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Brian Shoemaker
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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
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019
Good morning.
_____________________________
Pictured: A.J. Lawson
1. Chances of making the tourney
Earlier this week in the newsletter we discussed what South Carolina needed to do to go from NCAA tournament long shot to in the conversation for the dance.
One of the first steps: Beat Ole Miss Tuesday night. Check ✔
The 79-64 defeat of the Rebs - a much more difficult feat than that score suggests - puts the Gamecocks at 9-4 in the SEC and fourth in the conference standings with just five league games left in the regular season.
With that win, the Gamecocks move up from 93 to 82 in the new NET, the metric that the committee will now lean on instead of the RPI. Not bad considering they were at 111 less than two weeks ago.
So what are the Gamecocks' chances of making the tournament right now? The folks over at TeamRankings.com, who use their models to simulate every single basketball game and then predict the NCAA tournament bracket, currently give Carolina an 18.3 percent chance of making the tournament, up from just 10.8 percent prior to the Ole Miss win.
As we talked about earlier in the week, a 13-5 SEC record - a 4-1 finish - would surely put them firmly in the conversation. That finish would give Carolina 18 overall wins, which according to TeamRanking's chart, would put the chances of a post-season bid at exactly a coin flip. But go 5-0 in the regular season or finish 4-1 and then add a win in the SEC Tournament and the chances balloon to 86.4 percent.
Next on the schedule for the Gamecocks is a massive - and we do mean massive - road showdown with Mississippi State, currently No. 26 in the NET, Saturday at 6 p.m.
Win that game and the path to the postseason becomes clear.
– Wes Mitchell, wes@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: Jadeveon Clowney. Credit: Associated Press
2. Top opponents and teammates in Gamecock history
South Carolina’s football program has had some elite players roll through: Heisman trophy winner George Rogers, number one NFL Draft pick Jadeveon Clowney, the venerable Marcus Lattimore, and many others. USC’s also seen its fair share of talent line up across the way. Tim Tebow and Cam Newton, anyone? How about Darren McFadden or David Pollack?
We recently reached out to a panel of former South Carolina football players, who gave us their picks for the best former teammate and the most talented opposing player they faced. GamecockCentral.com subscribers can read the full feature. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the submissions.
Pharoh Cooper’s picks: "On my team, Clowney. On another team, Todd Gurley (Georgia)"
Gerald Dixon Jr.’s picks: "Played against, I’d have to say that LSU team. I couldn’t pick a player because the whole team was stacked. I was only a redshirt freshman, I believe that was 2012 when we lost by three at LSU. They had Odell Beckham Jr., Eric Reid, Jeremy Hill, Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu), everybody! Played with, that’s easy, Clowney ! We’ve been playing with and against each other since we could start playing ball. Dude was already a freak in Pop Warner at running back!, then he went number one overall recruit and number one draft pick. That's crazy."
Cliff Matthews’ picks: "Carolina: Eric Norwood, Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffrey, Melvin Ingram, Kenny McKinley. Other: Tim Tebow (Florida), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Michael Oher (Ole Miss), Clint Boling (Georgia), CJ Spiller (Clemson).
Eric Norwood’s picks: "Alshon Jeffery and Percy Harvin."
Chaz Sutton’s picks: "I would have to say the best players I played against were Cam Newton (Auburn) and Randall Cobb (Kentucky). The most talented teammate would have to be Melvin Ingram, hands down."
– Chris Clark, clark@gamecockcentral.com
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Pictured: A.J. Turner. Credit: Chris Gillespie
3. From Wednesday
Hannibal has monster final high school game. South Carolina men's basketball signee Trae Hannibal's high school career came to an end Wednesday night. Despite losing a playoff game to Wilson in overtime, Hannibal scored a game-high 62 points. (link)
Spurs Up Tour announced. The Gamecock Club, along with Will Muschamp, will visit a total of nine locations this spring:
Putnam no longer on the roster. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Will Putnam is no longer listed on the official roster on USC's website, following the latest update for spring practice. A former three-star prospect from Harrisburg, N.C., Putnam did not see the field during his three seasons in Columbia.
