B
Brian Shoemaker
Guest
------------------------
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecock Nation Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
Gamecock Nation Today
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Good morning and Happy Tuesday!
Facebook & Twitter. If you found this newsletter via Facebook or Twitter, you can sign up here to receive it each weekday morning in your email inbox.
Randrecous Davis/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Three things we learned about the offense on Monday
Several offensive players spoke with the media following practice on Monday and dished on spring practice and their roles within the offense. What did we find out?
Redshirt junior wide receiver Randrecous Davis seems to finally be healthy
It’s been a frustrating ride for Davis, who’s battled injuries for most of his time in Columbia. A former four-star prospect out of Atlanta, he caught his first career touchdown in 2018 and will be counted on to provide depth at the receiver position this season.
Davis agreed that this will be the first stretch, provided he stays healthy through the summer and season, that he’ll be able to go through an entire year of preparation and then into the season unscathed. There’s no longer a Deebo Samuel on the roster, and behind Bryan Edwards and Shi Smith there are some questions in terms of playmakers at receiver. If Davis could stay in the rotation and take a step forward, it could be a boost to USC's attack.
Hank Manos is looking to take the next step
A local product out of Chapin, Manos saw game action as a true freshman and made his first career start in the Belk Bowl against Virginia. Manos admitted there were some butterflies leading up to the game, and noted that his film study afterwards revealed that he looked like he was playing nervous at the outset of the game. A standout wrestler in high school, Manos typically stayed around 275 pounds during that season. As such, he had some work to do to get his weight up and maintain it at South Carolina.
He’s now around 300 pounds, working closely with nutritionist Kristin Coggin to make sure he’s on track eating and putting in extra time in the weight room to get stronger. He’s worked at both guard and center this season, and when asked to classify where he’s at during this stage of his career compared to where he thought he would be, he said he was “a little behind.”
Thomas Brown has brought a new philosophy to the team
Two running backs – Mon Denson and Deshaun Fenwick – spoke to the media during the session and were asked about working under the tutelage of assistant coach Thomas Brown, who took over running back coaching duties this spring.
The two reiterated that Brown hopes to find two running backs to primarily carry the load this season, as opposed to rotating multiple players throughout the game. Gamecock Central asked Denson what metric Brown was using to determine which guys could be the lead backs, and he agreed that it was strictly based on production in practice.
Brown, according to both players, also introduced some new drills during the course of practice that are centered on helping the players get lower and play with better pad level. The emphasis has been on making defenders miss in the hole or to run through contact, and Brown has noted numerous times that playing with better pad level can help in those situations.
– Chris Clark (email)
Dylan Harley/Credit: Katie Dugan
2. Baseball hosts NC A&T ⚾
Who: North Carolina A&T at USC
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Founders Park
Watch: SEC Network+
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Probable starting pitchers:
USC: Dylan Harley (Fr. LHP) 1-1, 8.83 ERA
NC A&T: To be announced
The Aggies are 14-9 on the season after a three-game sweep of Bethune-Cookman over the weekend.
Up next: Beginning Friday, USC hosts Auburn in a three-game SEC series. The Tigers are 20-4 overall and 4-2 in the SEC.
