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18BBBBBMF ?m j^m f - Jm USC coach Frank McGuire vice to freshman Zam Frede practice. McGuire, who was i Gamecock five natior By BONNIE FEB BELL Gamecock Staff Writer It is a tradition of most major college basketball teams to begin their season by playing some of the weakest teams on their schedule. This year Frank McGuire and the Gamecocks will break traditior by meeting tough competition ir the first game against Minnesota. When coaches like Ai McGuire 01 begins his season by playing nationally-ranked teams, McGuirt says he does it to please the public. Because McGuire says the public expects to see quality com petit ior in the Carolina Coliseum, he doei not try to schedule the so-callec "patsy" teams. I no liamecocks also need to plaj nationally-ranked teams tc enhance their chances for a NCA/ tournament bid. So Carolina wil once again begin their season by playing national powerhouses sue! as Minnesota, Alabama ant Kentucky. McGuire considers tin schedule this year to again b< "very tough." NOV :?K..MI\M.'KOTA-. Jim Dutcher has a team that coul< easily be one of the best in tin nation if it were not for NCAy violations. The Gophers are 01 probation again this year and to; scorer and All-America Mik Thompson has been suspende from the team for violations c NCAA rules. They will still be ver competitive, however, because < the return of such talent as 7' Kevi McHale and returning starte Osborne Ix>ckhart, who had a 14. scoring average lasi year, leading newcomer is Bill Duff) last year's Southern Californi Player of the Year in high schoo NOV. :10?ALABAMA? Coac C M. Newton has a 78.6 winnin percentage at Alabama and e: pects to keep that percentage hig this year. Last year's Carolin Classic champion lost two startei but return leading scorer an rebounder in f>7" Reggie King. ftxperienceu neip win comu nui guard Anthony Murray, (ire McElveen, Robert Scott and Kei ...j\ >i i ;J' i I - t t M I A s ' i\ ?..> HI |BJ .. . m ' " ^ /jjj IB? ^3 RESBnl^^Hrlk ^ |||p^ - w^lglp 41 fc. t m Kl? W Bi \ 1 gives some ad- basketbaH HaH ? rick during fall ,4th nducted into the :sf schedule lally-rankec I ? Nov. 26 MINNESOTA | 30 ALABAMA Dec. 3 ILLINOIS 1 7 BAPTIST COLLEGE I 10 CLEMSON 12 at Kentucky 16 ABLE CAR CLASSIC 17 at CALIF > 22 CAROLINA CLASSIC r 23 CAROLINA CLASSIC > Jan 2 TENNESSEE TECH 4 EAST CAROLINA 7 at Clemson 11 FAIRFIELD 14 at Georgetown 1 18 GEORGIA SOUTHERN ; VI Davidson at Charlotte, N.C. j 25 STETSON 1 28 VIRGINIA TECH 30 at Duquesne j 1 Rhode Island at Providence 5 MARQUETTE ) 11 FURMAN I 18 NOTRE DAME | 20 at Furman 22 WILLIAM & MARY i 24 at Richmond 1 1 j Looney. Freshman Norman An<?hrnm <11.1 C\\ unrl l<Ton lnhncnn 7) should help the Crimson Tide. I i DEC. S--ILMNOIS-- The starting c five return for coach I^ou Henson, \ but last year's team suffered from II lack of height. The leading scorer p last year was Audie Matthews with e a 16-point average. Help will be el needed trom li-7 treshman ttddie >f Johnson. y if DEC. 7-KAPTIST COLLEGE n OE CHAItLESTON-- Four starters r return from last years 8 and 19 7 team. The leading returners are G i) ?joe in\x, wno naa a 14./ scoring j, average last year, and Calvin a McDougal, the 6-8 center who 1. averaged 12.6 points per game. This will be the first time the two h independents have played. g <- DKC. IO--CLKMSON-- This is the ;h final year of Hill Foster's inherited a NCAA probation, and, despite only *s being able to recruit three players H ;? vear. the Tiunrs ;ir<> still unito competitive in the tough Atlantic 7i Coast Conference (ACC). Three g starters return from