The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 21, 1983, Page 11, Image 11
<- Diary of a
student athlete
(Editor's note: The following story is the first of a threepart
series on playing collegiate basketball. The author is a
freshman point guard for (JSC from Greensboro, N.C.)
By Michael Foster
I'm Michael Foster from Greensboro, N.C. I'm the
fourth son of Mr. and Mrs. Caualas Foster. I have five
brothers and a sister with three older and two younger
brothers and my older sister.
^ I live in the Moringside Homes Project area where I have
lived my whole life so far. Here I began to grow into the
basketball player I am today.
Very early in my life I had the belief that I could beat
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My first experience with organized basketball was with
the YMCA. My coach was Bob Kennerly and he was the
first to teach me the fundamentals of the game.
I ATTENDED Mendenhall Junior High School and as an
eighth grader, I was a starter on the varsity team. I averaged
more than 20 points a game and we won our first city
championship. At first it was hard to start because I was
2 only an eighth grader. A lot of the other players gave me a
lot of flack but as the season went along I proved myself.
In ninth grade we went undefeated and won another city
championship.
After my ninth grade year 1 went to Page High School.
Page already had a good tradition in basketball, so there
was some pressure going into my sophomore year with the
build-up about me in junior high.
BEFORE PRAC.TICF. nnened for hackpthnll I
faced my first set back of my athletic career. I hurt my knee
and it required surgery. I was forced to sit out a whole year
and work on strengthening my knee.
Not only did this injury stop my first year of basketball, j
but it also forced me to quit football. This was a very dif- j
ficult decision for me to make. Many people thought I was
a better football player than I was a basketball player. But I
% " feel 1 made the right decision for me.
After sitting out my sophomore year, I was happy to
finally get to play. My junior year I started at point guard
and quaterbacked the young team of four juniors and a
sophomore to a 22-3 record and into the semi-finals of the
state tournament.
We played Chapel Hill in the semi-finals and they were
ranked No. 1 in the state. We had a chance to win the
game, but we blew it and I had a lot to do with the loss.
MY SENIOR year we were preseason picked as state
champions because we had all five starters back from the
year before.
We were also ranked nationally before (No. 16) the
^ season and there was a great deal of pressure for us to do
well. We worked extremely hard and it paid off with a 26-0
record, a state championship and a No. 2 national ranking.
We got a lot of publicity throughout the season and we
answered the challenge. It was a,feeling I can't describe in
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the state championship. It's a feeling that only happens to a
person once or twice in his life. It was a dream come true.
It was kind of sad since that was my last game tl?at I would
play in high school.
We had a great team that year. Four of the five starters
are playing somewhere. Haywood Jeffiers is playing football
for N.C. State. He was the team clown. He's probably the
worst practice person I know, but come game time he's one
of the best game players 1 know.
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THEN THERE'S Dannv Mannine. He's a ereat athlete.
He's suited more for the small forward position. I don't
know too much about what happened at Kansas because I
was here.
Personally I got a lot of recognition: 1 was All-State, AllMetro
and an honorable mention Ail-American for
Converse.
South Carolina came into the recruiting picture late. I was
leaning toward James Madison, but after visiting USC I
knew this was the right place for me. Kurt Kanaskie
recruited me and after a month or so I committed. I was
recruited as a point guard, and the USC point guard
(Gerald Peacock) was graduating, so I was coming into a
a. good situation as far as playing time was concerned.
NOW I'M here and it's the first day of conditioning or
what they call preseason practice. It's really rough. We have i
to lift weights five times a week and then scrimmage for h
about an hour. It's a lot of work compared to high school. "
At Page we were mainly in control of our own conditioning.
Not here. The coaches have planned out our entire schedule f
for us and it's going to be really hard.
One thing that I have learned right away is that one of v
the main transitions from high school to college is the con- a
ditiomng and the shape you have to be in. Not only do you
have to build endurance, but also strength. One has to be i
strong to compete with the physical contact of college 5
basketball. This is something I'm sure I'll see is more and a
more important as the season draws near. /
$ Practice in college is pretty much the same as in high
school. I do find myself adjusting to the physical strain my e
body is placed under. r
I choose USC because I felt like it was a home away from r
home. It's only three hours from Greensboro, so I'm not
too far away to get homesick, yet I'm far away enough to
be my own man. I
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SINCE I'VE been here with the people, and the atmosphere
I can truly say I have made the right decision. I'll a
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USC center Sharon Gilmore lays in a field goal in a game last season against A
against South Carolina State Nov. 29.
