B
Brian Shoemaker
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Gamecock Nation Today
- Wednesday, May 8, 2019 -
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
• The Spurs Up Tour makes a stop in Myrtle Beach tonight. And there's a Gamecock Club meeting in Marion featuring defensive line coach John Scott Jr.
• The baseball team hosts Furman at 7.
• The softball team begins SEC Tournament action versus Florida at 1:30.
• The women's golf team plays its third round of the 2019 NCAA Cle Elum Regional.
Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Why beating UNC and Georgia Tech in recruiting could be key to South Carolina's success moving forward
A quick look at Rivals.com's 2020 team recruiting rankings shows that the Gamecocks may have two new threats, led by new coaches, to watch out for in their traditional recruiting footprint for the foreseeable future.
The return of veteran head coach Mack Brown to North Carolina and the new energy of first-year Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins has provided a considerable early boost to the recruiting efforts of both, with each school sitting directly in prime South Carolina recruiting territory.
• With Will Muschamp claiming the greater Charlotte area as an "in-state territory" for the Gamecocks, South Carolina and North Carolina have faced off on the recruiting trail periodically since Muschamp arrived and throughout the Steve Spurrier era before then.
Brown may be 67 years old, but his recruiting ability should never be questioned. With 12 commits to the 2020 class, the national championship winning coach has the Tar Heels' class currently sitting 10th in the country. That's after the Heels finished 31st, 23rd, 30th and 22nd, respectively, during the last four Larry Fedora classes. That number may even out closer to the previous classes as other schools add commits, but there's no doubt that there's a renewed interest among North Carolina prospects in the program.
• South Carolina has already gone head-to-head with North Carolina for four-star WR Michael Wyman (SC commit) and three-star tight ends John Copenhaverand Kendall Karr (UNC commits) in this class. Both schools are heavily involved with top South Carolina targets such as four-star defensive ends Desmond Evansand Myles Murphy.
• Georgia Tech has made an even more pronounced jump in the recruiting rankings as it's transitioned from the old school approach of Paul Johnson to the modern approach of Collins.
The Yellow Jackets' class currently sits 12th in the country with 12 commits for 2020. That's after recruiting finishes of 43rd, 53rd, 41st and 67th, respectively, in the last four years.
• USC and GT have yet to go head-to-head on the recruiting trail much, but both schools are major factors for three-stars from the state of Georgia in RB Jahmyr Gibbs, DB Rashad Battle, and LB D.J. Lundy.
• Like Charlotte, Muschamp has dubbed Atlanta as an "in-state territory" for the Gamecocks, so any success by Georgia Tech in locking down parts of the city to recruiting outsiders, could directly affect the Gamecocks.
At the Atlanta Rivals Camp last month, the new GT staff created quite a buzz with prospects on hand mentioning interest in the program that simple didn't exist in previous recruiting cycles.
“They are moving from a wing-T to a spread, so they are going to try to recruit more big linemen like me. There seems to be way more excitement.” - Former South Carolina OL commit and major target Javion Cohen.
• Side note: Georgia Tech has a direct recruiting connection to South Carolina in that Collins hired Carina Hargreaves as his director of on-campus recruiting, the same role that Jessica Jackson holds in Columbia. Hargreaves was South Carolina's coordinator of football administration prior to taking the promotion at GT.
• With both that school from the upstate and Georgia focused on a more national recruiting approach than before, and the state of South Carolina down for the 2021 recruiting cycle, the states of North Carolina and Georgia will be more important than ever for the Gamecocks in the coming years.
Don't look for UNC and GT to show the ability to come into the Palmetto State and steal prospects that the Gamecocks won't any time soon. But the ability of Muschamp and Co. to go into their states and get talent, despite the buzz around those programs, could be a major key to recruiting success during the next few cycles.
– Wes Mitchell
2. Two signees make Rivals150
Frank Martin says he doesn’t care about recruiting rankings and the numbers or stars next to a player’s name, but it never hurts for his signees to earn accolades.
That’s exactly what happened Tuesday with both Trae Hannibal and Jalyn McCreary finding their names in the final Rivals150 rankings for the 2019 class.
Hannibal got the much-needed bump into the 150, the first time he’s been included on the list, coming in at No. 146 with McCreary slipping one spot but still ranked at No. 133.
Both could be impact players as freshmen with Hannibal tailor-made to be a Frank Martin point guard and McCreary adding length and athleticism in the front court.
The Gamecocks are one of eight SEC schools with multiple top 150 prospects.
This is big for the Gamecocks, who haven’t had multiple Rivals150 players since the 2015 class with PJ Dozier and Chris Silva.
– Collyn Taylor
3. ⚾ USC hosts Furman
Who: South Carolina (24-23, 5-19 SEC) vs. Furman (20-27, 9-9 SoCon)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Founders Park (Columbia)
Watch: SEC Network +
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Probable starting pitchers:
USC: RHP Wesley Sweatt (2-3, 4.55 ERA)
Furman: LHP Matt Lazzaro (1-6, 7.20 ERA)
The Paladins have been so-so this season with a losing record but with a series win over VMI and a .500 record in conference play. They’ve already played South Carolina once with the Gamecocks taking care of business, 12-7, in Greenville.
