The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 27, 1999, Page Page 7, Image 7
AP MEN'S TOP 6
1. Connecticut 17-0
2. Duke 19-1
3. Stanford 17-2
4. Maryland 18-2
5. Cincinnati 18-1
6. Kentucky 17-4
[Wednesday, January 27, 19S
Schedule
pitfall for
Gamecocks
p =j] It's been
a Week
my
i a i ii
i hsVG^GDavid
Cloninger This
From the Cockpit leads me to
two conclusions:
either
(1.) the students are displaying
the same amount of apathetic contempt
they do for every athletic event
at this university, or (2.) everyone realizes
I was right.
Anyway, I watched two more
South Carolina basketball games this
week, both of which the Gamecocks
managed to lose, and the carnage
hasn't stopped.
Not only did Carolina lose to Vanderbilt
(is this becoming a trend?),
but then they set records for futility
in a 47-point massacre at Syracuse.
Of course, everyone has their reasons
for the losses, but I see it as just
two more embarrassments in what
has become an everyone-must-lose
season.
Let me break this down for you.
Coach Eddie Fogler assigned his
team one of the toughest schedules in
the nation this year, consisting of
non-conference teams like Clemson,
College of Charleston, Indiana and
Purdue.
This type of schedule, although
admirable and gutsy, has proven to
be nothing but a headache to everyone
associated with Carolina basketball.
V Arrl rvr? V* Q O frumn fVllO
VUttVli X Ugici 11UO given Ulio
tremendous task to a team with only
one proven star and 10 other erratic
players who have shown flashes of
brilliance, just never all at once.
For instance, last year, freshman
Antonio Grant played several strong
minutes in every game, always chipping
in a couple of points to help the
team when it needed it most.
He even made two game-winning
shots in a week, one of which made
ESPN's Play of the Week and sent
the Gamecock sports staff into cardiac
arrest.
Where has Grant been this year?
Mostly sitting on the bench. I'm no
exnert. but is this reallv the best wav
to succeed?
The case of senior forward LeRon
Williams has been a really interesting
one.
LeRon, commonly referred to as
the "thug" by my fellow inmates in
the Cockpit, has time and again produced
valuable minutes and points to
the team, not to mention bringing the
crowd to its feet with his trademark
get-out-of-my-way-or-I'll-rip-yourarm-off-and-beat-you-with-it
dunks.
However, this still hasn't warranted
a starting position for
Williams, who averages only 20 minutes
a game and is still Carolina's
SCHEDULE page 8
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Carolina's LeRon Williams lays in th
Oil earlier this season. Williams r?
tonight against Ole Miss, after beini
three games due to violating team p
%
AP WOMEN'S TOP 6
1. Tennessee 17-1
2. Purdue 16-1
3. Louisiana Tech 15-2 v .
4. Georgia 18-1
5. Connecticut 16-3
6. Colorado State 20-1
19
I ^ * A
Carolina
by Jared Kelowitz
Senior Writer
At this juncture in the season, it appears the USC men's
basketball program would have an easier time finding the
burial site of Jimmy Hoffa than finding that elusive firsl
SEC victory.
The Gamecocks' season is winding down, and with il
so are their chances of winning a Southeastern Confer
ence game. They have 10 games left, but with the quality
of teams that lie ahead, it appears one of their last legitimate
shots will come this evening when they try to tamt
the Rebels of Ole Miss at Frank McGuire Arena.
Mississippi carries a 4-3 record in the conference and an
overall mark of 14-6 this season. Although the Rebels losl
both their leading scorer and rebounder in Ansu Sesay lasl
year, they return three of five starters.
These veterans, combined with a talented group of recruits,
including highly touted freshman Darrian Browr
and junior college stars Marcus Hicks and Lataryl Williams
provide Ole Miss with the explosive offense and swarming
defense it traditionally thrives on.
Keith Carter, the team's senior leader, received SEC
Player of the Week honors last week. His 26-point effori
against Georgia was a career high. In the same game, Cartel
set the school record for most career 3-pointers at Ole Miss
with 218.
