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Brian Shoemaker
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Gamecock Nation Today
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Good morning and Happy Tuesday!
Baseball in Charleston. The baseball team travels to Charleston to take on The Citadel at 7 tonight. The game can be watched on the SoCon Digital Network (info below). Of course, Gamecock Central will be there to cover the game.
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.
Do you have something exciting you'd like us to mention in this newsletter? Go here and tell us about it.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
Frank Martin/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Is Frank Martin right or wrong? ❔❓
After wrapping up the regular season with a home win against Georgia, it did not take long for a question to be posed in Frank Martin’s postgame press conference that led to Martin railing against the fact that South Carolina is not considered a “bubble team” for the NCAA Tournament.
At the crux of Martin’s argument was the fact that South Carolina played a difficult non-conference schedule, finished in the top four of a tough SEC this season, and has a similar (or better) number of Quadrant I wins as other bubble teams.
When one digs into the numbers, it’s hard to argue with the head man.
Nobody’s saying that the Gamecocks should be a lock to get into the tournament. The facts are that USC did not help its cause earlier in the season by dropping some non-conference games, especially a very-difficult-to-swallow road loss to Wyoming.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons that South Carolina could rightfully be put on the bubble.
Here, we’ll use the bubble teams from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket projections. USC has more Quadrant I wins than nine of the 16 teams on the aforementioned bubble.
USC finished fourth in its conference. As GamecockCentral.com’s Collyn Taylor pointed out, only two conferences in KenPom’s “best eight” college basketball conferences are projected to have their fourth-place teams left out of the tournament. One is the Pac-12, which is widely considered to be an atrocious basketball league this year, and the other is the SEC, which is widely considered an excellent league.
Indiana, a team Martin specifically compared USC to, has six Quadrant I wins (USC has three) and a NET ranking of 50. The Hoosiers do have three wins against ranked teams this season. Yet, the team also went 1-11 from early January to late February.
Lunardi has seven SEC teams in his field currently, with the Gamecocks’ record this season against those teams sitting at 4-5. Three of those teams (Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Florida) did not have as many conference wins as South Carolina, and USC also owns a win against each of those teams this year.
Florida is a team expected to make the tournament. The Gators are 3-10 in Quadrant I (South Carolina is 3-9) and has a NET ranking of 33, which is significantly higher than the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks finished with a better conference record as well as a head-to-head win, however.
RELATED ITEM:
Examining the Gamecocks' resume before tournament time – Entering the SEC Tournament this week, the Gamecocks' tournament resume can only be described as unique. After struggling in the non-conference, they've surged in SEC play finishing fourth in the conference but are on the outside looking in if the tournament started today. (link)
– Chris Clark, (email)
Dawn Staley/Credit: Chris Gillespie
2. Women's Basketball bracket watch
– Chris Wellbaum (email)
Jaycee Horn/Credit: Katie Dugan
3. New and notes
Baseball: New polls released – Of the six college baseball polls we're tracking, five have the Gamecocks ranked (link)
Football: Mike Davis – NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that former USC running back Mike Davis will sign with the Chicago Bears. Reportedly, the contract is for two years worth $6 million.