The Gamecocks come in losers of their last six games and are on a seven-game SEC losing streak, the longest since joining the conference in 1992.
Up next: 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.
– Collyn Taylor
4. This, that, and the other
Football: How Kyle Krantz is adjusting to new position - One of the newest additions to the staff is making in-roads in recruiting. (link)
Football Recruiting: SEC offers starting to roll in for Colson - South Carolina in strong position for rising Georgia athlete. (subscription)
Softball: Gamecocks to start SEC Tournament - USC begins play in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday against Florida in College Station, Texas. (link)
Softball: Two Gamecocks earn SEC honors - Jana Johns earned second-team all-SEC honors while Madison Owens was named to the SEC all-freshman team. (link)
Football: Gamecock Football Teacher Appreciation Day - USC announced that Gamecock Football Teacher Appreciation Day will return to Williams-Brice Stadium this fall for the Florida football game on Saturday, Oct. 19. (link)
Women's Golf: USC ends day two of regionals - The Gamecocks completed the second round of the 2019 NCAA Cle Elum Regional in a tie for 10th. They shot 8-over par (296) and is six strokes behind the top-six cut line to advance to the NCAA Championships.(link)
– Jackson Fields
5. This Date in Gamecock History
May 8, 1941 – First baseman Ken Roskie's two-run homer was the big blow as the Gamecocks knocked off Clemson, 5-3.
6. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Hallie Kinsey - A Scholastic All-American from Sacramento, Calif., Kinsey became a regular for the Gamecocks' swim team as a true freshman this year. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the week of Oct. 23 after winning both the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard butterfly against Arkansas. At the SEC Championships, she swam the second-fastest 100-yard fly in Carolina history and was part of three record-setting relay teams this year.
Ladd Fletcher (football/wide receiver, 1982-85)
Bennett Galloway (baseball/outfield, 1991-94)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
7. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (0 days)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (13)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (68)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (73)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (115)
More happenings
• May 8 – Myrtle Beach, Spurs Up Tour
• May 8 – Marion Gamecock Club meeting
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
• May 18 – SC Legends Baseball Camp
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
- Wednesday, May 8, 2019 -
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
• The Spurs Up Tour makes a stop in Myrtle Beach tonight. And there's a Gamecock Club meeting in Marion featuring defensive line coach John Scott Jr.
• The baseball team hosts Furman at 7.
• The softball team begins SEC Tournament action versus Florida at 1:30.
• The women's golf team plays its third round of the 2019 NCAA Cle Elum Regional.
Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Why beating UNC and Georgia Tech in recruiting could be key to South Carolina's success moving forward
A quick look at Rivals.com's 2020 team recruiting rankings shows that the Gamecocks may have two new threats, led by new coaches, to watch out for in their traditional recruiting footprint for the foreseeable future.
The return of veteran head coach Mack Brown to North Carolina and the new energy of first-year Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins has provided a considerable early boost to the recruiting efforts of both, with each school sitting directly in prime South Carolina recruiting territory.
• With Will Muschamp claiming the greater Charlotte area as an "in-state territory" for the Gamecocks, South Carolina and North Carolina have faced off on the recruiting trail periodically since Muschamp arrived and throughout the Steve Spurrier era before then.
Brown may be 67 years old, but his recruiting ability should never be questioned. With 12 commits to the 2020 class, the national championship winning coach has the Tar Heels' class currently sitting 10th in the country. That's after the Heels finished 31st, 23rd, 30th and 22nd, respectively, during the last four Larry Fedora classes. That number may even out closer to the previous classes as other schools add commits, but there's no doubt that there's a renewed interest among North Carolina prospects in the program.
• South Carolina has already gone head-to-head with North Carolina for four-star WR Michael Wyman (SC commit) and three-star tight ends John Copenhaverand Kendall Karr (UNC commits) in this class. Both schools are heavily involved with top South Carolina targets such as four-star defensive ends Desmond Evansand Myles Murphy.
• Georgia Tech has made an even more pronounced jump in the recruiting rankings as it's transitioned from the old school approach of Paul Johnson to the modern approach of Collins.
The Yellow Jackets' class currently sits 12th in the country with 12 commits for 2020. That's after recruiting finishes of 43rd, 53rd, 41st and 67th, respectively, in the last four years.
• USC and GT have yet to go head-to-head on the recruiting trail much, but both schools are major factors for three-stars from the state of Georgia in RB Jahmyr Gibbs, DB Rashad Battle, and LB D.J. Lundy.
• Like Charlotte, Muschamp has dubbed Atlanta as an "in-state territory" for the Gamecocks, so any success by Georgia Tech in locking down parts of the city to recruiting outsiders, could directly affect the Gamecocks.
At the Atlanta Rivals Camp last month, the new GT staff created quite a buzz with prospects on hand mentioning interest in the program that simple didn't exist in previous recruiting cycles.
