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USCba By RONNIE HUTCHINS Gamecock Staff Writer In his 27-year coaching career, USC Head Basketball Coach Frank McGuire has probably been in almost every possible coaching situation. But, this year McGuire doesn't know what to expect. "I'm as anxious as anyone else to see how this team looks against another team," McGuire said. "There's not a coach in the world that could tell just how good this team will be right now." THE POTENTIAL is there, but a question arises: how will the inexperienced team do against the early part of the schedule? "I've never had to send a team so young and inexperienced to face an early schedule like we have," McGuire said. "But, on the other hand, we're not going to be doing a lot of preparing for the future on the court this year either. I think it's only fair to the people paying their money to see us to give them the best possible show we can." Marquett lead in Gi By SALLY WILSON Asst Snnrt? KrfitAP With football prognosticating over and hopefully forgotten, the Gamecock staff and several guest selectors have rated Marquette and Michigan the nation's top basketball teams. The Gamecock's preseason top 20 poll is a tabulation of 17 in dividual polls. North Carolina head coach Dean Smith, Duke head coach Bill Foster, Carolina associate head coach Donnie Walsh, WIS Radio announcer Bob Fulton, WIS ? i:? " 1 icicvioiun a 1 mutineer -Jim r uresi, Sports Information Director Tom Price and eleven Gamecock staff members participated in the poll. MARQUETTE AND Michigan, both receiving six first place votes, were rated in the top five by 16 of 17 prognosticators. Smith selected Michigan to finish 10th, one behind aoum Carolina. Michigan, last year's runner-up to Indiana in the NCAA inflas, have nine of their top 10 players returning. Although Michigan does not have a big center, the Wolverines have possibly the nation's hfist crmin n( pniiwiiotf. ? 0- W* WIAVgtUl.V guards?Rickey Green, Steve Grote and Dave Baxter. Coached by John Orr, Michigan finished last season with a 25-7 record. "I'm excited about this season," Orr said in Street and Smith's Basketball yearbook. "I hope we can build on the enthusiasm and go all the way." Marquette, ranked first by Street and Smith Magazine, United Press International and Basketball Weeklv. lost Earl Tatum and f^ivH Walton, but coach A! McGuire has several reliable replacements. Senior Bo Ellis, Olympian Butch Lee, center Jerome Whitehead and sophomore Bernard Toon^ are four reasons why the Warriors are ranked number one by several i sketbal mmmGo r~ ? just hov 1K>? In December, the Gamecocks play the nationally ranked teams of Alabama, Kentucky and Cincinnati. A first-round win over Cincinnati in the Sugar Bowl Tournament wnnlH nut rarnlino Jr. .. w ?.?v? J/V.V \/UlVlUlU 11A the final with the winner of the Indiana-Georgia game. After Christmas, the schedule, includes a home game against Michigan on national television and trips to Marquette and Notre Dame. "THE WORST PART of the schedule is that we plav everybody i iiiiuiiiga imecock's TO>? TWENTY Total? 1 1. Marquette (6) (332) Michigan (6) (332) 2. North irolina (2) (316) 3. UCLA (3) (300) 4. Indiana (258) r IT" ? 1 o. rvtiiiuuivy (247) 6. Louisville (235) j 7. Nevada at Las Vegas (225) 8. Cincinnati (208) 9. Maryland (l81) 10. Arizona (164) 11. N.C. State (146) 12. Tennessee (129) 13. San Francisco (125) 1 A A ih. /\iauaiiia i97) Notre Dame (97) 15. Missouri (48) 15. Providence (45) 17. Long Beach State 44) 18. DeFaul (33^ 19. UNC-Charlotte (31 2ft. Washington State '21' polls. "We only have six or seven players," McGuire said in Basketball Weekly. "The others have their underwear hanging out, wear red sneakers and cotton socks that won't stay up." m.i/\nmi v n A ** rw* * J * T/^* * rvuivijri t/nu?ji>A ana uula consistently were rated in the top five positions in the Gamecock's poll. With the help of several highly recruited freshmen, North Carolina should be better than last year's team, who had a 25-4 record. Olympians Tom LaGarde, Walter Davis and Phil Ford return to the Tar Heels along with starter John Kuester. Marques Johnson returned to UCLA (after considering turning professional) to give the Bruins a strong cnance ai winning uns year's national championship. In /I n j* n/\?r. /^/t ^ i no ocvuiiu octjnuili' "tttll Wlie Bartow has a young team that has more potential with Johnson, a first team All-America in Street and Smith's college preview. 