Baseball Links: SEC Standings | Schedule | Statistics | Polls
Deshaun Fenwick/Credit: Chris Gillespie
3. News and notes
Football: Fenwick 'got a smile' with Thomas Brown hire – When Deshaun Fenwick found out Bobby Bentley was moving to tight ends coach and the Gamecocks hired Thomas Brown as the new running backs coach, he couldn’t help but look up his resume. (link)
Women's Basketball: First and Second Round Wrap-up – South Carolina edged Florida State Sunday to reach the Sweet 16, so let’s clear out the notebook after a weekend from Charlotte, the home-away-from-home. (link)
Women's Basketball: NCAA regional tickets on sale – USC's ticket office is selling tickets for the Greensboro Regional. The Gamecocks will play games on Saturday and Monday (if they win Saturday) at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. (link)
Softball: Series finale against Ole Miss canceled– USC's series finale against No. 24 Ole Miss was canceled due to inclement weather on Monday. Ole Miss was leading 2-0 heading to the top of the fifth inning when the game was called. (link)
Swimming & Diving: Mental toughness helps Goldfaden achieve more – Itay Goldfaden earned All-American honors in the 100 breaststroke last year and had previously been a two-time national champion in his homeland, Israel. The emerging star recently added another impressive accolade to his resume. (link)
Men's Golf: USC in third at Bulls Bay – No. 20 South Carolina is in third place after 36 holes of the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. The Gamecocks posted a 286 (-2) in the second round on Monday in breezy conditions. Junior Jamie Wilson led Carolina for the second-straight day with another 69. (link)
Women's Golf: Gamecocks finish tied for eighth – No. 9 South Carolina women's golf concluded the 2019 Evans Derby Experience in a tie for eighth, carding a 72-hole score of 893 (+29) as a team at Saugahatchee Country Club. (link)
ICYMI, Baseball: Lose two of three to Tennessee
• Game 3: Gamecocks blow late lead, lose series (story/video)
• Game 2: Gamecocks come from behind to earn first SEC win (story/video)
• Game 1: Gamecocks drop opener in Knoxville 15-5 (story/video)
On the subscription side of things
Frank Martin
4. Plan your schedule accordingly
Tuesday, March 26
• All day – Men's Golf: Bull's Bay Intercollegiate
• Morning – Football: Spring practice No. 10; assistant coach Coleman Hutzler speaks with the media afterward
• 12:30 pm – Men's Basketball: Frank Martin postseason press conference
• 7 pm – Baseball hosts North Carolina A&T, SECN+
Wednesday, March 27
• All day – Swimming & Diving: Men's NCAA Championships (Austin)
• Morning – Football: Defensive players speak with the media
• 6 pm – Beach Volleyball hosts Coastal Carolina
• 6 pm – Softball hosts Georgia State
Thursday, March 28
• All day – Swimming & Diving: Men's NCAA Championships (Austin)
• All day – Track & Field: Florida Relays (Gainesville)
• Morning – Football: Spring practice No. 11; assistant coach Mike Peterson speaks with the media afterward
• 7 pm – Carolina Calls featuring Mark Kingston
– Jackson Fields (email)
5. This Date in Gamecock History
March 26, 2002 – Aaron Lucas scored 20 points and Jamel Bradley made four 3-pointers to set a new SEC single-season mark as the Gamecocks knocked off Syracuse in the NIT semifinals. Carolina clinched a berth in the NIT championship by finishing the game on a 11-4 run in the final 3:44. The game was tied at 55 when Tony Kitchings made two free throws to break the tie and Lucas, Bradley and Rolando Howell all made free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. The win sent USC to a championship game against Memphis.
March 26, 1975 – Senior pitcher Ray Lavigne no-hit George Mason in an 8-0 victory where he struck out seven and walked four while improving his season record to 4-0. The no-hitter was impressive in its own right, but what made it more amazing was that USC had also gotten a no-hitter in its previous game from Tim Lewis. Among the offensive highlights were a two-run single by Jeff Grantz in a six-run second inning and a home run from Hank Small in the eighth. USC improved to 16-2 on the year.
