's golf team failed to advance out of the NCAA Cle Elum Regional.
Jammie Robinson/Credit: Rivals
1. Three more freshmen moving in and there's definitely an opportunity for them to play
Help is on the way. Three more members of South Carolina's freshman class are hitting campus this week as defensive backs Cam Smith, Jammie Robinson and Shilo Sanders will all go through "Maymester," South Carolina's mini semester of classes that starts on Monday. Smith and Sanders moved into school on Wednesday with Robinson scheduled to arrive Thursday.
• While Maymester has typically been used in the past with incoming junior college transfers, South Carolina is using it to get the trio of defensive backs three extra weeks on campus because there's a great need for an early impact at that position. In the case of Smith, he had initially hoped to enroll for spring practice, but was ultimately unable to, so this is the next best thing.
• With a lack of numbers at cornerback, all three players will have a chance to step in and potentially join the two-deep this fall. While South Carolina likes to crosstrain its defensive backs at multiple positions within the secondary, it appears that Smith and Sanders will start out their careers as true cornerbacks, while Robinson is set to compete at the nickelback position.
• Looking ahead to the summer, South Carolina has one more defensive back in its signing class who has yet to enroll, Chamberlain (Fla.) Tampa four-star Johnny Dixon. Dixon should arrive in June.
• The mantra may be that each and every player has to earn his spot on the field, but the reality is that South Carolina will need its freshmen to play early in the secondary, something Will Muschamp says has been made clear to them:
"Well, we told them in the recruiting process [that there's an opportunity to play] and they're figuring out right now, we weren't lying. It is what it is. Right now, Israel (Mukuamu) and Jaycee (Horn) would be our top two corners. A.J. Turner would be our third corner and he's going to playing some running back.
"They're going to have plenty of opportunity to step on the field in front of 80,000 people and play for South Carolina. We think that we've recruited a really good corps. of defensive backs. I think they're really talented. How quickly they'll mature and come in and step into the process of being able to play in front of 80,000 people, we'll see."
– Wes Mitchell
2. ⚾ USC falls to Furman
The Gamecocks, in desperate need of a win to stop a sizeable losing skid, faltered late in a 7-4 loss to Furman at Founders Park for their seventh-straight loss and eighth over their last 10 games.
They’re now .500 on the season for the first time since Feb. 16 and are limping into the final stretch of games, fighting for a conference tournament spot with an incredibly depleted pitching staff.
South Carolina finishes its home SEC slate this weekend, hosting Kentucky for a three-game set starting Friday at 7 p.m. This series is huge for both teams who are scraping to get into the SEC Tournament in Hoover in two weeks.
“We have one day of practice and then we’re playing again. We have a noon practice tomorrow because we’re playing at noon on Saturday and Sunday,” Mark Kingston said. “There’s no option to come not ready to practice and there’s no option to not come ready to play. That’s what you do.”
– Collyn Taylor
3. This, that, and the other
Football Recruiting: Will five-star Reggie Grimes officially visit Gamecocks?- The five-star from Tennessee gives the latest on his official visit plans. (subscription)
Football: Sterling, Enagbare battling it out at defensive end - It's not one of the most talked about position battles, but make no mistake there's an intense jockeying for starting position at the true defensive end spot in South Carolina's scheme. (link)
Football: Video of Muschamp in Myrtle Beach - Will Muschamp discusses a trio of freshman cornerbacks who are enrolling for Maymester at the Myrtle Beach Spurs Up Tour stop. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: Five things to like in USC's hoops class - The Gamecocks aren't done yet, but there's still plenty to be excited about. (subscription)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: What we're hearing on Micaiah Henry - The latest on grad transfer big man visiting this week. (subscription)
Softball: Gamecocks drop game to Florida - USC lost to Florida, 6-5, in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks led 5-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh before the Gators produced the walk-off hit with one out. (link)
Women's Golf: NCAA Championships bid falls short - USC ended its season just short of the 2019 NCAA Championships, finishing in 10th at the Cle Elum Regional. (link)
Track and Field: USC ready for 2019 SEC Outdoor Championships - The 2019 outdoor postseason gets underway this week as USC heads to the SEC Outdoor Championships. (link)
Academics: Carolina releases APR scores - All of USC's countable intercollegiate sports posted a multi-year score of 950 or better for the eighth-consecutive year, according to the Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics that were released. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
May 9, 2004 – Carolina won the series from Auburn in a wild 12-11 slugfest.
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Frano Buhovac - A native of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Buhovac came to the U.S. for the 2017 season, enrolling at Kansas City Community College in Kansas. The 6-foot-5 defender started 18 games there, helping them to their first ever NJCAA Tournament berth. Injuries hampered him in 2018 in his first season in Columbia, but he did make 11 starts and was a key part of Carolina's defense in three shutouts. He scored his only point of the season on an assist on a goal by Tucker Monheimer against Marshall.
Taylor Irvin (football/offensive tackle, 1997-98)
William Perkins (football/linebacker, 2003)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour (today)
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour (5 days)
• May 18 – SC Legends Baseball Camp (9)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (12)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (67)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (72)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (114)
Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including locations and ticket prices, can be found here.
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecock Nation Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
Gamecock Nation Today
- Thursday, May 9, 2019 -
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
• The Spurs Up Tour makes a stop in Atlanta tonight. For the track & field team, it's Day 1 of the SEC Outdoor Championships.
• The baseball team lost to Furman. 7-4. The softball team lost to Florida, 6-5, in the SEC Tournament. The women's golf team failed to advance out of the NCAA Cle Elum Regional.