1 irnecocks field; _ is not a coach in Id that could tell / good this team icrhf nnu/ 99 ?Frank McGuire too soon," McGuire said. "I'm glad we're playing them all, but I sure wish it were later in the season. "Most of the tough teams we'll Ai?m piuj Iiuvv. U1CII UVV1I tUUlClCUL'CS IU play in later in the season so we have to catch them all in December. I'm just glad some of them will play us at all. Most conference schools don't like to play an independent with an established program like ours." iwu sujners, lNaie Davis and Jackie Gilloon, return this year along with six returning lettermen who have not played much. n cnoT*a rJLA laJ-JLlAJL Top 20 Indiana, Kentucky and Louisville received ratings ranging from 2nd to 17th in the Gamecock's poll. But, the three teams were placed in the top five more frequently than any other Kf-hnols DEFENDING NCAA champion Indiana, like UCLA, has one main player. All America Kent Benson is the only starter returning from the 1975 team, who were 32-0. Coach Bobby Knight lost starters Scott May, Quinn Buckner and Bob Wilkerson to the NBA, but will use two juniors, two sophomores and several freshmen to support Benson. Four starters plus forward Rick Robey, who didn't play last season because of an injury, return from Kentucky's National Invitational Tournament championship team. More experienced this season, the Wildcats with Jack Givens, Mike Phillips, Larry Johnson, James I^ee and Robey are top contenders r i.1 n a i a * ior me souineasiern ^onierence Championship (SEC) title. Louisville's 6-11 center Ricky Gallon, who was on academic suspension last year, returns along with four other starters. Cardinal head coach Denny Crum said Gallon will make an already good team an outstanding one. Four other teams in the Gamecock's top twenty poll have a good chance of competing for the NCAA championship. COACHED BY Jerry Tarkanian, NpvaHn-T jic Vouqo ujHa VinH a oa o ' " *" "?u " record last season, has a lot of depth this year with seniors Glen Gandrezick, Ix;wis Brown and Eddie Owens. Owens is the team's leading scorer with an average of 23.4 points per game last year. Senior Jackie Robinson will not play this year because of an ankle injury. The Rebels set seven NCAA and 29 school records last season while averaging 110.5 points a See TOP 20, Page 17 young, inexpert "We're approaching the year with an optimistic outlook. With all these young players going up against the competition they'll have thiF /ear, we can't let them get dow??. We've got to keep a positive frame of mind on the team," McGuire said. In addition to Davis and Gilloon, McGuire said Golie Augustus, Karlton Hilton and Jim Graziano would start the first game against Cal Poly-Pomona, which the uamecocKs won 86-G4, but the lineup may change. "YVE WANT to get our best five players on the floor for the start of every game, but who those five are may change'from time to time," McGuire said. "Depth is one good factor about our team. We've got several players of equal ability and I they're all going to be playing," < McGuire said. j HTOaTe can run, jump ana snoot, and that's the name of the game. Gilloon is an excellent backcourt < man and probably our chief ; playmaker." (H HK' Reaching in Butch Lee (15) is one of Marquet is a key factor why the Warrioi several preseason polls. I^ee go USC's Nate Davis (53) in last y< Ic enced team An unexpected improvement in the preseason play of junior forward Golie Augustus and senior center Chuck Sherwood may strengthen the Gamecocks. "I would have to say that Sherwood is 25 to 50 per cent improved over last year," McGuire said. "He'll be seeing a lot of action. Golie Augustus is also much improved and will be a starter for us. He's a good offensive rebounder, and he's very tough under the boards." ADDITIONAL HELP will come from high school All-America Graziano and junior college AllAmerica Karlton Hilton. "Karlton has the experience, and he's very tough," McGuire said. "Graziano is potentially the best big man I've had in my 13 years at Carolina, but I don't think people * * ' .liuuiu uxpm too inuen trom him at the start. He's only 18-years-old, and he's got a lot to learn. But he :an be a great one in a couple of /ears. See McGUIRE, Page 19 I B x BwsiiSS Vm i i| Mi k**iiv.? iKra W&iSSgG^ fjiM^tm M^'^jfe. IV *-^DprV^^gHH * flfe ? BBHB JB ! / a Gee* Gaillard?THE GAMECOCK te's top returning players and "S are ranked number one in >es up for a rebound against ear's game. O