University of South Carolina Libraries
Friday, January 23, 1998 Two go for Car tarry WILLIAMS scoop soots The men's basketball team is ha1 ing one of those weeks. One of thos weeks it had last year, when everythir is just fine. One of those weeks we ha\ come to expect from the Gamecock Nothing's perfect, but nothing's ba< ly wrong, either. Most importantly, US got everything it could have ever wan ed this week: a convincing, 68-60 vi tory Sunday at Georgia ? its first i Athens since the early 1960s and a especially satisfying 81-51 bludgeoi ing of the upstart Tennessee Voluntee: on Wednesday. The Gamecocks' record now stan< at 12-3,4-2 in the Southeastern Coi ference. Their three losses were j the hands of ranked opponents. ( course, USC was drilled, more or les in those defeats. But in the end, let call them what they're worth: Thr< victories. So Tennessee came to Columb fresh off college basketball's late "shocker" over No. 11 Ole Miss. No ma ter, said the Gamecocks emphatica ly. Whatever happened in Knoxvill i however implausible it might hai seemed, was going to remain i Knoxville. In his post-game press conferen Wednesday, a flu-ridden Eddie Fogl said Tennessee's lack of depth was i killer. Once the Vols got in foul tro ble, they were toast. 'I'UfttT ItTAWA A OQ flltmAtfAl illCJ WC1C lUItCU UiUU AU bUX UUVC1 Shot 29 percent from the field. We disposed of by halftime. For USC, though, a 30-point w f can hide a few things. At least four fa break opportunities fell victim to po decision making. Tennessee outr ii Coll > RHUU seel competition Jeopardy, or but willing to and even qu _ I ' I I _ A skims io ansv Must be cor * anybody els welcome. If get involved > C( The Vi I Come j studern Brains7 compel MM Date^hA' Time IJWi Regis oom De Registration House Unn more infori ?? od wins, olina bai ~J bounded USC, 46-39. Bud Johnson was, well. Bud Johnson. J But if you look at the bigger picture, you see what this past week means for e USC basketball. ? They're winning the games they're re supposed to win. Which, of course, is s all you can really expect of them. Come March, these victories get you into the q NCAA Tournament. Maybe the most important thing c_ we've gleaned from the past two games n is the knowledge that zone defenses don't scare the Gamecocks anymore, at a. least not in Athens, Ga. re At Georgia, Bulldogs first-year coach Ron Jirsa, perhaps relying on the ad1s vice of his old mentor Tubby Smith, Q. or benefiting from the wonders of caat ble television, switched to a zone de)f fense early in the first half after USC iS) had staked itself to an early lead. AnH fnr fViP first Vinlf thp RnllHncrs' Je zone worked as planned, reducing USCs offense to a discombobulated, sputteria ing mess. st Come the second half, though, someit thing magical happened for the visid tors. For the first time in this middlee, aged season, the Gamecocks looked like ,re the defending SEC Champions they in are. Crisp picks. Deft passes. High-perrontacro aVinfa ATorJo oVinto ce Simply and effectively, USC scored er on five of six possessions to wipe out a ts six-point deficit early in the second half, u- Promptly and predictably, Georgia reverted back to its man-to-man de s. fense. Jirsa to Fogler. Message received, re Maybe USC's feats against the zone weren't as stunning as the fervor and in resiliency they showed down the stretch st against Georgia, a volatility and zeal or that took us back a year, to what it used e- to be like to watch these Gamecocks. ege Bowl Don cs smart, intelligent, witty: of the mind. Must be into any other trivia games. IV be a team player. Must pos licker intellect. Must posse ver difficult questions at th lfident you know more ab< e on campus. Underarad you feel you are the right ! (see below) x> ?j irsity Sport of ioin USC's smartest ar ts in this "Super Bow] COLLEGE BOWL i; tition of mental wits. Russell House Univei Saturday - January 3 - 12:00 noon - 6:00 pm itration adline: Wednesday- Janu i materials can be pickec rersity Union Informat] nation, call 777-7130. The Game one goo sketball i In the final 9:59 Sunday, USC outscored the Bulldogs 22-11, held the home team to 2-of-ll shooting during that stretch. The Gamecocks out-rebounded the Bulldogs by 38-31. Then, in perhaps the one, most emblematic moment of the week, Bud Johnson lived up to his expectations. A brief moment it was, but when you've done what Bud has ? or hasn't ? a simple moment has got to be worth something. There was Johnson, exclusive, Shaqlike streak of terror in his eyes with the game on the line. He leaped high into the air with ? gasp! ? authority to pull down an offensive rebound and score in one, smooth motion. He drew a foul to boot. Then, perhaps astonished by his own acumen, Johnson missed the ensuing free throw. Of course, nothing crnnH fnrever Tn .TnVinsnn's cahp on UbC s trontcourt. Wednesday, LeRon Williams and William Gallman played exceptionally, pulling down rebound after rebound. Williams and Gallman combined for 35 points and 16 rebounds against Tennessee, easily their most productive game this season. Williams proved that, when given the minutes, he can excel. He poured II linators students for Trivial Pursuit, lust be competitive, isess a quick thumb, !ss excellent verbal e press of a button, cut everything than and grad students r-v/->KOrvr-? fnK i in tknn jJCIDUII IUI UO, II ICI I owl the Mind id brightest [ Battle of the s a team sity Union Q U\ 1/ 1,1998 ary 28,1998 8oW II 1 up at the Russell inn Penfer For ?cock d week team in a career-tying 25 points in 21 minutes on the floor. The six-foot-10-inch Johnson's numbers in 11 minutes of play? One rebound, three fouls, zero points. In Williams and Gallman, we could be witnessing the birth of a formidable tandem. But without career nights by the two. the Gamecocks' offense might not even for one game. Bud was his old, panicky self again Wednesday, making futile attempts at rebounds