The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 16, 1982, Page 10, Image 10
sports
Oriental exper
Gamecock
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The Great Wall of China towers above its immediate
surroundings and is, for the most part, impossible to topple
from its sturdy base. And according to Mike Brittain, the
Wall also sets a mean pick on a back door play.
Brittain, Carolina's 7-0, 210-pound center, has firsthand
knowledge of the man the Chinese call "Mv Mu," a 7-5, 350pound
center for the People's Liberation Army team, after
playing against Mu during the Gamecock basketball team's
recent Far East tour.
The tour, sponsored by the State Department and arranged
by USC President James Ilolderman's office, took Coach Bill
Foster's squad to five countries in two weeks with stoDs lone
- o
enough to play games, hold clinics and see sights.
"I want to thank Dr. Holderman and everyone in his office
for this opportunity because it was the trip of a
lifetime, " Foster said. "It was just super. We did so much in
such a short time. I also felt it was good public relations.
People in other countries went out of their way to make us
feel at home. We got along well," Foster said.
During the side trips and fanfare were seven basketball
games against national teams from the Philippines, Japan,
Hong Kong, South Korea and China. The Gamecocks breezed
through the brief schedule, falling only to South Korea and
Mr. Mu's China team.
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Photo by Capers Hammond
Bill Foster's basketball camp is now underway, with more
than 170 players being taught basketball skills by the
Carolina coach and his staff.
Full recovery expected
for iniurfiH rhpprloarW
J ? - V %? WMWUI lUUUllI
By Todd Shealy
Jeff Harris, a USC varsity cheerleader suffered a broken
neck in a swimming accident May 29 in Oxford, Miss.
According to David Irvin, former USC cheerleader and
junior varsity cheerleading coach, Harris hit his head on a
swimming pool floor after sliding headfirst down a sliding
board. The impact shattered Harris' fourth vertebra, but
did not sever the spinal cord or permanently damage any
spinal nerves. Doctors expect him to be walking within six
months, Irvin said.
Harris was tnfallv nar-iitim/i - 1?1 A"
__ j mi u buun nme alter the
accident and was hospitalized at a Memphis, Tenn.,
hospital. He underwent surgery there .June 3, and doctors
were successful in rebuilding the broken vertebra with bone
chips from Harris' hip. He has been in traction since the
operation, and will be transferred this week to the Charlotte
Rehabilitation Center for further recuperation.
Harris was in Oxford preparing to teach at a Universal
Cheerleading Association workshop when the accident
occurred.
According to Irvin, Harris is in "good spirits and is back
to eatine solid foods aeain "
I ------ I
ience
basketball team
"Generally, all the tean
athletes," Foster said. "A
shooters. We had the size, exc
they passed very well. They
pass it back out for a 25-foot sh
4The Asia team had the be
Chung He. He was incredible,
him to shoot and they said 'h<
it, too," Foster said.
Chung He connected on 10 c
25 foot range to lead the Kore
Carolina. Foster said that de
paled before the efforts of the1
-unbelievable. Unstoppable
and there was no way. Mike E
and you couldn't even see Mike
Reserve center Duane Kend
Mr. Mu. Kendall reminded or
standing next to Mr. Roarke
was beside the Chinese giant.
"He's not only the biggest pi
he's the biggest person I've e\
but he's so big, you can't mov
Kendall said .
Five of the seven games we
Gordon's
By Todd Shealy
For USC baseball player
Don Gordon, a lifelong
dream came true this past
week.
'4 TTcinpn Kn T
?-i ? VI dllivv lilt 111 at Uciy 1
played baseball when I was
11 years old, I've always
wanted to be a professional
baseball player," Gordon
said. The friendly pitcher
realized this dream when he
was chosen by the Detroit
Tigers in the 31st round of
the annual major league
baseball draft.
Gordon said being chosen
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him, but he had expected to
be picked a little earlier.
"I'm the type of player
that's easy to sign," he said.
"I was looking to go
somewhere in the mid-20s
but I'm just happy to get
picked. I would have paid
them to let me play."
Gordon left Sunday for
Bristol, Tenn., where he will
Intramural a
By Buddy Horres
Are you bored with :
classes? If homework's not
you busy enough, why don't
an intramural team?
Some USC students may
prised to learn Eric Stein, coo
of intramural recreational
works to keep USC studen
through the summer month
u:~ ?t~cr --
mm ins sian are onering !
volleyball, fhree - on
basketball and faculty - staff i
summer.
As it is in spring, softball is t
popular sport. Fifty men's ar
teams are participating this se
Games will be played
through Thursday and Sa
Because the season is
doubleheaders will be played.