– John Parker (gamecockarchives.com)
6. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
• April 6 – Football: Spring game (11 days)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (30)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (43)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (56)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (111)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (116)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (158)
7. Birthdays and Celebrations!
• Ryan Bethea (football/wide receiver, 1985-87) – A high school All-American, Bethea played in the 1984 Shrine Bowl while also being named all-state in basketball. Bethea signed with South Carolina over Clemson and Georgia. He saw action as a reserve wide receiver as a true freshman. He took over as a starter in 1986, though an ankle injury kept him out of the Wake Forest game and most of the Clemson game. That season he began to show that he was at his best in big games, as he had 87 yards receiving and two touchdowns against Georgia, broke 100 yards (102) against Virginia Tech and scored on a 34-yard touchdown against Florida State. Bethea led the team in yards per reception that season. He returned as a starter in 1987 and made one of the year’s biggest plays when he took a short pass from Todd Ellis and turned it into a 77-yard play to set up the go-ahead score in Carolina’s 20-7 win over Clemson. Bethea was ruled ineligible before the 1988 season, ending his USC career. He spent time in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings (1988) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1991) before playing two seasons with the Charlotte Rage in the Arena league and playing with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the CFL. He got into coaching and in 2012 was coaching football in Norway.
• Todd Cooper (football/defensive tackle, 1985)
• Hunter Privette (baseball/pitcher, 2012-14)
– 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.
-----------------------------------------------------
As always, thank you reading this newsletter and being a part of the Gamecock Central community.
Customize: You get to choose which breaking news alerts and newsletters to receive from Gamecock Central.
Do you have something exciting you'd like to have mentioned in this newsletter? Go here and tell us about it.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
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.
NEED HELP? If you have a Gamecock Central account (free or pay) and cannot remember your password, please go to this link and enter your email address. If you don't receive an email from Rivals within five minutes, please alert me at shoe@gamecockcentral.com. The password needs to be at least nine characters, including at least one number.
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecock Nation Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
------------------------
Gamecock Nation Today
Tuesday, March 26, 2019
Good morning and Happy Tuesday!
Facebook & Twitter. If you found this newsletter via Facebook or Twitter, you can sign up here to receive it each weekday morning in your email inbox.
Randrecous Davis/Credit: Chris Gillespie
1. Three things we learned about the offense on Monday
Several offensive players spoke with the media following practice on Monday and dished on spring practice and their roles within the offense. What did we find out?
Redshirt junior wide receiver Randrecous Davis seems to finally be healthy
It’s been a frustrating ride for Davis, who’s battled injuries for most of his time in Columbia. A former four-star prospect out of Atlanta, he caught his first career touchdown in 2018 and will be counted on to provide depth at the receiver position this season.
Davis agreed that this will be the first stretch, provided he stays healthy through the summer and season, that he’ll be able to go through an entire year of preparation and then into the season unscathed. There’s no longer a Deebo Samuel on the roster, and behind Bryan Edwards and Shi Smith there are some questions in terms of playmakers at receiver. If Davis could stay in the rotation and take a step forward, it could be a boost to USC's attack.
Hank Manos is looking to take the next step
A local product out of Chapin, Manos saw game action as a true freshman and made his first career start in the Belk Bowl against Virginia. Manos admitted there were some butterflies leading up to the game, and noted that his film study afterwards revealed that he looked like he was playing nervous at the outset of the game. A standout wrestler in high school, Manos typically stayed around 275 pounds during that season. As such, he had some work to do to get his weight up and maintain it at South Carolina.
He’s now around 300 pounds, working closely with nutritionist Kristin Coggin to make sure he’s on track eating and putting in extra time in the weight room to get stronger. He’s worked at both guard and center this season, and when asked to classify where he’s at during this stage of his career compared to where he thought he would be, he said he was “a little behind.”
Thomas Brown has brought a new philosophy to the team
Two running backs – Mon Denson and Deshaun Fenwick – spoke to the media during the session and were asked about working under the tutelage of assistant coach Thomas Brown, who took over running back coaching duties this spring.
The two reiterated that Brown hopes to find two running backs to primarily carry the load this season, as opposed to rotating multiple players throughout the game. Gamecock Central asked Denson what metric Brown was using to determine which guys could be the lead backs, and he agreed that it was strictly based on production in practice.
Brown, according to both players, also introduced some new drills during the course of practice that are centered on helping the players get lower and play with better pad level. The emphasis has been on making defenders miss in the hole or to run through contact, and Brown has noted numerous times that playing with better pad level can help in those situations.
