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TheEt BY MARK LEARY Of The Gamecock staff Six former Gamecock basketball players are performing in professional basketball now and for the most part they are all doing quite well. . The players are equally divided between the NBA and the ABA. In the NBA there are Brian Winters of the Los Angeles Lakers, Jim Fox of the Seattle Supersonics and Tom Riker of the New York Knicks. Carolina's players in the ABA are Tom Owens of the St. Louis Spirits, John Roche of the Ken tucky Colonels and Kevin Joyce of the Indiana Pacers. Fox is the eldest of the former Carolina players. He finished out his college career at Carolina in Frank McGuire's first year. His accomplishments at Carolina are listed throughout the record books. He was in the top ten in single season. and career rebounding besides being in the top twenty in single season scoring averages. Presently Fox is performing under Bill Russell at Seattle and most experts feel he will be han dling the majority of the pivot chores until rookie center 7-4 Tom Burleson truly learns the ins and outs of the NBA. The future for Fox, a nine-year veteran, does not look endouraging with 6-8 rookie Leonard Gray and all-star forward Spencer Haywood at the forwards. When Burleson moves into the center spot Fox's future seems to be one of backing up the younger players. John Roche came out of Carolina after the 1971 season and went to Roche heati Six formt JIM FOX KEVIN JOYCE TOM OWENS TOM RIKER JOHN ROCHE BRIAN WINTERS the New York Nets of the ABA. Roche,who was Mr. Everything at Carolina at guard, is the all-time scoring leader for a career (1,910 points) and second in career scoring average with 22.5 for his Carolina career, to mention just a few categories his name appears in in the record book. Midway through last basketball season the Nets traded Roche to the Kentucky Colonels for two players and this trade faltered for the latter team as Roche did not produce the way they hoped he would, finishing with a 11.6 points per game average. His biggest problem in the pros has been finding another guard to go alongside him to make up for his defensive shortcomings. Tom Owens also left with Roche for the ABA in 1971 after a suc cessful Carolina career. He is first in career rebounding and also is in the 1,000-point club for Carolina. Last year Owens finished third in the league in shooting percentage (53 per cent). He also averaged 8.6 rebounds, which was 12th best in the league and scored at a 13.4 clip. He is successful because he gets inside, gets the ball and shoots well. Jno to bal r USC play Joyce, Winto Owens' situation has chang.ed, though, as it looks like the 6-10 center will be in a backup role for the Spirits behind number one draft choice Marvin. Barnes. Tom Riker signed with the New York Knicks of the NBA after the 1972 season. He was one of the biggest bonus babies in the league that year. Riker also is in almost every category in the Gamecock record books. Riker reported to the Knicks overweight and has never regained the collegiate form the New York ball club paid so much money for. He has sat on the bench, and played in the minor leagues trying to regain his lost form. The Knicks are desperate for a center and if Riker is going to make it, now is the time. Riker played in Italy this summer attempting to keep himself in playing condition. In this early part of the season Riker has only scored a few points per game in a backup role to starting center John Gianelli. Joyce departed for the pros after the 1973 season and went to Indiana of the ABA. Joyce's name also often graces the Carolina record book. Among other things, he is number five in both career scoring and also career average. Joyce had a slow start in the pros for the Pacers, averaging only 7.3 in a reserve role last season. This season he is coming into his own and earlier was averaging 16.1 points in a rebounder and scorer's role. Winters was the latest to go to the pros from Carolina. The Los Angeles Lakers made him the number one pick of the NBA club. With the retirement of Jerry West, Winters got the break he needed. He has been playing quite regularly at guard for the Lakers and throwing in a fair amount of points for a rookie guard. Carolina has been an excellent territory for the pro scouts to come and find future pro players. This year shouldn't be different as many of Carolina's players are reaching the time when they can be lured out of the college ranks. Just walk down press row sometime and you will be amased by the number of pro scouts that populate the front row. rrs now in ABA, NBA 4 8/ NW-1 .aw radRiker ine192unseasoinaD