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Gamecocks inexperience JL shows on road By RONNIE HUTCHINS Gamecock Staff Writer n : i - _i 1 J i Carolina s inexperience snoweu on an expeciea rough road trip this past week as the Gamecocks lost to Alabama 90-66 Wednesday and were narrowly defeated by Texas Tech 83-75 Saturday. The second half of Saturday's game developed into a battle of the centers as USC's freshman Jim Graziano was matched against Texas Tech's Mike Russell. RUSSELL. WHO Texas Tpoh roach r^rl^H Mvprs said is ''about as strong a rebounder as there was in the Southwest Conference last year," had 31 points and eight rebounds. Graziano led the Gamecocks with 9.5 mints and spvon rf?hnnnH<c The score was close through much of the second half. Jackie Gilloon tied the game for the last time on a short jumper with 4:13 remaining, but the Red Raiders rebuilt their lead to six points and went into a frpp7p offpnsp fnr thp win USC head coach Frank McGuire was pleased with his team's determination. "They worked awfully U?n/4 * ?? 1 : J ucii vi uiiuci me LiiLuuiMdiic^, nt; saiu. inai Southwest Conference official (John Kloza) set basketball back 25 years with some of those calls. I hate to see things like that." Referring to Graziano's 25-point performance, McGuiresaid, "He played an excellent game?really improved. And I think he was hit on many of his shots. Russell was good but Graziano was just exceptional. "I wasn't able to substitute much during the game as tight as it was but all the fellows that went in for us did a pretty good job." GILLOON, WITH 18 points, had his best scoring performance in two years. Other top scorers for Carolina were Karlton Hilton with eight, Nate Davis and Stu Klitenic with seven and Golie Augustus with six. Russell led the Red Raiders with 31 points, followed by Steve Dunn with 1G and Grant Dukes with 14. The Red Raiders shot 67 per cent from the floor in the second half of the game to finish with a 58 shooting percentage. The Gamecocks shot 50 per cent in the game. The loss was the second in a row for USC. The Gamecock's loss to Alabama was USC's worst defeat since 1966. Alabama's Reginald King led all scorers with 27 points. Nate Davis provided most of the offense for the Gamecocks against the Crimson Tide as he scored 20 points and had 12 rebounds. Others in double figures were Karlton Hilton with 12, and Golie Augustus and Jim Graziano with 10. ACC teams s No convincing reason exists as to why Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools are not on USC's basketball schedule. Regardless of the reasons ACC coaches give for not scheduling USC, the fact remains that all seven ACC schools are within reasonable distance and it is an injustice that USC is not playing them. Because of the high calibre of basketball the ACC teams and USC play, a game between USC and an ACC team would provide an exciting game for the fans and players. It would also benefit the schools involved because such a game would bring a capacity crowd and crowds bring money into the athletic department. But more important, college basketball thrives on good competition and such a game would provide this. ACC COACHES give several reasons why they have not' scheduled USC. Maryland coach Lefty Driesell and Virginia coach Terry Holland say they would rather play non-conference games in areas where they recruit, such as X" H The Gamecock | Sports i JKa ^ Bl HHP^^WWWPPWk. ; ^^SgMgi Sywiiiiiafc11' *ii 1 -jiK?-?BBwMBi^^^^^^^^^gBB HH^HE'^^%.. Rx * ::;<SnRMMManmvml Hk ^gRflBl mL qR Aggrf? wr- g; Rjl m^B ^^v^bBHHKmBIHHB^HBHH^i WLkmW-; H^H^^H^^HIHBHEBilSBm&Ji 1ST ' ' ' Pf*a g^M Be. * laying 11 Close USC center Chuck Sherwood (44) attempts to defend Cal Poly's Charles Johnson in Monday night's game. USC forward Stu Klitenic (34) looks on as the Gamecocks defeated Cal Poly 86-64. USC plays Kentucky Monday night, Dec. 13 at Carolina Coliseum. hould schedi HMitch Sherwood Asst. Sports Editor the Northeast. They say because they don't recruit in South Carolina, playing USC would not benefit their programs. Another reason given by Driesell and Holland is that they nave 10 come uown 10 me iNonn Carolina?soum Carolina area several times during the season for conference games and they would rather not make another trip. USC associate head basketball coach Donnie Walsh said ACC schools won't schedule USC because they don't want to take the chance of losing outside their conference. Walsh said he does not blame them for this attitude because they have a tough enough conference schedule. HOWEVER, THESE reasons are without basis and logic. ACC official: r teams tried to play USC By BILLY BAKER Sports Editor ?> Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Commissioner Robert C. James has told The Gamecock he knows of several ACC schools that have tried to schedule USC since Carolina left the conference in 1971. "I know of several ACC schools who have tried to srhpriulp Snnth f!nrnlinn ir? KoclrofKo 11 i~r* 4.1? ???.. MMUIH,hjuii 011H.C uicjr icu me conference," James said. "It is my understanding they (South Carolina) didn't desire to play ACC schools." JAMES* STATEMENT contradicts USC's associate Head Coach Donnie Walsh who said Carolina has unsuccessfully tried to schedule ACC schools. -wnoever led James to believe that gave him misin- ^ formation," Walsh said. "Anybody could tell him they've tried to schedule USC. He may be just trying to protect his conference." James said Clemson and Wake Forest are two schools who have tried to schedule USC. He declined to say if Duke or Virginia had tried to schedule USC. According to Walsh, Clemson will be rescheduled next year but no contact has been made with Wake Forest. However, Wake Forest head coach Carl Tacy said his school has discussed scheduling USC. "We have talked with people at South Carolina but never got along too well," he said. "I'd be more than happy to play if it was one game a year at alternate sites. v "They (USC) wanted us to play down there," Tacy said. He was not sure if he had talked specifically with Walsh. "It seems we mignt nave." WALSH SAID he has communicated with only Wake Forest's athletic business manager Dino Martin. Walsh described his conversation with Martin as very informal because Martin has no control over Wake Forest's basketball schedule. James said there have been no scheduling conversations between Carolina and North Carolina State, North Carolina and Maryland. "These three schools have never told me ^ they have tried to schedule South Carolina." hp said ^ Walsh said Maryland and N.C. State will not schedule USC because they do not want to take the chance of losing outside their conference. "1 would be forced to do it the same way if I was in their position," Walsh said. North Carolina refused to play Carolina because of the relationship between UNC head coach Dean Smith and USC head coach Frank McGuire and Walsh, according to Walsh. wnen use was in the ACC, Walsh said the team rivalry was so intense that McGuire's and Smith's friendship was affected. Walsh said Smith does not want that to happen now if it can be avoided. ^ PLAYING ON A neutral court against ACC competition l i i i * " may ue a seneauung compromise, but Walsh does not agree with the idea. "I don't doubt that we could schedule a team like Wake Forest on a neutral court," Walsh said. "But that would be strictly a money game. And besides you can't tell me the Greensboro Coliseum is a neutral court." "I don't like a neutral court arrangement because it does not benefit our fans at all," he said. "Our students would not be helped at all by such an arrangement." Walsh said USC will be contacting ACC schools about II- '" 1 * " - at.itvuuiiiig games, nc ?diu UiJV/ CUU1U SlllI SCIieOUlO 311 01 the ACC schools except N.C. State, North Carolina and # Maryland in the near future. ale USC If Driesell and Holland would rather play non-conference games in areas where they recruit, then why do they play ? teams such as Ball State, DePaul, and Tulane? Surely USC's basketball program is more prestigious than these lesser known schools. Most recruits would be more impressed watching Maryland play a respected basketball team than a mediocre team. The ideal time to schedule USC would be when they play a North Carolina school or uiemson. They could then come down to USC. As for not wanting to lose outside the conference, this is true to some degree. The ACC schools play such mediocre teams as Delaware, UNC-Asheville, Ball State and others. ^ No one benefits from playing a weal team. USC would make w a better opponent for the ACC teams than some of the teams they are now playing. BEFORE CAROLINA dropped out of the ACC in 1971, a game between Carolina and an ACC team was full of enthusiasm and excitement. This same enthusiasm and excitement would exist now and it is time for USC to schedule ACC teams. See SHERWOOD, Page 11 %