– Chris Clark (email)
Dylan Harley/Credit: Katie Dugan
2. Baseball hosts NC A&T ⚾
Who: North Carolina A&T at USC
When: 7 p.m.
Where: Founders Park
Watch: SEC Network+
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Probable starting pitchers:
USC: Dylan Harley (Fr. LHP) 1-1, 8.83 ERA
NC A&T: To be announced
The Aggies are 14-9 on the season after a three-game sweep of Bethune-Cookman over the weekend.
Up next: Beginning Friday, USC hosts Auburn in a three-game SEC series. The Tigers are 20-4 overall and 4-2 in the SEC.
Baseball Links: SEC Standings | Schedule | Statistics | Polls
Deshaun Fenwick/Credit: Chris Gillespie
3. News and notes
Football: Fenwick 'got a smile' with Thomas Brown hire – When Deshaun Fenwick found out Bobby Bentley was moving to tight ends coach and the Gamecocks hired Thomas Brown as the new running backs coach, he couldn’t help but look up his resume. (link)
Women's Basketball: First and Second Round Wrap-up – South Carolina edged Florida State Sunday to reach the Sweet 16, so let’s clear out the notebook after a weekend from Charlotte, the home-away-from-home. (link)
Women's Basketball: NCAA regional tickets on sale – USC's ticket office is selling tickets for the Greensboro Regional. The Gamecocks will play games on Saturday and Monday (if they win Saturday) at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C. (link)
Softball: Series finale against Ole Miss canceled– USC's series finale against No. 24 Ole Miss was canceled due to inclement weather on Monday. Ole Miss was leading 2-0 heading to the top of the fifth inning when the game was called. (link)
Swimming & Diving: Mental toughness helps Goldfaden achieve more – Itay Goldfaden earned All-American honors in the 100 breaststroke last year and had previously been a two-time national champion in his homeland, Israel. The emerging star recently added another impressive accolade to his resume. (link)
Men's Golf: USC in third at Bulls Bay – No. 20 South Carolina is in third place after 36 holes of the Hootie at Bulls Bay Intercollegiate. The Gamecocks posted a 286 (-2) in the second round on Monday in breezy conditions. Junior Jamie Wilson led Carolina for the second-straight day with another 69. (link)
Women's Golf: Gamecocks finish tied for eighth – No. 9 South Carolina women's golf concluded the 2019 Evans Derby Experience in a tie for eighth, carding a 72-hole score of 893 (+29) as a team at Saugahatchee Country Club. (link)
ICYMI, Baseball: Lose two of three to Tennessee
• Game 3: Gamecocks blow late lead, lose series (story/video)
• Game 2: Gamecocks come from behind to earn first SEC win (story/video)
• Game 1: Gamecocks drop opener in Knoxville 15-5 (story/video)
On the subscription side of things
- Football: Carolina Confidential – A ton of team scoop along with info about several top football targets. (subscription)
- Football Recruiting: The Insider Report – The very latest on a pair of five-star prospects that visited over the weekend and other top targets. (subscription)
- Football Recruiting: Some in-state names to watch – Several in-state names to keep an eye on after the Carolina Xposure Camp last weekend. (subscription)
- Football Recruiting: Big Georgia tackle enjoys another stop in Columbia – For the second time in 2019, Gainesville, Ga., defensive tackle Makius Scott made his way to Columbia for an unofficial visit. (subscription)
- Football: Offensive players talk spring ball – The latest from the offense following Monday's practice. (subscription)
Frank Martin
4. Plan your schedule accordingly
Tuesday, March 26
• All day – Men's Golf: Bull's Bay Intercollegiate
• Morning – Football: Spring practice No. 10; assistant coach Coleman Hutzler speaks with the media afterward
• 12:30 pm – Men's Basketball: Frank Martin postseason press conference
• 7 pm – Baseball hosts North Carolina A&T, SECN+
Wednesday, March 27
• All day – Swimming & Diving: Men's NCAA Championships (Austin)
• Morning – Football: Defensive players speak with the media
• 6 pm – Beach Volleyball hosts Coastal Carolina
• 6 pm – Softball hosts Georgia State
Thursday, March 28
• All day – Swimming & Diving: Men's NCAA Championships (Austin)
• All day – Track & Field: Florida Relays (Gainesville)
• Morning – Football: Spring practice No. 11; assistant coach Mike Peterson speaks with the media afterward
• 7 pm – Carolina Calls featuring Mark Kingston
– Jackson Fields (email)
5. This Date in Gamecock History
March 26, 2002 – Aaron Lucas scored 20 points and Jamel Bradley made four 3-pointers to set a new SEC single-season mark as the Gamecocks knocked off Syracuse in the NIT semifinals. Carolina clinched a berth in the NIT championship by finishing the game on a 11-4 run in the final 3:44. The game was tied at 55 when Tony Kitchings made two free throws to break the tie and Lucas, Bradley and Rolando Howell all made free throws down the stretch to seal the victory. The win sent USC to a championship game against Memphis.
