The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 25, 1980, Page Page 14, Image 14
By WilieT. Smith III
Gamecock Stetf Writer
Cltlna fKn
OHIVt UIC Id ICOl V/C1UCI V/UU1 V
column a week ago on Pam Parsons
and the Lady Gamecock
basketball team, several things
have happened.
It looks as if several Lady
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program. Jean Walling and
Suzanne Wools ton appear to be
headed to Parsons' former Old
Dominion Monarch team.
Rita Johnson, who has been a
three-year starter for the Lady
Gamecocks, also appears to be
quitting the team. Although
Johnson may be getting married
this summer, her decision not to
play her senior year seems to be
much deeper.
several memoers 01 me uau
women's team seem to be
dissatisfied with their head coach's
, philosophy of the game. Parsons
usually plays up to nine people per
game. This is fine, if it is done the
right way. The USC Lady
Gamecocks are intimidated by
Parsons' coaching tactics. Outside
of AIl-American Sheila Foster,
team members are usually taken
out after only one mistake. The bad
thine about this tactic is that it is
very embarrassing to the player
because everyone knows the
reason she is coming out of the
game.
NOW DON'T GET me wrong.
Pam Parsons is a great coach and
USC is more than lucky to have
her, but no one is perfect and that
includes Parsons.
It was always thought that one of
Parson's strengths was her ability
to get along with her players. The
large number of transfers out of
f rnn _* . a. t a. *
uav. since sne iook coniroi seems
to indicate that this may not be
true. As one player who preferred
to remain nameless said, "I only
believe what she (Parsons) says
when it happens."
This shows a gap between the
players, or some of the players,
and Parsons. I hope the gap can be
filled before irrevocable damage is
done to the great program she has
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built.
Fam ^arsons may never win any
popularity contests and she
probably isn't trying to, but it
would come as no surprise if she
won the AIAW national championship.
Her style of coaching
places great demands on her
players. To some players, these
demands are unreasonable.
IN THE MIDDLE of the season
rumors started that freshman
guard Sharon Rivers was thinking
of transferring *o the College of
Charleston. She was probably
thinking of making the move
because of her drop in playing time
as the season went on. The strange
thing about her lack of time on the
court was that her level of play
never dropped. Her lack of time
didn't seem to make much sense.
Near the end of the season, after
a car accident to Cheryl Autry,
Rivers began to play again. She did
well and was a sparkplug in Lady
Gamecock wins over Stephen F.
Austin and Louisiana Tech. She
also triggered an amazing
comeback that brought USC from
16 down against Tennessee in the
AIAW final and pulled them to
within three even though they lost.
After this season-ending performance
it appears that Rivers'
future is bright and that she'll be
around next season.
With all of the transfers from
this year's team, there should be
room for several new players next
year. It has been rumored that a 66
prospect from Florida has been
signed. So far it looks as if she is
the only new player in the fold.
ALTHOUGH THEY both saw
only limited action this past
coacnn it utnnlrt Wo a oaaiI iHoi if
OVMOVII) IV nvvuu MV U gWM iV?VU tt
Lady Gamecock walk-ons Cindy
Rawl and Maryann Chibbaro were
given scholarships. These two girls
sacrificed scholarships at other
schools to come to Carolina. This
kind of loyalty is seldom seen
today in collegiate athletics and
should be rewarded. Their attitude
should be an example to other high
See Center Court, page 15
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Game of
look at me or other atletes like
that."
Once his eligibility was up at
Carolina, Ribock wanted fo stay in
basketball. Although he fit right
into the Carolina system, his
basketball talents were not judged
as being up to par with NBA ,
standards, so the 6-8 forward went
to Europe to play. Currently he
plays on the same team in J
Argentina as fellow Gamecock
alumnus Jackie Gilloon.
Now that Ribock is a veteran of
10 seasons of foreign basketball, he
has grown accustomed to the
unusual environment. In fact, he
said basketball overseas is quite
similar to basketball here in
America.
"They want you to win, it's the
same everywhere," he said. "The
fans put pressure on you to win,
1 A. X A A- ? ? f f
anu uit:y expeci you 10 win. n you
don't, you don't have a job next
year. But I enjoyed it, and wouldn't
have done it any differently if I had
the chance to do it over again.
The younges* member of the
starting team, fo.j Riker played
his first varsity ..eason in 1969-70.
His presence took a lot of pressure
off Owens, who the year before had
instantly been double teamed
inside. At 6-10, Riker averaged 13.8
points and nine rebounds a game.
With his great shooting ability,
Riker had his best game that
season against Notre Dame in the
Sugar Bowl Classic. He scored 36
points on 15-21 shooting to lead USC
to an overtime win and the tournament
championship.
\ /
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| jj|l ^ ^
| BOOZIN - a :
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I NUTRITION - r
| The New cruc
Games from i
HIKER FINISHED his b
Gamecock career and was drafted
high by the New York Knicks, but f<
he could never make the ad- a
justment to professional ball. After s
a couple of years with the Knicks, c
he was released and returned to c
Columbia. Currently, Riker lives
in town and can often be seen C
around campus. He was not able to
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* ?
oage 13
e reached for comment.
Coming off the bench that year
)r McGuire was Bobby Carver
nd Rick Aydlett. Both
ophomores, the pair made a big
ontribution to the unit that was
ailed the "seven starters."
Carver, a 6-2 guard, aided the
iamecock offense during the
See Former Ptayors, page 15
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ay 14, 1980. All schedules and
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