Football: Best-friend duo not shying away from high expectations – Jaycee Horn didn't say it in a cocky or arrogant way, more as if it's a simple fact of life. "I think we can be two of the best corners in the nation," Horn said to the media last week. "That's our expectations. That should be every corner in the nation's expectation, is to be the best, so that's what we're shooting for." (link)
Men's Basketball: The latest with AJ Lawson – Right now, the jury is still out on if AJ Lawson will play this week in the SEC Tournament, but Frank Martin is encouraged by what he's seen from the freshman entering the week. (link)
Men's Basketball: Gravett named to 2019 SEC Community Service Team – Hassani Gravett was named to the 2019 SEC Men's Basketball Community Service Team. the league announced Monday. (link)
Baseball: Olson named a National Player of the Week – Jacob Olson was named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. (link)
Football Recruiting: Florida DB has South Carolina under consideration – Orlando, Fla., Dominick Hill has continued to see his recruiting stock rise this year, with offers coming in from Alabama, Georgia, and others in 2019. South Carolina is among the programs to have offered the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder, and Hill was on campus at the beginning of the month to give the program a closer look. (subscription)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: In-state product loves up close visit to campus – Dillon Jones has been to Colonial Life plenty of times over his life, but Saturday he had a chance to experience something for the first time. The junior was able to sit right behind USC's bench and get to see Frank Martin’s coaching style up close and personal. (subscription)
Women's Basketball: Tyasha Harris named Lieberman Award finalist – Tyasha Harris is one of five finalists for the 2019 Nancy Lieberman Award. The award recognizes the top point guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball who exhibits the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skill of Nancy Lieberman. (link)
Men's Tennis: Gamecocks fall to Bulldogs – USC dropped a nail biter in a 4-3 loss at the hands of Mississippi State. The match, which resumed play on Monday, had been postponed on Friday night, just under an hour into the singles session, due to heavy rain. (link)
Men's Golf: Record day propels Gamecocks to big lead – South Carolina had a strong performance in the first and second rounds of the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate to take a commanding 17-shot lead over the rest of the field after 36 holes. (link)
Swimming & Diving: Pair of divers qualify for NCAA Championships– Anton Down-Jenkins qualified to compete at the NCAA Championships in the men's one-meter and Mikaela Lujan qualified in the women's 3-meter on day one of the Zone B Championships. (link)
ICYMI: Baseball sweeps Valparaiso
• Game 1: Pitching cruises, leads Gamecocks to win over Valpo (link)
• Game 2: Gamecocks don't waste Morgan's outing, walk-off Valpo (link)
• Game 3: Olson rakes, Hopkins hits for cycle as USC sweeps Valpo (link)
– Jackson Fields (email)
Mark Kingston/Credit: Katie Dugan
4. Plan your schedule accordingly ⚾
Tuesday, March 12
• All day – Men's Golf, Palmetto Intercollegiate final round
• 10 am – Beach Volleyball vs Southern Cal (Atlanta)
• 1 pm – Men's Basketball, Frank Martin and players speak with the media to preview the SEC Tournament
• 3 pm – Beach Volleyball vs Florida Gulf Coast (Atlanta)
• 7 pm – Baseball travels to The Citadel, video
• 7 pm – Carolina Calls featuring Dawn Staley
Wednesday, March 13
• 12 pm & 2:30 pm – Softball hosts double-header vs Bryant
Thursday, March 14
• All day – Swimming & Diving, CSCAA National Invitational (Cleveland)
• 7:30 pm – Men's Basketball, Frank Martin speaks with the media (Nashville)
*** The SEC Tournament begins in Nashville on Wednesday. South Carolina's first game is Friday around 3:30 pm.
– Jackson Fields (email)
5. This Date in Gamecock History
March 12, 2004 – Michael Boynton hit all six of his 3-point attempts to lead USC to an SEC Tournament quarterfinal win over LSU. The Gamecocks (23-9) trailed by one at halftime, but a basket by Kerbrell Brown and a 3-pointer by Josh Gonner put USC up in the opening minute of the second half. USC would continue to stretch the lead, eventually winning by 21 as reserve guard Jon Land hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left for the 85-64 win. Boynton was the leading scorer with 18, while Tarence Kinsey (14), Josh Gonner (14) and Renaldo Balkman (11) also reached double figures in scoring.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
• March 13 – SEC MBB Tourney (1 day)
• March 21 – Football: Pro Timing Day (9)
• March 22 – Muschamp Coaches Clinic (10)
• April 6 – Football: Spring game (25)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (44)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (57)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (70)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (125)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (172)
7. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Gamecock Central birthdays
• @17cocks17 (Member since 2009)
• @ATLjimbo (2014)
• @GamecockSplash (2015)
• @Joelacorbett (2018)
If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or subscription - you can add your birthday here.