Turner at defensive back. Redshirt senior A.J. Turner played cornerback in the 2018 Akron and Virginia games due to numerous injuries in the secondary. Apparently, the move is permanent, as Turner is listed as a defensive back on USC's spring roster.
Services set for Harold White. The funeral is set for 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 22 at Brookland Baptist Church (1066 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia, SC 29169). Visitation will be on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. at Palmer Memorial Chapel (1200 Fontaine Place, Columbia, SC 29223). The athletics department will hold a tribute at 8 p.m. on Thursday on the 600 level of the Press Box at Williams-Brice Stadium. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. For additional events celebrating his life on Thursday and Friday, go to Palmer Memorial Chapel's website. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the USC College of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management to the Harold A. White Endowment Scholarship Fund (link).
Men's Basketball. Trio could be playing their way into postseason honors. With the SEC season winding down, individual award races are coming down to the wire with a few Gamecocks playing their way into the conversation. Frank Martin said after the Ole Miss game that he “would hope” three of his players get rewarded for their individual play. (link)
Softball. Expected weather forces changes to tournament in Charlotte. Due to expected inclement weather in the Charlotte area during the Charlotte First Pitch Classic, the softball team will face Youngstown State at Carolina Softball Stadium on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. with free admission to the public. Sunday's game times for the tournament have changed, too. Originally scheduled to play in Charlotte at 12:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., the Gamecocks are now scheduled to play Charlotte at 2 p.m. and Winthrop at 4 p.m.
Swimming & Diving. Minuth grabs third-straight SEC crown. Senior Fynn Minuth broke his own SEC record as he swam a 4:11.98 to win the 500 freestyle for a third-consecutive season. Minuth was one of three Gamecocks' A-finalists on the second night at the SEC Championships. The SEC Championships will continue with day three on Thursday with prelims beginning at 10 a.m., followed by the third night of finals at 6 p.m. (link)
Women's Tennis. Gamecocks make history with rankings. USC has earned the highest-ranked singles and doubles rankings in program history in the newest ITA polls. Senior Ingrid Gamarra Martins climbed to No. 10. In doubles, Gamarra Martins and junior Mia Horvit came in at No. 2. (link)
Men's Tennis. Jubb moves into Oracle/ITA Top 10. Junior Paul Jubb came in at No. 4 in the country in the latest Oracle/ITA Singles Rankings. The Gamecocks, which came in at No. 31 in this week's team rankings, had three total players crack the ITA Top-125 with No. 76 Daniel Rodrigues and No. 95 Raphael Lambling each climbing to career-best rankings this week. (link)
Men's Tennis. Lambling named SEC Freshman of the Week. True freshman Raphael Lambling was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. He is the second USC freshman in a row to win the award after Daniel Rodrigues was recognized by the conference last week. (link)
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Pictured: Bianca Cuevas-Moore. Credit: Chris Gillespie
4. Plan your schedule accordingly
Thursday, Feb. 21
5. Signee of the Day - Rodricus Fitten
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 Atlanta (Ga.) Washington three-star BUCK Rodricus Fitten, who was the earliest signee to commit to the Gamecocks, back in September 2017.
Other offers: Florida, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee
Coach's corner: "He's probably a hybrid guy. With his size, he's about 220, 225. He's a track guy as well. Last spring (2017) he qualified for the 100 meters in state. We have him play multiple positions. He creates a lot of mismatches for high school tackles. They're always trying to find out where he is and where we move him. They game plan around him. He has his natural knack for the football. He's very instinctive about going to get ball carriers." - Washington head coach Derrick Avery
– Wes Mitchell, wes@gamecockcentral.com
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6. This Date in Gamecock History
February 21, 1996. In a physical game that saw Florida called for 29 fouls, the Gamecocks knocked off the Gators, 80-75, to move into second place in the SEC East. USC held an 11-point lead at the half, but Florida made several second-half runs, getting as close as five points several times. Thanks to heroics from Larry Davis, the SEC's second-leading scorer, Carolina was able to hold off those charges every time. Davis and BJ McKie led the team with 19 points, while Malik Russell added 14 and Ryan Stack scored 10.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
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7. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
Feb. 27: Spring football practice begins (6 days)
March 6: SEC WBB Tourney begins (13)
March 13: SEC MBB Tourney begins (20)
March 22: Muschamp Coaches Clinic (29)
April 6: Spring football game (44)
April 25: NFL Draft begins (63)
July 15: SEC Media Days begins (144)
Aug. 31: Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (191)
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Pictured: Aaron Sterling. Credit: Katie Dugan
8. Gamecock Nation Birthdays
Gamecock Central (from Wednesday):
Nathan Pepper (defensive tackle, 2005-09). A steady contributor, Pepper played in the Shrine Bowl before signing with USC. He would make 36 starts over his Gamecock career, recording 80 tackles with four sacks. He also showed a knack for the ball, picking off two passes and recovering two fumbles. He scored on an interception return vs. S.C. State in 2007 and on a 29-yard fumble recovery against Ole Miss in 2008.