and shooting wayward shots he had no business shooting. Perhaps his most ignominious moment came in the second half, after a Tennessee shot glanced off the rim. There was Johnson's game ? offensively and defensively ? in shambles. Has been since he got here. But now, it's proving an exceptional burden be imperiled against their more daunting opponents. Still, the Gamecocks took care of business against Georgia and Tennessee. Which is what they were supposed to do. Anyone who believes the Gamecocks are among the top five nationally right now is deluded. Are they the 14th-best team.' mat s aeoataDie. Specific rankings aside, it is clear the Gamecocks are one of the best teams in the SEC, and one of the better teams in the nation at home. That says a lot, especially when you go back a few years. The records from 1991 to 1995 look like this: 11-17; 9-18;" 9-19; 10-17. Remember? It wasn't that long ago when everyone from Florida to LSU would stroll into Columbia and dispatch the Gamecocks with sinful ease. In those days, the Gamecocks would be lucky to play in front of 6,000 on a weeknight. The other 4,000 or 5,000 were in the warmth of their homes, listening on their radios to USC being annihilated by a weak-at-best team. Nowadays, the arena is 95 percent full when USC plays, even on weeknights. Even when USC hosts the no-account teams, at least 6,000 come. Wednesday, 10,605 showed. That's why they pack the place, for weeks like this. For a team like this. PPMPMI Did You Know Plasma is an essential flu for good quality plasma. Plasma-based medicines here in our community. Just a few hours of your difference in someone's Bayer compensates you how often you donate, y< Bayer is seeking STUDE^ health with people in ne meet our health requirer while you earn! For more information call 803-254-6683 Notice: Plasma donors are subject to medical screening Tl For Studen Filing for a S Office of MONDAY, JANU/ Pick up your f Govei Gamecock BASKETBALL continued from page six much tougher, as'No. 11 Ole Miss found out. ^ The Tigers return four starters from last season but lose their two leading scorers, Pat Burke and Wes Flanigan, to graduation. Filling the vnifl loft Kv Rnrlro nnrl THanitron ic fnr "I fell in love with the idea," said Davies, who enjoyed the thought of road tripping while gaining experience in the corporate world. As an Oscar Mayer Hotdogger, Davies must travel the U.S. in a Wienermobile for one year. "We are goodwill ambassadors for the company," Davies said. The Wienermobile made its first appearance in 1936 as the "wiener wagEarn Extr f... lid of life and there is an on-going i save thousands of lives, some i time each month can help make life. each time you donate. Dependin 3u can receive up to $170 a moi ITS and others to help share their ed. If you're at least 18 years oli nents you can start saving lives Bayer 4and resting prior to acceptance, and at all times. he Race Is On T bOVERNMENl MAKE A * Student Governme ? a Senate seat tah ^RY 26 THRU FR1DA 1ling information 1 rnment Office. RH / ward Bryant Smith. Smith is averaging 15.3 points (sixth in the SEC), 54.3 percent from the field (thirdun the SEC), 2.9 steals (first in the SEC) and 8.3 rebounds (third in the SEC) per game. Smith, however, isn't the sole rebounding force on the team. Center Mamadou N'diaye grabs 6.8 boards per game, and forward Randy Hughes averages 5.8. N'diaye also leads the SEC in blocks with 2.5 bpg while Hughes ranks sixth with 2. In the assist category, guard Doc Robinson dishes off the ball an averEx-Stanforc player love COLLEGE PRESS EXCHANGE While the rest of last spring's graduating class performed the "Wacky Walk" through commencement ceremonies, Brad Davies opted to hit the road. Davies, an American Studies major and former captain of the Stanford varsity soccer team, had convinced his professors to let him take his exams early in order to criss-cross the country in a giant hot dog en wheels, otherwise known as the Oscar Mayer \A/ionor*mr?V\ilo Page 7 ,s rip Vols age of 4.8 per contest, which is good enough for fifth place in the conference. As a team, the Tigers rank first in the conference in blocks (6.1 bpg), in opponent's field goal percentage (37.2 percent) and in opponent's 3-point field goal percentage (28.4 percent). This means that Auburn's competition usually hits only 37.2 percent of its shots and 28.4 percent of 3-pointers. Overall, the Tigers lead the series 9-8 and post a better record at home r?fR-9 Thp Inst. Hmp t.hpsp t"wn tpflms met, the Gamecocks won 66-56 in Columbia. But winning on the road has been a difficult task for Carolina, whose only losses have been away this year. "A lot of teams and players don't play well on the road," Fogler said. "It's called the environment. It's different. It's harder." The game will be televised on Jef ferson Pilot Sports. 1 soccer is wieners on." It traveled the streets of Chicago carrying musicians to attract attention.. A typical work day can range anywhere between three to 12 hours, and sometimes Davies is required to travel every day. "Traveling is the hardest l ? n : : j ?n..4 i '4 part, lyavies saiu. duu can t turnplain." Davies' responsibilities include everything from making promotional appearances at football games to assisting charity events and helping grocery stores with hurting profits. This past summer, the Hotdoggers conducted a nationwide talent search for Oscar Mayer commercials. More than 50,000 children participated in the auditions. "I heard the Oscar Mayer baloney song about 200 times a dgty," Davies s Although Davies is content with his present j od, nis plans ior next year are undetermined. "My life has become one big parade. All I do is honk and wave." a Credit When You :need Donate ight Plasma the You Save I Lives While /Sd Earning Money! Bayer Corporation 1916 Taylor Columbia, SC 29201 t r Elections! nt Executive ces place y, January 30. n the Student ? ? A 1 IU.