University of South Carolina Libraries
Gamecock b Duh By Chuck Wright Gamecock Staff Writer This past year, the Gamecock's basketball poll was as accurate as any. Kentucky was tabbed as the number one team, and they went on to win the NCAA Championship. Everybody picked Kentucky though, so that was no big deal. What the Gamecock did do was pick Duke higher (11th) than any other poll, and came out looking real good on that one. 1. DUKE This past year's Duke team finished 27-7 and took second place in the NCAA playoffs. They were so close-knit, it looked as if no one would ever separate them. Certainly no one will this' year, as Coach Bill Foster returns 10 of his 11 players. That means Jim Spanarkel will be pigeon toeing his way around in a Blue Devil uniform again, doing nothing spectacular but beating the opponent. Mike Gminski, all 6-11, 250 pounds of him, will return at center, and be joined on the front line by a pair of 6-7 supersophs Gene Banks and Kenny Dennard. Either John Harrell or Bob Bender will join Spanarkel in the back court. Freshman Vince Taylor who could be as cood as Fnsfur's nthor - CT? " """"" M three star recruits (Sparnarkel, Gminski, and Banks), is Duke's only rookie. 2. UCLA Gary Cunningham didn't win the NCAA Championship in his rookie year as coach of the Bruins, but they kept him on anyway. One reason is he did win the PAC-10 title, which puts him on schedule with a guy by the name of Wooden who used to coach there. To help keep Cunningham on schedule is David Greenwood, who decided it would make both dollars and sense to stay in school one more year. Joining Greenwood on the front r? lumni ? UOutrfr I ADVENTl I SKI JA POL 9 A true ?ki-constructed hMutui rv? ; : collar. All In dull flnlnh nylon tafl \-ii snap thut weatherstrip, 3 front po i ] Comfort Cutti, drawitrlng; the wo double leyer construction. C Columbia's finest E 5% off witli OPEN DAILY 9-9 5510 J\ asketball poll s pickei line is defensive specialist Gig Sims at center and either Kiki Vandeweghe or James Wilkes in the other corner. Brad Holland will finally get his chance to start permanently in the backcourt along with Roy Hamilton, called by many the finest guard in the land. o \TATDC nAiir o. nvf x ivi'J umnii Notre Dame has the world's tallest Mexican (Gil Salinas), the world's most arrogant coach (Digger Phelps), and possibly the world's best sophomore (Kelly Tripucka). Which is to say that Notre Dame will be in the running for the world's best college basketball team (NCAA Champion ). Although the Irish lost the world's tallest threat from 25 feet ( naim Uo f f An \ A v i^u i v uanun / , CtllU L/Ut'K Williams, they return 6-9 Bruce Flowers, 6-9 Orlando Woolridge, 65 Tracy Jackson, 6-11 Bill Laimbeer, 6-7 Bill Hanzlik, and on and on. To keep all these giants supplied with assists is Rich Branning (only 6-3). 4. TEXAS The funniest coach in basketball these days is Abe Lemons, the funniest looking team is Abe's Texas Longhorns. The way the Lnnohnrns InnW Itoonc Aho C? "VVJ/U ""llaughing, the way they play keeps Abe smiling. Abe should smile right through most of this season unless virtually every basketball "expert" is wrong. Skinny Jim Krivacs returns at guard and not-so-skinny Ron Baxter will be back to add "muscle" to the attack. John Moore should be improved at finding teammates for easy baskets, while Tyrone Branyan (67) is back to sing "Happy Trails" during games. The Longhorns just might laugh all the way to Salt Lake City. Sportsl tfcers -v IRE GEAR 1 CKETS I ) "SLOPE KING" I =^7\ 05997 I \ ^Columbia's \ \ ^ ^ best down | ] J couec*ioni ntraitlno llopeyoke wltti a true >KI- !