Toure Boyd (safety, 2015-16)
Travis Ford (center, 2010-12)
Brad Hocking (pitcher, 2005)
Jeff Kendziorski (fullback, 1976-80)
Aaron Sterling (defensive end, 2017-18)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
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9. Around Gamecock Nation
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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
Thursday, Feb. 21, 2019
Good morning.
- Mother Nature was the big winner Wednesday. The baseball game with Presbyterian was canceled and the softball game with Charleston Southern was moved to today.
- Tonight at 7, in a top-25 matchup, the No. 13 women's basketball team hosts No. 16 Kentucky. The Gamecocks have defeated the Wildcats nine straight times. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
- Please forward this to someone you love/like/tolerate (sign up here).
_____________________________
Pictured: A.J. Lawson
1. Chances of making the tourney
Earlier this week in the newsletter we discussed what South Carolina needed to do to go from NCAA tournament long shot to in the conversation for the dance.
One of the first steps: Beat Ole Miss Tuesday night. Check ✔
The 79-64 defeat of the Rebs - a much more difficult feat than that score suggests - puts the Gamecocks at 9-4 in the SEC and fourth in the conference standings with just five league games left in the regular season.
With that win, the Gamecocks move up from 93 to 82 in the new NET, the metric that the committee will now lean on instead of the RPI. Not bad considering they were at 111 less than two weeks ago.
So what are the Gamecocks' chances of making the tournament right now? The folks over at TeamRankings.com, who use their models to simulate every single basketball game and then predict the NCAA tournament bracket, currently give Carolina an 18.3 percent chance of making the tournament, up from just 10.8 percent prior to the Ole Miss win.
As we talked about earlier in the week, a 13-5 SEC record - a 4-1 finish - would surely put them firmly in the conversation. That finish would give Carolina 18 overall wins, which according to TeamRanking's chart, would put the chances of a post-season bid at exactly a coin flip. But go 5-0 in the regular season or finish 4-1 and then add a win in the SEC Tournament and the chances balloon to 86.4 percent.
Next on the schedule for the Gamecocks is a massive - and we do mean massive - road showdown with Mississippi State, currently No. 26 in the NET, Saturday at 6 p.m.
Win that game and the path to the postseason becomes clear.
– Wes Mitchell, wes@gamecockcentral.com
_____________________________
Pictured: Jadeveon Clowney. Credit: Associated Press
2. Top opponents and teammates in Gamecock history
South Carolina’s football program has had some elite players roll through: Heisman trophy winner George Rogers, number one NFL Draft pick Jadeveon Clowney, the venerable Marcus Lattimore, and many others. USC’s also seen its fair share of talent line up across the way. Tim Tebow and Cam Newton, anyone? How about Darren McFadden or David Pollack?
We recently reached out to a panel of former South Carolina football players, who gave us their picks for the best former teammate and the most talented opposing player they faced. GamecockCentral.com subscribers can read the full feature. Here’s a sneak peek at a few of the submissions.
Pharoh Cooper’s picks: "On my team, Clowney. On another team, Todd Gurley (Georgia)"
Gerald Dixon Jr.’s picks: "Played against, I’d have to say that LSU team. I couldn’t pick a player because the whole team was stacked. I was only a redshirt freshman, I believe that was 2012 when we lost by three at LSU. They had Odell Beckham Jr., Eric Reid, Jeremy Hill, Honey Badger (Tyrann Mathieu), everybody! Played with, that’s easy, Clowney ! We’ve been playing with and against each other since we could start playing ball. Dude was already a freak in Pop Warner at running back!, then he went number one overall recruit and number one draft pick. That's crazy."