“They are moving from a wing-T to a spread, so they are going to try to recruit more big linemen like me. There seems to be way more excitement.” - Former South Carolina OL commit and major target Javion Cohen.
• Side note: Georgia Tech has a direct recruiting connection to South Carolina in that Collins hired Carina Hargreaves as his director of on-campus recruiting, the same role that Jessica Jackson holds in Columbia. Hargreaves was South Carolina's coordinator of football administration prior to taking the promotion at GT.
• With both that school from the upstate and Georgia focused on a more national recruiting approach than before, and the state of South Carolina down for the 2021 recruiting cycle, the states of North Carolina and Georgia will be more important than ever for the Gamecocks in the coming years.
Don't look for UNC and GT to show the ability to come into the Palmetto State and steal prospects that the Gamecocks won't any time soon. But the ability of Muschamp and Co. to go into their states and get talent, despite the buzz around those programs, could be a major key to recruiting success during the next few cycles.
– Wes Mitchell
2. Two signees make Rivals150
Frank Martin says he doesn’t care about recruiting rankings and the numbers or stars next to a player’s name, but it never hurts for his signees to earn accolades.
That’s exactly what happened Tuesday with both Trae Hannibal and Jalyn McCreary finding their names in the final Rivals150 rankings for the 2019 class.
Hannibal got the much-needed bump into the 150, the first time he’s been included on the list, coming in at No. 146 with McCreary slipping one spot but still ranked at No. 133.
Both could be impact players as freshmen with Hannibal tailor-made to be a Frank Martin point guard and McCreary adding length and athleticism in the front court.
The Gamecocks are one of eight SEC schools with multiple top 150 prospects.
This is big for the Gamecocks, who haven’t had multiple Rivals150 players since the 2015 class with PJ Dozier and Chris Silva.
– Collyn Taylor
3. ⚾ USC hosts Furman
Who: South Carolina (24-23, 5-19 SEC) vs. Furman (20-27, 9-9 SoCon)
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Founders Park (Columbia)
Watch: SEC Network +
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Probable starting pitchers:
USC: RHP Wesley Sweatt (2-3, 4.55 ERA)
Furman: LHP Matt Lazzaro (1-6, 7.20 ERA)
The Paladins have been so-so this season with a losing record but with a series win over VMI and a .500 record in conference play. They’ve already played South Carolina once with the Gamecocks taking care of business, 12-7, in Greenville.
The Gamecocks come in losers of their last six games and are on a seven-game SEC losing streak, the longest since joining the conference in 1992.
Up next: 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.
– Collyn Taylor
4. This, that, and the other
Football: How Kyle Krantz is adjusting to new position - One of the newest additions to the staff is making in-roads in recruiting. (link)
Football Recruiting: SEC offers starting to roll in for Colson - South Carolina in strong position for rising Georgia athlete. (subscription)
Softball: Gamecocks to start SEC Tournament - USC begins play in the SEC Tournament on Wednesday against Florida in College Station, Texas. (link)
Softball: Two Gamecocks earn SEC honors - Jana Johns earned second-team all-SEC honors while Madison Owens was named to the SEC all-freshman team. (link)
Football: Gamecock Football Teacher Appreciation Day - USC announced that Gamecock Football Teacher Appreciation Day will return to Williams-Brice Stadium this fall for the Florida football game on Saturday, Oct. 19. (link)
Women's Golf: USC ends day two of regionals - The Gamecocks completed the second round of the 2019 NCAA Cle Elum Regional in a tie for 10th. They shot 8-over par (296) and is six strokes behind the top-six cut line to advance to the NCAA Championships.(link)
– Jackson Fields
5. This Date in Gamecock History
May 8, 1941 – First baseman Ken Roskie's two-run homer was the big blow as the Gamecocks knocked off Clemson, 5-3.
- Left fielder Earl Dunham contributed two hits and an RBI to the scoring and catcher Bruce Tate added an RBI single.
- Carolina pitcher Joe Grugan went the distance for the win. Grugan allowed just four singles and a double in the win while striking out eight.
- The game was the season finale for the Gamecocks, who finished their 1941 slate with a 10-8 record, with at least nine of those wins coming from Grugan, the staff workhorse.
6. Birthdays and Celebrations!
Hallie Kinsey - A Scholastic All-American from Sacramento, Calif., Kinsey became a regular for the Gamecocks' swim team as a true freshman this year. She was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the week of Oct. 23 after winning both the 100-yard butterfly and 200-yard butterfly against Arkansas. At the SEC Championships, she swam the second-fastest 100-yard fly in Carolina history and was part of three record-setting relay teams this year.
Ladd Fletcher (football/wide receiver, 1982-85)
Bennett Galloway (baseball/outfield, 1991-94)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
7. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (0 days)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (13)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (68)
• July 20 – Ladies Football Clinic (73)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (115)
More happenings
• May 8 – Myrtle Beach, Spurs Up Tour
• May 8 – Marion Gamecock Club meeting
• May 9 – Atlanta, Spurs Up Tour
• May 14 – Charleston, Spurs Up Tour
• May 18 – SC Legends Baseball Camp
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.