&J Fata. 2 way YKK nylon zipper with || cket*, nylon zippers, inside pocket, M rksl U.S. Prime Down In our 2 In 1 }>j discount Sports Store I i U.S.C. ID. J VO NOTCH RD. 754-1432^ iasnat 5. NORTH CAROLINA STATE If there is a team that can rival Texas as the funniest looking, it is N.C. State. That is same NC State team that lost to the Longhorns in the N.I.T. finals this past season. Charles "Hawkeye" Whitney lost 35 pounds over the summer which means he could score 35 points a game if needed. Clyde "the Glide" Austin returns at? guard along with 6-7 Tony Warren, this past year's most consistent player. The other two starting positions are open, but could be Gamecock Baskatball Poll \ 1. Duke 142 2. UCLA 141 3. Notre Dame 134 4. Texas 127 5.NC State 119 6. Michigan St 113 i 7. Kansas 111 S.Michigan 82 $ 9. Louisville 80 10. Syracuse 53 11. Southern CaI 52 12. Kentucky 51 13. Arkansas 50 14. LSU 44 [ 15.Minnesota 41 16. N Carolina 38 17. Rutgers 3* 18. Marquette 31 19. Ohio State 30 20. Nevada LV 29 Points given 20-19-18-etc. Others receiving votes in alphabetical order are Alabama, Ga. Tech, Georgetown, Indiana, Maryland, Missouri, New Mexico, Rhode Island, San Francisco, South Carolina ii)led by 6-7 "Tiny" Pinder and 6-11 Craig Watts, who has probably dethroned Glen Sudhop as the Wolfpack's center. ! 8! AT Fashions Un THE Fashion Paces* Leather Ja< Slacks I Sweaters Wool Coat! Suits S\ I. Scarves Cologne Turtlenecki Etc. All Charge Cards H I I 1535 M ional c 6. MICHIGAN STATE What would you call a natural forward who plays guard, can't shoot, and yet still transformed a mediocre team into a national contender? Why, Magic, of course, and coach Jud Heathcote is looking for more wizardry from Earvin Johnson, the 6-8 superstar "guard" in State's 1-4 attack that netted them a Big 10 title in 1978. Only^guard Bob Chapman is gone from this past year's team, and that should open it up to Terry Donnelly to run with Magic in the backcourt. Ron Charles and Greg Kelser return to play forward while sophomore Jay Vincent should improve at center. 7. KANSAS Until this past year, Kansas coach Ted Owens was in trnuhlp He had gone two whole years without a Big-8 title. This past year, the Jayhawks went 13-1 in the conference and got Owens out of hot water. Center Paul Mokeski <7 0) returns as do hot shooting Darnell Valentine and Wilmore Fowler. Those three form a solid nucleus to keep the team afloat until Owens can get hit talented but young forwards sorted out. Senior Brad Sanders has the edge in experience, but will be challenged by 6-9 Chester Giles, 6-5 Booty Neal, and 6-8 Johnny Crawford. 8. MICHIGAN Remember Phil Hubbard? Hubbard missed all of last year with a knee operation, and Michigan missed out on postseason play. Hubbard is back, and TENTION M ilimited etter For Columbia ( lifts fVVP jj onored. a Ci&nA tybdwrtifad, t lain Street Columbia, S.C. OPEN 10 - 9 pm M - Sat. ^ , .vT' i | hamps j so are some pretty talented players that bloomed in his absence. Namely , Mike McGee, who set Big Ten scoring records for freshman. Tom Staton, the team's best defensive player returns as does Alan Hardy, who scored at an 11.8 clip last season. Throw in a 6-9 freshman named John Garris who will allow Hubbard to play forward, and you have a Michigan team to remember. 9. LOUISVILLE Not many teams can afford to lose players like Ricky Gallon and Ricky Wilson and continue to be competitive, but then not many teams recruit like the Louisville Cardinals. Six-eight Scooter McCray, 6-7 Wiley Brown, aid 6-3 Jerry Eaves represent what may be the best freshman class in basketball this year. Darrell "Dr. Dunk" Griffith is still around as are Larry Williams and Bobby Turner. 10. SYRACUSE The Orangemen complain every year that they are better than they are given credit for, and then tall in the NCAA's to some branch team from North Carolina or Kentucky. Well, this may finally be the year when they are as good as they are not given credit for. That is, if the highly touted Louie and Bouie show gets their act together. Six-eleven Roosevelt Bouie can be a great one, but he must first learn to catch the hall, and 6-8 Louis Orr must tighten up ,,n Ulr. A 1 ? - :r . ..I uii ma ciuuuue. rtisu, II O-l 1 l> '!My Schayes ever starts playing like Mi.s dad (I)olph), coach Jim Boeheim s crew will be tough. lEN!!! | VWTi I -1 1 29201 I