March 26, 1975 – Senior pitcher Ray Lavigne no-hit George Mason in an 8-0 victory where he struck out seven and walked four while improving his season record to 4-0. The no-hitter was impressive in its own right, but what made it more amazing was that USC had also gotten a no-hitter in its previous game from Tim Lewis. Among the offensive highlights were a two-run single by Jeff Grantz in a six-run second inning and a home run from Hank Small in the eighth. USC improved to 16-2 on the year.
– John Parker (gamecockarchives.com)
6. Key Dates (Countdown) ⌚
• April 6 – Football: Spring game (11 days)
• April 25 – NFL Draft begins (30)
• May 8 – SEC Softball Tourney (43)
• May 21 – SEC Baseball Tourney (56)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days begins (111)
• July 20 – Muschamp Ladies Football Clinic (116)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (158)
7. Birthdays and Celebrations!
• Ryan Bethea (football/wide receiver, 1985-87) – A high school All-American, Bethea played in the 1984 Shrine Bowl while also being named all-state in basketball. Bethea signed with South Carolina over Clemson and Georgia. He saw action as a reserve wide receiver as a true freshman. He took over as a starter in 1986, though an ankle injury kept him out of the Wake Forest game and most of the Clemson game. That season he began to show that he was at his best in big games, as he had 87 yards receiving and two touchdowns against Georgia, broke 100 yards (102) against Virginia Tech and scored on a 34-yard touchdown against Florida State. Bethea led the team in yards per reception that season. He returned as a starter in 1987 and made one of the year’s biggest plays when he took a short pass from Todd Ellis and turned it into a 77-yard play to set up the go-ahead score in Carolina’s 20-7 win over Clemson. Bethea was ruled ineligible before the 1988 season, ending his USC career. He spent time in the NFL with the Minnesota Vikings (1988) and Pittsburgh Steelers (1991) before playing two seasons with the Charlotte Rage in the Arena league and playing with the Saskatchewan Rough Riders of the CFL. He got into coaching and in 2012 was coaching football in Norway.
• Todd Cooper (football/defensive tackle, 1985)
• Hunter Privette (baseball/pitcher, 2012-14)
– 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.
-----------------------------------------------------
As always, thank you reading this newsletter and being a part of the Gamecock Central community.
Customize: You get to choose which breaking news alerts and newsletters to receive from Gamecock Central.
Do you have something exciting you'd like to have mentioned in this newsletter? Go here and tell us about it.
– Brian Shoemaker (email)
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.
NEED HELP? If you have a Gamecock Central account (free or pay) and cannot remember your password, please go to this link and enter your email address. If you don't receive an email from Rivals within five minutes, please alert me at shoe@gamecockcentral.com. The password needs to be at least nine characters, including at least one number.