Teams that win 60 per cent
games will be eligible for the
offs. The season champion w
the spring semester winner
* ?
encounters tw(
is we faced had real good
,11 had real good perimeter
ept against the China team, but
weren't afraid to drive in and
lot.
st shooter I've ever seen in Le
I asked the coaches who taught
i was born to shoot.' I believe
onsecutive shots from the 20 to
ans to a four-point victory over
adeye performance, however,
Wall - 32-year-old Mr. Mu.
i. He'd post up next to the lane
Irittain would be guarding him
; behind him," Foster said.
all was pnnnllv 1 rr-1nrm-r-...ifU
wvjuuoj nlipibOOCU Willi
le of"Fantas> Island" s Tattoo
when his 6-9, 225-pound frame
ayer I've ever played against,
/er seen. He's really graceful,
e him. He gets the job done,"
re televised to all parts of the
career dr
work out for two weeks with
the Tigers' other new
players. After that he will be
placed on a Detroit minor
league club. Gordon said he
iuicsees no contract
problems and expects to
start out at the AA level,
which is two leagues below
the majors.
The senior right-hander
said he is pleased with his
USC career, especially
because he feels he has
gotten 4'progressively
better." His regret,he said,
is his lack of consistency. "I
had a couple of 1-0 games
that I was very pleased with,
but then again I got bombed
a few times,too. Still, he met
his goal this past season:
winning at least 10 games.
Gordon finished the year
with a 10-3 record.
Gordon said the high point
of his career was Carolina's
victory over The Citadel 1-0
in Charleston. "I pitched all
ictivity contii
? use softball title
summer advance into the
keeping softball classic in ?
you join Faculty-Staff gc
June 7. Stein said j
wc aui - ? ??rdinator
sports, Men's Sof
ts busy
s. Stein 1. Normal Defiants
softball, 2. Chemcocks
golf this ^D09S
4. The Exterminatoi
he most 5. CSDAbends
id co ed
ason. ?
Kn-Rpn
_ WUI
iturday. . cpri
short, 1SPRI
2. Dogs
of their 3. Nobility
? play- 4. Grad History
ill play 5 j sch00| Nice Gu
for the _J t
3 Great Walls during foreign trip
1 Orient, with one broadcast exclusively in Korea and two in
China only. The remaining two telecasts covered the
Philippines, giving Coach Foster and the Gamecocks an
estimated audience of 40 million ? much more than can fill
Carolina Coliseum.
"The attendance at thp r ?
?~ Dv?^u iiuo ^uuu. 1 tumrv nit: largest
crowd was around 8,000 and that was against the Red Army.
However, we were televised all over the country which was
really nice. I think it was a good experience for our freshmen
to play seven games in that type atmosphere," Foster said.
The team returned to Columbia June 5, complete with
filmed memories and souvenirs. For most of the travelers
the trip was over, but for Foster there was still a public
relations matter to take care of.
"We had someone over there shooting (filming) the guys,
not only in game situations, but walking around, seeing the
sights and meeting people. When it's fully developed, I plan
on showing it to the team, letting them see themselves in
action. 1 also nope to arrange for some kind of public showing
for anyone who wants to come," Foster said.
"This was just a super trip, a fantastic experience. I can't
thank everybody involved enough. They bent over backwards
to treat us ricrht nart1 "
- 0- - -, |j k uvuiai HIC UclSKtilUcl 11 pCOpie
and the leaders of the countries that were responsible for us.
I want to thank them all,"Foster said.
earn comes true
had a lot invested in me, and
not being able to contribute HjHHs
to the team was disheartening."
But coming back fflSHp^V
and having two good seasons /
in 1981 and 1982 has / .< - *< **
definitely rebuilt his confidence,
he said. '
No matter what the future
holds for him, Gordon said
ne is happy with his chance Carolina pitcher Don Gordon
to crack the major leagues mas one of tour usc ,
To him whether he is playing v 1
in Detroit or the minors drafted this week by major
doesn't matter; either way, league ballclubs.
it's still a dream come true !
lues during summer
; and the right to has been growing each year.
i Carolina system deadline for volleyball entries
September is July 22.
)lf began its season Kejj (jamp js another option for
participation in golf student activities. It's open for pic
nicsv swimming, fishing and camping.
, ..p .. USC students also are able to use
tball roll the physical education facilities
during the summer whether they are 8
enrolled in classes or not. Students 1
need to show their spring iden- 8
;r:? i! ?
uucaiion cara to get into the facilities.
The intramural department is I
s looking for program ideas and Stein ?
says, "If there is something you would 1
like to see in the summer get in |
J*. |i p || contact with us."
11 ' Stein is also looking for game of- I
ficials. Anyone interested in |
becoming an official should call the |
intrnmufnl * * '
tiuinuiai ucptii inieni al /77-52(>l. A 8
coaches and officials meeting is
scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday in |
room 110 at the Physical Education
Center.