Jammie Robinson/Credit: Rivals
1. Three more freshmen moving in and there's definitely an opportunity for them to play
Help is on the way. Three more members of South Carolina's freshman class are hitting campus this week as defensive backs Cam Smith, Jammie Robinson and Shilo Sanders will all go through "Maymester," South Carolina's mini semester of classes that starts on Monday. Smith and Sanders moved into school on Wednesday with Robinson scheduled to arrive Thursday.
• While Maymester has typically been used in the past with incoming junior college transfers, South Carolina is using it to get the trio of defensive backs three extra weeks on campus because there's a great need for an early impact at that position. In the case of Smith, he had initially hoped to enroll for spring practice, but was ultimately unable to, so this is the next best thing.
• With a lack of numbers at cornerback, all three players will have a chance to step in and potentially join the two-deep this fall. While South Carolina likes to crosstrain its defensive backs at multiple positions within the secondary, it appears that Smith and Sanders will start out their careers as true cornerbacks, while Robinson is set to compete at the nickelback position.
• Looking ahead to the summer, South Carolina has one more defensive back in its signing class who has yet to enroll, Chamberlain (Fla.) Tampa four-star Johnny Dixon. Dixon should arrive in June.
• The mantra may be that each and every player has to earn his spot on the field, but the reality is that South Carolina will need its freshmen to play early in the secondary, something Will Muschamp says has been made clear to them:
"Well, we told them in the recruiting process [that there's an opportunity to play] and they're figuring out right now, we weren't lying. It is what it is. Right now, Israel (Mukuamu) and Jaycee (Horn) would be our top two corners. A.J. Turner would be our third corner and he's going to playing some running back.
"They're going to have plenty of opportunity to step on the field in front of 80,000 people and play for South Carolina. We think that we've recruited a really good corps. of defensive backs. I think they're really talented. How quickly they'll mature and come in and step into the process of being able to play in front of 80,000 people, we'll see."
– Wes Mitchell
2. ⚾ USC falls to Furman
The Gamecocks, in desperate need of a win to stop a sizeable losing skid, faltered late in a 7-4 loss to Furman at Founders Park for their seventh-straight loss and eighth over their last 10 games.
They’re now .500 on the season for the first time since Feb. 16 and are limping into the final stretch of games, fighting for a conference tournament spot with an incredibly depleted pitching staff.
South Carolina finishes its home SEC slate this weekend, hosting Kentucky for a three-game set starting Friday at 7 p.m. This series is huge for both teams who are scraping to get into the SEC Tournament in Hoover in two weeks.
“We have one day of practice and then we’re playing again. We have a noon practice tomorrow because we’re playing at noon on Saturday and Sunday,” Mark Kingston said. “There’s no option to come not ready to practice and there’s no option to not come ready to play. That’s what you do.”
– Collyn Taylor
3. This, that, and the other
Football Recruiting: Will five-star Reggie Grimes officially visit Gamecocks?- The five-star from Tennessee gives the latest on his official visit plans. (subscription)
Football: Sterling, Enagbare battling it out at defensive end - It's not one of the most talked about position battles, but make no mistake there's an intense jockeying for starting position at the true defensive end spot in South Carolina's scheme. (link)
Football: Video of Muschamp in Myrtle Beach - Will Muschamp discusses a trio of freshman cornerbacks who are enrolling for Maymester at the Myrtle Beach Spurs Up Tour stop. (link)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: Five things to like in USC's hoops class - The Gamecocks aren't done yet, but there's still plenty to be excited about. (subscription)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: What we're hearing on Micaiah Henry - The latest on grad transfer big man visiting this week. (subscription)
Softball: Gamecocks drop game to Florida - USC lost to Florida, 6-5, in the opening round of the SEC Tournament. The Gamecocks led 5-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh before the Gators produced the walk-off hit with one out. (link)
Women's Golf: NCAA Championships bid falls short - USC ended its season just short of the 2019 NCAA Championships, finishing in 10th at the Cle Elum Regional. (link)
Track and Field: USC ready for 2019 SEC Outdoor Championships - The 2019 outdoor postseason gets underway this week as USC heads to the SEC Outdoor Championships. (link)
Academics: Carolina releases APR scores - All of USC's countable intercollegiate sports posted a multi-year score of 950 or better for the eighth-consecutive year, according to the Academic Progress Rate (APR) statistics that were released. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
May 9, 2004 – Carolina won the series from Auburn in a wild 12-11 slugfest.
- The Tigers jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first three innings but the Gamecocks came back to move ahead 9-8 in the fifth when they scored five runs on just two hits.
- Auburn reclaimed the lead with a three-run home run and lead, 11-9, when reliever Zac McCamie entered for the Gamecocks.
- McCamie shut out the Tigers over the final 4.2 innings.
- The Gamecock offense rallied to take a 12-11 lead on doubles by Steven Tolleson and Landon Powell and an RBI single from Michael Campbell.
- USC right fielder Brendan Winn hit his 15th and 16th home runs of the year and drove in four as No. 9 South Carolina knocked off No. 20 Auburn.
5. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Frano Buhovac - A native of Bosnia & Herzegovina, Buhovac came to the U.S. for the 2017 season, enrolling at Kansas City Community College in Kansas. The 6-foot-5 defender started 18 games there, helping them to their first ever NJCAA Tournament berth. Injuries hampered him in 2018 in his first season in Columbia, but he did make 11 starts and was a key part of Carolina's defense in three shutouts. He scored his only point of the season on an assist on a goal by Tucker Monheimer against Marshall.
Taylor Irvin (football/offensive tackle, 1997-98)
William Perkins (football/linebacker, 2003)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour (today)
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour (5 days)
• May 18 – SC Legends Baseball Camp (9)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (12)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (67)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (72)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (114)
Will Muschamp is scheduled to appear at all of the Spurs Up Tour events. More information, including locations and ticket prices, can be found here.