last year's it team which had 22 victories and it i . f'-.t-i i 'tf- / i >i 11 < >, I., i > \ M viM'iiMr.i > "a ' ?' Stephen McCormack THE GAMECOCK f Fame last season, begins his arolina. includes I teams finished second in the ACC. Stan Rome, Colon Abraham and uerricK jonnson win siari ana me Treeless center position is expected to be filled by 6-9 John Campbell, an Anderson Junior College transfer. McGuire said he is pleased to get the Tigers on the schedule this yearI)K(\ 12?at KENTUCKY? Coach Joe Hall should be very optimistic about the chances of the Wildcats to win the NCAA title. Returning are four starters from last year's eastern uegionai runnerup. ine powerful front court of 6-11 Mike Phillips, 6-10 Rick Uobey and Jack Givens is still intact. Help is expected from Truman Claytor, Jay Shidler and Purdue transfer Kyle Macy. DEC. 16 AND I7--CABLE CAR CLASSIC IN SANTA CLARA. CALIr. SANTA CLARA- Carroll Williams returns this year with much experience. Sophomores Kurt Rambis and Ixnidale Theus return along with Eddie Joe Chavez, the school's leader in assists. Veteran big men include 610 Korky Nelson and 6-7 Carl Fierce. San Jose St.-This will be a rebuilding year for Ivan Guevera's Spartans. There will be eight newcomers to the team that was 18 and 11 last year. The leading returning scorer is Tracy Ilaynes, who had a 10.6 scoring average. Help will be needed from 6-9, 240 pound Stan Hill and 6-6 Wally Hank. Portland-Jack Avina lacked a big man last year and not much help has arrived this year. Returners include Darwin Cook, Reggie U>gan and 6-9 Jeff Heller. Help is expected from 6-6 freshman Russ Dyer. DFX". 22 AND 23-CAKOIJNA CLASSIC Southern California--The Gamecocks open the tournament against the Trojans. Coach Hoi) Ilntssi'c Trnionc ciiffinxwl Ihm.inl, .. WV/j V. o ivjui.a 'UU.V I VVI U <> and 20 season last year, but there are many promising newcomers at liSC. Steve Smith averaged 24.f> points per game at Santa Anna ' <) >i.\~ < / )> y!1' McGuire: IC/" ... By SALLY WILSON sports bailor Frank McGuire's coaching career, season or not, undoubtably has been a s One of the nation's three collegiate t more than 500 games, McGuire has / n~ u v . i iu; aiuuiig tuiiugiaic tuctcii Year at three different colleges, he is more than 100 games at each (St. John The credentials continue. BUT COACHES, even Hall of Fame < undulations in a career, including th come at the early years of a developin mediocre seasons have begun to reap program culminated into a 25-3 reco McGuire expects this year's Gam season as last year's 14-12 record. "Realistically, our schedule is to McGuiresaid. "This year should be a Davis is the only starter missing fror lacks a bie man to comnlement son Jackie Gilloon, Golie Augustus and K* guard and forwards, respectively. McGuire thinks Carolina is one nationally competitive basketball tt eligible for play next season, Graziam New York, next year's team could Carolina, according to McGuire. "W< good, good basketball team," he sai< BUT AGAIN McGUIKE emphasiz Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) to hi to N C Stntp hfoansp thn "(Athletic Director Jim) Carlen thini staying out, but you lose interest in oth To compensate for a lack of natura tries to schedule for USC fans natior teams li're Marquette, Atabama and T 78 schedule, doesn't help USC's chant "Unfortunately, we're going to b M('(illirP sairi "WpVp 1rvin0 fr? nloac< * J "'O 1"^"^ us play by giving them an honest sch hambone teams to look at. Hut they al at the end of the season." McGuire believes Carolina's basic p "We're making the fundamental mi: geiung Deal, ?ui noi oy fundamental: time the season actually starts." Junior College last vear. Darrvl Smith, a (>-8 transfer from Western Texas Junior College was a 57 percent shooter last year. Boyd also acquired four high school AllAmerica. Pennsylvania--The Ivy Leaguers return Keven McDonald, who is the first player in the school's history to score 1,()00 points in his first two seasons. Also returning for coach Chuck Daly will be 6-8 Matt White and 6-6 Tony Price. Oklahoma-The leading returners for coach Dave Bliss' Sooners are 6-5 John McCullough, who averaged 15.2 points per game, and o-4 v.ary v^arraoine wno naa a 10.8 average. The Sooners also have a front line averaging at least (>-8. JAN. 2 ? TKNNKSSKK TKCII-The top five scorers return from last year's team which was 7 and 19. The brightest prospect is uanuy itampion, who was named to the Ohio Valley all-freshman team. JAN. 4--KAST CAROLINA- New coach Larrv Gillman hones to hnilrf as successful a program in Greenville as he built at San Francisco. Gillman's recruits are f>-3 Oliver Mack from San Jacinto Junior College and the leading prep scorer in Indiana, Dan ?? " niuvno. IVIJIIU 1,1 (IVt'lil^l'll .J.Vt) points per game in high school. The leading returners are li-9 (ireg Cornelius and (i-7 herb (iray (} A sar away o , whether it will end after this successful one. >asketball coaches who have won the .second highest winning peres. Named National Coach of the the only collegiate coach to win s>, iNunn ^aruima, uat;, coaches like McGuire, go through e mediocre seasons which often g program. However, McGuire's ipear after a successful, national rd in 1969-70. ecocks to have much the same ugh for a young ball player," Ir\t lilro luct uAQr ' Althnurfh KTofn iw *mv iuui j vui muivugii iiaiv n last year's team, Carolina still homore Jim Graziano. Seniors irlton Hilton will help Graziano at year away from becoming a lir:AL r? n n 1?: _ * * ? ? ram. **im o-o ^eunc norages d and a 6-11 possible recruit from regain national recognition for e're on our way back to having a 1 ( ed the importance being in the elp recruiting. "We lost a recruit n is better in the ACC," he said, is they can make more money by er sports." 1 rivals in ACC schools, McGuire inlln ?v? r-% !!>>.* -?I ? ..1^. laiijr-ianncu icdllis. 1>IU piiiyillg <Jotre Dame, teams on USC's 1977:es for a 20-game winning season, e playing against good teams," i the people who pay money to see edule. I don't want to give them Iso want to see the wins and losses iroblem this year is inexperience, stakes," he said. "I don't mind >. We should be improved by the JAN. 7--AT CLEMSONJAN. II--FA1KFIELD-- The Stags of coach Fred Barakat will be returning their front line of 6-10 Mark Young, 6-8 Steve Balkun and 6-9 Mark Plefka. I^ast year's record was 16 and 11. JAN. I4?at GEOKGETOWN-Coach John Thompson has scoring punch returning in Derrick Jackson, who averaged 16.8 points last year, and the leading rebounder is 6-9 Ed Hopkins. JASN. IX-GEOIIGIK SOUTHEHN All five starters return for coach j. 15. hcearce. The NAIA representative had a 16 and 11 reeord last year. Kevin Anderson, a 6-5 forward, is eonsidered the best returner. JAN. 21--DAVIDSON at C HARLOTTE COLISEUM- Coach Dave Pritchett has four starters returning but help will be needed from newcomers 6-9 Brad Walker and 6-8 Rich Di Benedetto. At guard help should come from Chris Dodds, who averaged 28.7 points a game in hioh school in Pnrin sylvania. JAN. 25-STKTSON? The Hatters of Deland, Fla. will be returning the nation's number dunker, (>-7 Mel Daniels. Three muui Mai lers win also return irom last year's 15 and 12 team. See S( IIKIH IJ.:, page .{