USC player looks for in
By Andrew Miller Gilmore said she ho
For a basketball player who average Thanksgiving holiday will gi\
more than 15 points and eight re- rest she needs.
bounds as a freshmen, one might think "I need to get away from i
that there is little room for a while," she said.
lillplUVClUClll
Sharon Gilmore, however, thinks "I'VE HAD a few pro
there is always room for improvement home and a lot of studying t
for her. only have one day off, but I Y
"I really think I can improve on my P'aY better when I get back.'
defense," Gilmore said. "I need to be Gilmore said even with hei
a lot more aggressive as a total problems, she still has gooc
player." about the upcoming season.
"I feel the team is mentallj
GILMORE SAID the preseason this play," Gilmore said. "I think
year has not gone as well as she had ^ias had a better attitude to
hoped. season than last year.
"I've had a few injuries so far," the "The whole team's has a re
Graniteville native said. "I pulled my attitude. Everyone is so fired
groin muscle, I slightly sprained my the season. The freshmen hav
shoulder and my back went out so I've lot to the team. There so c
missed some practices. anc* I can't wait to play with
"The back injury is nothing new to
me. I had it when I was in high school. AFTER THE completior
"The injuries have not really year's season, Gilmore was i
bothered me that much so far. I can several freshman All-Amerk
still play." a?d this year was named
Women's Basketball News Se
BUT INJURIES have not been the American team.
only thing that has hampered "I feel pretty great abc
Gilmore's preseason. named to an All-America te
"I'm getting a little burned out with said. "I'm happy that some
the game," she said. "I've been having that I desevre it."
trouble with may concentration and I During the summer, Gilir
have not played well in a while." out for the Summer Sports F
Carolina freshmen hope
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Three freshmen and a player brought up from the junior bench o
arsity join the ranks of the USC men's basketball team, and "It wi
11 hope to contribute to this year's team. ference.
Michael Foster is a 6-2 guard from Greensboro, N.C., and be a rea
expected to vie for the point guard position with senior Scott
anderson. He averaged 12.3 points and five assists per game HE S,
? a senior at Page High School, and was named a Converse head coi
ll-Amfriran
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USC head basketball coach Bill Foster said he was impress- He w
J with Foster's play in the USC-Canadian National scrim- Furman
lage Saturday. Foster ended the evening with six points and Gerah
ine assists. School i
rebound
"I WAS pleased with Michael Foster's performance,"
oster said. "He showed a lot of poise and good leadership PERN
ut there." ball. He
Michael Foster said he expects quite a bit of playing time, high sch
rid is excited about playing in the Metropolitan Collegiate
ihletic Conference.
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Mercer University. The Lady Gamecocks open their tenon
lprovement
pes the Colorado Springs and made the team. I
/e her the "I was pretty happy with the way 11
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things for some of the best players in the country,
so I was just glad to make the team and
be competing with thein."
blems at
0 do. We "I PLAYED pretty well for two
tope 1 can games, and I played all right in two. I
'* was a little dissipointed with the con
personal sistency of my play, but I had a lot of
\ feelings fun with it, and it was a great
experience."
/ ready to Gilmore said she is excited about be;
the team ing in the Metropolitan Collegiate
ward this Athletic Conference.
"Last year, we where an indepenally
great dent and it was hard for us to go to the
up about NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic
e added a Association) tournament, but being in
ledicated, a conference makes it so much easier
them." for the team.
"I think that when the Metro tour1
of last nament rolls around, we'll be in the
named to race for the title. We've got a good
:a teams, team, so I really believe that we should
I to the do well this season."
Tvice AllGILMORE
SAID she is a little contut
being cerned with the sophomore jinx.
am," she "I've heard so much about it," the
;one feels 6-2 sophomore said. "People have told
me that nothing goes right your
lore tried sophomore year, and so far, for me,
'estival in not a whole lot has.
to contribute
nk I'll have a lot of playing time, either coming off the
r maybe starting," he said.
ill be great competition," he said about the Metro con"You
learn a lot and improve with each game. It will
1 big challenge."
AID he came to Carolina because of the atmosphere,
ach Bill Foster and "the fast-paced playing style is my
game."
as recruited by several schools, including Clemson,
, Davidson, Jacksonville and Texas.
i Perry is a 6-6 forward who played at Dreher High
n Columbia, where he averaged 15.2 points and 12.8
s per game.
:Y WAS highly recruited in both football and basketplayed
tight end and linebacker in football, earning
ool All-America honors.
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