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Page 12 ? November 19, 1984 Basketball Preview THE GAMECOCK Men's b Gamecocks D-. A I BflSII ay nnuruw miliar Just like an old car an old basketball team has to be traded in. That's exactly what head coach Bill Foster has done, trading in last year's big, slow team in for a new sleeker model. And just like a new car owner, Foster is eager to show off his new squad. Change is the theme for the 1984-85 Gamecock basketball team that Foster says "will be a much better outside shooting team. "IT'S HARD to believe the team last year was about the same team that set a school record for shooting the year before," Foster said. "This year's squad will definitely be a better shooting team." Foster said this year's team will have several new dimensions to it. "We will be a quicker team," he said. "We're going to have an opportunity to extend our defenses more, and more like I like to, and have been able to in the past." A problem that plagued the 12-16 Gamecocks last season was poor free throw shooting, but Foster said he doesn't see this as a trouble spot for the team this season. "I'M HOPING to gain seven or eight points a game," he said. "I don't think we were able to take advantage of that last year. "We got on the line a lot. We just we're not able to convert. I've had teams that were the number one free throw shooting team in the nation. I've had the leading free throw QhnntPr in tVi/? n^f inn Knpn ciirrAiinHorl by good free throw shooters and that's why I can't understand what happened to us last year." The losses of Jimmy Foster, Brad Jergenson and Scott Sanderson concern Foster. "These are three players that played a lot of basketball over the past four years," he said. "We've got to fill in those spots." SEVEN-FOOT senior center Mike Brittain heads the list of returnees that will try to fill those spots. The Metro Conference's leading shot blocker (61) last season, Brittain has added 25 pounds to his frame and enters the season weighing 223 pounds. Brittain averaged 9.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. "There's a lot of pumping in the low post area so I think the added weight will help him dnwn thprp " Fn?fpr cairt "I r#?nllv thinly it'c going to improve his stamina. I also think that he's an improved player over last year." Other top returning players are shooting guard Jimmy Hawthorne who averaged seven points and three assists a game last imKf >>**!*?* < JKfc* MKtk ^!^B?^^^lwKiB?l WE& ^^ |^HH||||^^^^^|^^K|iv|M^| | IBS?. . ~'j| Sfck'^j ^'~?1: -?:-" ' B^>,', . w?^??c^S^AT^^te*5^1 r^K^;^B^^nnHH^HHnNnHHH Sideline coaching USC head basketball coach Bill Foster enters hi; years at Carolina. asketbal open season season, guard Harold Martin who averaged 7.5 points and 2 rebounds a game, and guard Matt Mayes who averaged 2.2 points a game. "MATT HAS improved his shooing," Foster said."Overall I think he's an improv ea piayer. "I'm counting on all of these guys to help us out this year." Depth was another problem that plagued USC last year, but Foster said he has no worries about that this season. "As a matter of fact it's going to be more difficult to pick a starting five because of the talent we have this year." he said. "I think the starting five will change throughout the year. "I THINK it's going to change because of players coming up, but also because of opponents. When you play Memphis State with \i/: 112 jr i ~? n a ~ \s * i. * - - - - / i r\ cJ will will I DCU1U1U ill /-V, it IVC11I1 LCC Ul O- IU and a Baskerville Holmes at 6-8 you don't want to play people at 6-3 against them. You want to play your biggest lineup." Scoring off the bench will be another improvement in this year's squad, Foster said. "We had games last year when our bench only scored four points," he said. "We will use more players." Another concern will be defense, Foster said. "ALL THE freshman that are coming in we're high scorers on their teams," he said. "You just hope that you're going td have a couple of defensive stoppers. We need to build week by week some type of defensive pride. "Everyone's seen it in our scrimmages. We've scored but we've haven't been able to stop anyone. It's entertaining ? I mean we looked as good as the Nets the way we were going up and down the floor, but we were just not playing much defense." Foster knows the value of good leadership and said that this season the seniors and point guard should fill that role. "Michael Foster and the seniors will be a key for us," he said. "And whoever else is at point guard for us has to be the floor leader. We just don't want to call a bunch of timeouts and waste them. 44rncrri?n?c n.i : - * _ 11: ?1 ? - rucjitn 3 /*i-* intelligent piayer, anu is very mature for a sophomore." The 6-2, 162-pound Greensboro, N.C. native averaged 7.3 points and a team leading five assists a game last season. Foster said he hopes injuries and illness won't plague the team this year like it did last . .>?>m u 0 Jv ^ jBjH~! "cci-i.-^ A <" JBSS? *sk*fn ir^B ' -'-.BMO*^ ? fifth year as head coach for the Gamecocks. Foster against Marai !-S^l? ^IPp ^ p0^ Jfc mm. ttSraJJ) ^^11 ujiiL m Rough going Notre Dame guard Scott Hicks goes up for a shot in Gamecocks open the season tonight at 7 p.m. against season. Vi "We either had people sick or hurt," he y< said. "I just hope we can stay healthy the whole year. ?1 \\r- ^ i nai s wny wc a\iuncu mx piayers. we L needed numbers." gt v: ^jj|jB November 0ecemt,er |pK at Purdue V~r~ ' January 12 at Virgini ' r f?pj|p-j f^pL^ 16 at Cincini ^ ^6 at Tulane Ijk 2 florV,d,a ' ^ 25 VIRGINIA 28 at Louisvi has a 65-50 record in his four March 2 at Florida thon Oil ^ jMBl J MlfJ |. T^HEbg^HB^ jliplsgiSF| Photo by Andy Lavalley last year's game against the Fighting Irish. The Marathon Oil. Foster said the game tonight against larathon Oil will be a good test for the Dung basketball team. "They've beaten Clemson and The itadel," he said. "So 1 know they are a :>od basketball team." C Basketball Schedule ON OIL 7:30 p.m. I COLLEGE 7:30 p.m. STATE 7:30 p.m. DEL 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 2 p.m. FLORIDA 7:30 p.m. 8:35 p.m. d 9 p.m. STATE 7:30 p.m. 0 7:30 p.m. a Tech 1:30 p.m. ,a*' 8:05 p.m. LE 7:30 p.m. N 7:30 p.m. 8:30 p.m. N MISSISSIPPI 7:30 p.m. STATE 7:30 p.m. STATE 7:30 p.m. rn Mississippi 8:30 p.m. n 5 p.m. 7:30 p.m. INTERNATIONAL 7:30 p.m. lis State 8:30 p.m. >TI 7:30 p.m. TECH 7:30 p.m> He 7:30 p.m. State 7:30 p.m.