In his second game of the week, Carter poured in 14
points and four rebounds in a victory over Mississippi State
That rebounding performance gave him 531 for his career
For the week, Carter averaged 20 points, 3.0 rebounds
2.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game, and shot 44.4 percenl
from the field and 83.3 percent from the charity stripe.
"Keith Carter is one of the better if not the best guards
in the country. He made the Goodwill Games this summer,'
Gamecock coach Eddie Fogler said. "He is one very, ver>
tough defensive player, has great ability to shoot the basketball,
very intense, and he will be in the NBA next
year."
Carter plays bigger than his 6-foot-4-inch frame. Although
he's a pure shooter, he's also one of the most athletic
players in the SEC.
"Against Kentucky [Carter] has one of the best dunks
off of a missed free throw I have ever seen," Fogler said.
The rivalry between these schools is fairly modern, but
in the past few years it's turned into quite a test for both
teams. USC leads the series 6-4, winning all three games
nlavoH in Pnlnmhin T.net spnsnn R.T MrT\ip nnrl Mplvin
Watson each had career highs in scoring, leading USC tc
a 87-77 victory. In that game, McKie scored 37 points. II
McKie scores 37 points tonight, he will become Carolina's
all-time leading scorer. People say history repeats itself, although
that remains to be seen with this team.
"[Ole Miss] always plays us tough. They have Keith
Carter, who is extremely talented, they love to win, they
play good tough-nosed defense, probably the best in the SEC,
The reason their defense is so good is because they play
straight-up man-to-man defense and really get after you foi
40 minutes," McKie said.
One of Ole Miss' best attributes is its control of the ball,
It has smart players who make few turnovers, another hurAthletes
1
by Brock Vergakis quirements se
Assistant Sports Editor keep, Assistant .
Scholarships Stu;
Millions of dollars in scholarships USC's highest
are awarded to incoming USC fresh- basketball and fo
men with one stipulation: students are of 1.9 and 2.2, resp
required to keep up their grades. There some students did
is one notable exception to this, how- poorly,
ever ? student-athletes. Anything less
Only five of 17 athletic teams here ered "scholastica
had a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or high- university,
er last fall, the normal standard for re- These athlete:
taining a scholarship for the rest of the ride for their athle
student body. they're performing
"Athlete scholarships are consid- field,
ered athletic grants-in-aid and are sup- The football t
posed to meet the progression re- 10? while men's b
Ladder
B Michael Strickland w'n
Wrestling Insider tru?
fan
|||B match between Scott Hal
Hall and Bam Bam gave vi
tal battle that saw both m<
L merous bumps.
The match was for the hei
k. _
|Mj||gjpP| > * and Bam Bam was first to get
fl# ed Hall his own taser, and tl
P|J| Qk about to joust with those tasers
BL' ^ berg ran in to deliver a doubl
. d Even though there was no'
?atiu was a major step forward by
scan Kayford I'hoto Kdiuw Bret Hart gave a tremen
e ball against Marathon view to mark his return to W
iturns to the hardwood sion, proving he'll keep the fi
5 suspended for the past that has made him a force in
olicy- zation. He is set to defend th
^ (5amecock A
sport!
The Gamecock
looks tc
5
t
t
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i
Carolina's BJ McKie drives to the hoop in U
Gamecocks' all-time leading scorer.
die the Gamecocks will have to overcome in ore
able ? win an SEC game.