Gamecock Nation birthdays
• Andrew Pinnock – Mr. Football in Connecticut, Pinnock picked the Gamecocks over Syracuse and Iowa in 1999, which was Lou Holtz's first recruiting class at USC. He started two games as a freshman, rushing for 261 yards and three scores, including rushing for 76 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson. Pinnock would team up with Derek Watson in the backfield over the next couple of seasons. He made four starts in 2000 and picked up 406 yards on the ground, highlighted by 135 yards and two TDs versus Vandy. Pinnock rushed for 622 yards as a junior and had a three-touchdown game against Wofford. As a senior he rumbled to 563 yards and five scores. He played four years in the NFL for the Chargers and one with the Broncos.
• Nolan Belcher (baseball/pitcher, 2009-13)
• Victor Hampton (football/cornerback, 2010-13)
• Skip Holtz (football/assistant coach, 1999-03)
• John Shealy (football/quarterback, 1973-76)
• Mike Siopes (baseball/pitcher, 1987-89)
• Mike Songini (baseball/outfielder, 1987-88)
• Ebony Wilson (women's basketball/guard, 2009-12)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
8. Around Gamecock Nation
• 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
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)
9. Another Carolina Podcast
Recorded Thursday, Gamecock Central's Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell offer first impressions of the new defensive line coach, spring practice thoughts and what we've learned so far.
Listen to Gamecock Central Podcasts on these platforms: Apple iTunes Podcasts | Spotify | PlayerFM | SoundCloud | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | Spreaker| YouTube
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
Tuesday, March 12, 2019
Good morning and Happy Tuesday!
Baseball in Charleston. The baseball team travels to Charleston to take on The Citadel at 7 tonight. The game can be watched on the SoCon Digital Network (info below). Of course, Gamecock Central will be there to cover the game.
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.
Do you have something exciting you'd like us to mention in this newsletter? Go here and tell us about it.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
Frank Martin/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Is Frank Martin right or wrong? ❔❓
After wrapping up the regular season with a home win against Georgia, it did not take long for a question to be posed in Frank Martin’s postgame press conference that led to Martin railing against the fact that South Carolina is not considered a “bubble team” for the NCAA Tournament.
At the crux of Martin’s argument was the fact that South Carolina played a difficult non-conference schedule, finished in the top four of a tough SEC this season, and has a similar (or better) number of Quadrant I wins as other bubble teams.
When one digs into the numbers, it’s hard to argue with the head man.
Nobody’s saying that the Gamecocks should be a lock to get into the tournament. The facts are that USC did not help its cause earlier in the season by dropping some non-conference games, especially a very-difficult-to-swallow road loss to Wyoming.
Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons that South Carolina could rightfully be put on the bubble.
Here, we’ll use the bubble teams from ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket projections. USC has more Quadrant I wins than nine of the 16 teams on the aforementioned bubble.
USC finished fourth in its conference. As GamecockCentral.com’s Collyn Taylor pointed out, only two conferences in KenPom’s “best eight” college basketball conferences are projected to have their fourth-place teams left out of the tournament. One is the Pac-12, which is widely considered to be an atrocious basketball league this year, and the other is the SEC, which is widely considered an excellent league.
Indiana, a team Martin specifically compared USC to, has six Quadrant I wins (USC has three) and a NET ranking of 50. The Hoosiers do have three wins against ranked teams this season. Yet, the team also went 1-11 from early January to late February.
Lunardi has seven SEC teams in his field currently, with the Gamecocks’ record this season against those teams sitting at 4-5. Three of those teams (Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Florida) did not have as many conference wins as South Carolina, and USC also owns a win against each of those teams this year.
Florida is a team expected to make the tournament. The Gators are 3-10 in Quadrant I (South Carolina is 3-9) and has a NET ranking of 33, which is significantly higher than the Gamecocks. The Gamecocks finished with a better conference record as well as a head-to-head win, however.
- It remains to be seen how much the committee’s selections match up with the NET rankings. They’ll certainly weigh into the equation to some degree, especially with some of the comments made by chairman Bernard Muir related to seeding.
- One aspect of NET rankings that may not make as much sense is taking into account margin of victory in wins or margin of defeat in losses. As some coaches have pointed out, some late-game dynamics can have an effect on those things. USC’s certainly been hurt in some of its losses by margin of loss when it comes to the NET.