Cliff Matthews’ picks: "Carolina: Eric Norwood, Marcus Lattimore, Alshon Jeffrey, Melvin Ingram, Kenny McKinley. Other: Tim Tebow (Florida), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Michael Oher (Ole Miss), Clint Boling (Georgia), CJ Spiller (Clemson).
Eric Norwood’s picks: "Alshon Jeffery and Percy Harvin."
Chaz Sutton’s picks: "I would have to say the best players I played against were Cam Newton (Auburn) and Randall Cobb (Kentucky). The most talented teammate would have to be Melvin Ingram, hands down."
– Chris Clark, clark@gamecockcentral.com
_____________________________
Pictured: A.J. Turner. Credit: Chris Gillespie
3. From Wednesday
Hannibal has monster final high school game. South Carolina men's basketball signee Trae Hannibal's high school career came to an end Wednesday night. Despite losing a playoff game to Wilson in overtime, Hannibal scored a game-high 62 points. (link)
Spurs Up Tour announced. The Gamecock Club, along with Will Muschamp, will visit a total of nine locations this spring:
- April 23 - Augusta
- April 24 - Midlands
- April 29 - Lancaster
- April 30 - Greenville
- May 2 - York
- May 7 - Sumter
- May 8 - Myrtle Beach
- May 9 - Atlanta
- May 14 - Charleston
Putnam no longer on the roster. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Will Putnam is no longer listed on the official roster on USC's website, following the latest update for spring practice. A former three-star prospect from Harrisburg, N.C., Putnam did not see the field during his three seasons in Columbia.
Turner at defensive back. Redshirt senior A.J. Turner played cornerback in the 2018 Akron and Virginia games due to numerous injuries in the secondary. Apparently, the move is permanent, as Turner is listed as a defensive back on USC's spring roster.
- 2019 spring football roster
- 2019 scholarship breakdown (cool feature)
Services set for Harold White. The funeral is set for 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 22 at Brookland Baptist Church (1066 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia, SC 29169). Visitation will be on Thursday, Feb. 21 at 5 p.m. at Palmer Memorial Chapel (1200 Fontaine Place, Columbia, SC 29223). The athletics department will hold a tribute at 8 p.m. on Thursday on the 600 level of the Press Box at Williams-Brice Stadium. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. For additional events celebrating his life on Thursday and Friday, go to Palmer Memorial Chapel's website. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the USC College of Hospitality, Retail and Sports Management to the Harold A. White Endowment Scholarship Fund (link).
Men's Basketball. Trio could be playing their way into postseason honors. With the SEC season winding down, individual award races are coming down to the wire with a few Gamecocks playing their way into the conversation. Frank Martin said after the Ole Miss game that he “would hope” three of his players get rewarded for their individual play. (link)
Softball. Expected weather forces changes to tournament in Charlotte. Due to expected inclement weather in the Charlotte area during the Charlotte First Pitch Classic, the softball team will face Youngstown State at Carolina Softball Stadium on Saturday. First pitch is set for 2 p.m. with free admission to the public. Sunday's game times for the tournament have changed, too. Originally scheduled to play in Charlotte at 12:15 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., the Gamecocks are now scheduled to play Charlotte at 2 p.m. and Winthrop at 4 p.m.