RELATED ITEM:
Examining the Gamecocks' resume before tournament time – Entering the SEC Tournament this week, the Gamecocks' tournament resume can only be described as unique. After struggling in the non-conference, they've surged in SEC play finishing fourth in the conference but are on the outside looking in if the tournament started today. (link)
– Chris Clark, (email)
Dawn Staley/Credit: Chris Gillespie
2. Women's Basketball bracket watch
- There are still a few conference tournaments going on this week, but not much should change for South Carolina.
- The quarterfinal loss in the SEC Tournament dropped South Carolina from a three seed to a four, according to ESPN.com women's basketball bracketologist Charlie Creme.
- As a four seed, South Carolina would still get to host the first two rounds in Charlotte.
- The good news: Dropping from a three to four would bump South Carolina from the Albany region to the Greensboro region. Of course, Greensboro, North Carolina, is much closer than Albany, New York.
- The bad news: According to Creme's projection, the Greensboro region would be loaded, with Baylor, Iowa and NC State as the top-three seeds, and Arizona State, Missouri and Clemson lurking.
- The bracket will be announced Monday, March 18 at 7 pm on ESPN.
– Chris Wellbaum (email)
Jaycee Horn/Credit: Katie Dugan
3. New and notes
Baseball: New polls released – Of the six college baseball polls we're tracking, five have the Gamecocks ranked (link)
Football: Mike Davis – NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that former USC running back Mike Davis will sign with the Chicago Bears. Reportedly, the contract is for two years worth $6 million.
Football: Best-friend duo not shying away from high expectations – Jaycee Horn didn't say it in a cocky or arrogant way, more as if it's a simple fact of life. "I think we can be two of the best corners in the nation," Horn said to the media last week. "That's our expectations. That should be every corner in the nation's expectation, is to be the best, so that's what we're shooting for." (link)
- Reminder: USC is on spring break this week. Spring practice will resume next week.
Men's Basketball: The latest with AJ Lawson – Right now, the jury is still out on if AJ Lawson will play this week in the SEC Tournament, but Frank Martin is encouraged by what he's seen from the freshman entering the week. (link)
Men's Basketball: Gravett named to 2019 SEC Community Service Team – Hassani Gravett was named to the 2019 SEC Men's Basketball Community Service Team. the league announced Monday. (link)
Baseball: Olson named a National Player of the Week – Jacob Olson was named a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball Newspaper. (link)
Football Recruiting: Florida DB has South Carolina under consideration – Orlando, Fla., Dominick Hill has continued to see his recruiting stock rise this year, with offers coming in from Alabama, Georgia, and others in 2019. South Carolina is among the programs to have offered the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder, and Hill was on campus at the beginning of the month to give the program a closer look. (subscription)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: In-state product loves up close visit to campus – Dillon Jones has been to Colonial Life plenty of times over his life, but Saturday he had a chance to experience something for the first time. The junior was able to sit right behind USC's bench and get to see Frank Martin’s coaching style up close and personal. (subscription)
Women's Basketball: Tyasha Harris named Lieberman Award finalist – Tyasha Harris is one of five finalists for the 2019 Nancy Lieberman Award. The award recognizes the top point guard in women's NCAA Division I college basketball who exhibits the floor leadership, play-making and ball-handling skill of Nancy Lieberman. (link)
Men's Tennis: Gamecocks fall to Bulldogs – USC dropped a nail biter in a 4-3 loss at the hands of Mississippi State. The match, which resumed play on Monday, had been postponed on Friday night, just under an hour into the singles session, due to heavy rain. (link)
Men's Golf: Record day propels Gamecocks to big lead – South Carolina had a strong performance in the first and second rounds of the Cleveland Golf Palmetto Intercollegiate to take a commanding 17-shot lead over the rest of the field after 36 holes. (link)