Swimming & Diving. Minuth grabs third-straight SEC crown. Senior Fynn Minuth broke his own SEC record as he swam a 4:11.98 to win the 500 freestyle for a third-consecutive season. Minuth was one of three Gamecocks' A-finalists on the second night at the SEC Championships. The SEC Championships will continue with day three on Thursday with prelims beginning at 10 a.m., followed by the third night of finals at 6 p.m. (link)
Women's Tennis. Gamecocks make history with rankings. USC has earned the highest-ranked singles and doubles rankings in program history in the newest ITA polls. Senior Ingrid Gamarra Martins climbed to No. 10. In doubles, Gamarra Martins and junior Mia Horvit came in at No. 2. (link)
Men's Tennis. Jubb moves into Oracle/ITA Top 10. Junior Paul Jubb came in at No. 4 in the country in the latest Oracle/ITA Singles Rankings. The Gamecocks, which came in at No. 31 in this week's team rankings, had three total players crack the ITA Top-125 with No. 76 Daniel Rodrigues and No. 95 Raphael Lambling each climbing to career-best rankings this week. (link)
Men's Tennis. Lambling named SEC Freshman of the Week. True freshman Raphael Lambling was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. He is the second USC freshman in a row to win the award after Daniel Rodrigues was recognized by the conference last week. (link)
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Pictured: Bianca Cuevas-Moore. Credit: Chris Gillespie
4. Plan your schedule accordingly
Thursday, Feb. 21
- 10 am, Swimming & Diving, SEC Champ. Day 3, prelims
- 4 pm, Softball, hosts Charleston Southern
- 6 pm, Swimming & Diving, SEC Champ. Day 3, finals
- 7 pm, Carolina Calls featuring Frank Martin
- 7 pm, Women's Basketball, hosts Kentucky, SECN
- All day, Track & Field, SEC Indoor Championships
- 10 am, Swimming & Diving, SEC Champ. Day 4, prelims
- 4 pm, Baseball, hosts Utah Valley, SECN+
- 6 pm, Swimming & Diving, SEC Champ. Day 4, finals
5. Signee of the Day - Rodricus Fitten
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 Atlanta (Ga.) Washington three-star BUCK Rodricus Fitten, who was the earliest signee to commit to the Gamecocks, back in September 2017.
Other offers: Florida, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee
Coach's corner: "He's probably a hybrid guy. With his size, he's about 220, 225. He's a track guy as well. Last spring (2017) he qualified for the 100 meters in state. We have him play multiple positions. He creates a lot of mismatches for high school tackles. They're always trying to find out where he is and where we move him. They game plan around him. He has his natural knack for the football. He's very instinctive about going to get ball carriers." - Washington head coach Derrick Avery
– Wes Mitchell, wes@gamecockcentral.com
_____________________________
6. This Date in Gamecock History
February 21, 1996. In a physical game that saw Florida called for 29 fouls, the Gamecocks knocked off the Gators, 80-75, to move into second place in the SEC East. USC held an 11-point lead at the half, but Florida made several second-half runs, getting as close as five points several times. Thanks to heroics from Larry Davis, the SEC's second-leading scorer, Carolina was able to hold off those charges every time. Davis and BJ McKie led the team with 19 points, while Malik Russell added 14 and Ryan Stack scored 10.
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
_____________________________
7. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
Feb. 27: Spring football practice begins (6 days)
March 6: SEC WBB Tourney begins (13)
March 13: SEC MBB Tourney begins (20)
March 22: Muschamp Coaches Clinic (29)
April 6: Spring football game (44)
April 25: NFL Draft begins (63)
July 15: SEC Media Days begins (144)
Aug. 31: Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (191)
_____________________________
Pictured: Aaron Sterling. Credit: Katie Dugan
8. Gamecock Nation Birthdays
Gamecock Central (from Wednesday):
- @pepsicock (Member since 2006)
- @Brian Shoemaker
Nathan Pepper (defensive tackle, 2005-09). A steady contributor, Pepper played in the Shrine Bowl before signing with USC. He would make 36 starts over his Gamecock career, recording 80 tackles with four sacks. He also showed a knack for the ball, picking off two passes and recovering two fumbles. He scored on an interception return vs. S.C. State in 2007 and on a 29-yard fumble recovery against Ole Miss in 2008.
Toure Boyd (safety, 2015-16)
Travis Ford (center, 2010-12)
Brad Hocking (pitcher, 2005)
Jeff Kendziorski (fullback, 1976-80)
Aaron Sterling (defensive end, 2017-18)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
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9. Around Gamecock Nation
- Feb. 23 - Gamecocks at Mardi Gras Party, New Orleans (link)
- Feb. 24 - Charleston Gamecock Club Oyster Roast (link)
- 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
_____________________________
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.
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