Swimming & Diving: Pair of divers qualify for NCAA Championships– Anton Down-Jenkins qualified to compete at the NCAA Championships in the men's one-meter and Mikaela Lujan qualified in the women's 3-meter on day one of the Zone B Championships. (link)
ICYMI: Baseball sweeps Valparaiso
• Game 1: Pitching cruises, leads Gamecocks to win over Valpo (link)
• Game 2: Gamecocks don't waste Morgan's outing, walk-off Valpo (link)
• Game 3: Olson rakes, Hopkins hits for cycle as USC sweeps Valpo (link)
– Jackson Fields (email)
Mark Kingston/Credit: Katie Dugan
4. Plan your schedule accordingly ⚾
Tuesday, March 12
• All day – Men's Golf, Palmetto Intercollegiate final round
• 10 am – Beach Volleyball vs Southern Cal (Atlanta)
• 1 pm – Men's Basketball, Frank Martin and players speak with the media to preview the SEC Tournament
• 3 pm – Beach Volleyball vs Florida Gulf Coast (Atlanta)
• 7 pm – Baseball travels to The Citadel, video
• 7 pm – Carolina Calls featuring Dawn Staley
Wednesday, March 13
• 12 pm & 2:30 pm – Softball hosts double-header vs Bryant
Thursday, March 14
• All day – Swimming & Diving, CSCAA National Invitational (Cleveland)
• 7:30 pm – Men's Basketball, Frank Martin speaks with the media (Nashville)
*** The SEC Tournament begins in Nashville on Wednesday. South Carolina's first game is Friday around 3:30 pm.
– Jackson Fields (email)
5. This Date in Gamecock History
March 12, 2004 – Michael Boynton hit all six of his 3-point attempts to lead USC to an SEC Tournament quarterfinal win over LSU. The Gamecocks (23-9) trailed by one at halftime, but a basket by Kerbrell Brown and a 3-pointer by Josh Gonner put USC up in the opening minute of the second half. USC would continue to stretch the lead, eventually winning by 21 as reserve guard Jon Land hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left for the 85-64 win. Boynton was the leading scorer with 18, while Tarence Kinsey (14), Josh Gonner (14) and Renaldo Balkman (11) also reached double figures in scoring.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
• March 13 – SEC MBB Tourney (1 day)
• March 21 – Football: Pro Timing Day (9)
• March 22 – Muschamp Coaches Clinic (10)
• April 6 – Football: Spring game (25)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (44)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (57)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (70)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (125)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (172)
7. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Gamecock Central birthdays
• @17cocks17 (Member since 2009)
• @ATLjimbo (2014)
• @GamecockSplash (2015)
• @Joelacorbett (2018)
If you have a Gamecock Central account - free or subscription - you can add your birthday here.
Gamecock Nation birthdays
• Andrew Pinnock – Mr. Football in Connecticut, Pinnock picked the Gamecocks over Syracuse and Iowa in 1999, which was Lou Holtz's first recruiting class at USC. He started two games as a freshman, rushing for 261 yards and three scores, including rushing for 76 yards and two touchdowns against Clemson. Pinnock would team up with Derek Watson in the backfield over the next couple of seasons. He made four starts in 2000 and picked up 406 yards on the ground, highlighted by 135 yards and two TDs versus Vandy. Pinnock rushed for 622 yards as a junior and had a three-touchdown game against Wofford. As a senior he rumbled to 563 yards and five scores. He played four years in the NFL for the Chargers and one with the Broncos.
• Nolan Belcher (baseball/pitcher, 2009-13)
• Victor Hampton (football/cornerback, 2010-13)
• Skip Holtz (football/assistant coach, 1999-03)
• John Shealy (football/quarterback, 1973-76)
• Mike Siopes (baseball/pitcher, 1987-89)
• Mike Songini (baseball/outfielder, 1987-88)
• Ebony Wilson (women's basketball/guard, 2009-12)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
8. Around Gamecock Nation
• 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
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)
9. Another Carolina Podcast
Recorded Thursday, Gamecock Central's Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell offer first impressions of the new defensive line coach, spring practice thoughts and what we've learned so far.
Listen to Gamecock Central Podcasts on these platforms: Apple iTunes Podcasts | Spotify | PlayerFM | SoundCloud | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | Spreaker| YouTube
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.