Besides McKie's ever-present scoring thre*
other thing going for it. Tonight at 7:30, LeRor
to action. Williams had been suspended for th
an incident Fogler won't comment on. Willian
the Gamecocks need to jump-start their offens<
McKie carries on his back.
ield to 1(
t by the NCAA to USC President John P*
Director of General sions of making Carolina
art Jones said. of the AAU, the nation
profile sports, men's prestigious universities,
otball, posted GPAs While the solution i
actively. This means USC an academic elite migt
well, while some did admissions standards, ath
sn pxpmnt from this kind r
? x
than a 2.0 is consid- the bar.
lly deficient" by the Dean of Undergraduate
Terry Davis said all stude
s are receiving a free ing athletes, are requir
tic performances, but normal entrance requirem
I just as poorly on the ever, "a faculty admissions
has the right to waive a d<
eam's record was 1- the president can admit st
asketball is 5-13. don't normally meet criteri
match high
N C W has at Superbrawl against an unnarm
n getting ponent.
nped in the Hart faced Booker T. later in the
lgs lately, as in a physical matchup. Booker s
^'re on a 12- close to Hart throughout the mate]
: k losing Hart's ring savvy prevailed, and th
iak to the man won with the three-count.
F. Well, now we know where Curt
50 this week, nig stands with the nWo. He's out.
W did all members attacked "The Perfect Oi
r could do to the airport, attempting to solidii
back the group's two factions. I have a feeling 1
j wrestling still more fat to be trimmed froi
. A ladder roster.
1 and Bam Goldberg was a busy man Mc
night as he took on Scott Norton in i
ewers a bru- er-versus-power match,
jn take nu- Norton stayed even with the f(
world champion for most of the mate
aided taser, he later misfired on a powerbomb,
uie weapun. ing an opening tor Goldberg to spear
ickey, hand- hammer and beat former IWGP C
le tv/o were pion Norton in a terrific match,
when Gold- In the main event, Horsemen Ric
e spear. Chris Benoit and Mongo McMichael
winner, this on nuik Hogan, Kevin Nash and
WCW. Steiner in a six-man tag match. The
dous inter- maintained control throughou
1CW televi- fight) many times with all six men gt
eel attitude -nt0 the ring at once,
the organi- Fjair iocked Hogan into the fig
ie U.S. title an(j ^ad the win secured until Bis
SCHEDULE
Men's basketball vs. Ole
SMiss, 7:30 tonight, Frank
McGuire Arena.
Women's basketball vs.
Vanderbilt, 7 p.m. ..
Thursday, Frank McGuire
Arena.
i niiasli
ISC's Jan. 13 loss to Florida. McKie remaii
ler to do the unthink- "LeRon can give
ing the scoring up a
it, USC will have an- Hopefully, he can he
TTT'i, n , McKie isn't the o:
l Williams will return . .
? excited to make his :
iree games because of -It's been 12 or l:
is might be just what lated to basketball,"1
3 and lighten the load other stuff out of th<
playing basketball."
)wer sti
ilms has vi- To be admitted to Carolina i
a member actly the most difficult thing
's 50 most world in the first place.
The application for admissi
to making looks at GPA, courses taken ai
it be to raise scores.
letes are al- There's no essay, no letter
)f raising of ommendation, no statement
' tracurricular activities or leac
Admissions positions ? a far cry from the
nts, includ- cation booklets required for Nor
ed to meet olina, Michigan, Duke and Virj
ents. How- This is part of the reason USC v
> committee ed in the Third Tier of schools 1
enial, [and] News and World Report, a loi
udents who from the top-50 ranking Palms
a," she said, to achieve.
llights WC
3d op- handed Nash a two-by-four, which h
used to attack Flair.
show Before the nWo could do any dan
tayed to Flair, though, the full WCW roste
h, but the ring to support their boss. WCW s
e Hit- Up to the nWo to finish off an entert
ing NITRO program.
Hen- WCW has again announced that
n^? tag-team title tournament is beginn
ne" at. il- l: :
mis Lime in a uuuuie-eiiiiiinaLiuii
y 1 mat. That should wind up in time i
heres ppVfinaie.
It was one of WCW's better NIr
, shows of late, which is highly iro
c considering the man responsible for n
1 ^ow of the successful NITRO programs
jrmer years (ll"t last Monday during Nn
h but Terry Taylor, upset with his reduc
leav- creat^ve control, bolted for the W
jack- w^ere started work immediately,
ham- Taylor, a former wrestler once
sidered the heir apparent to Nature
Flair Flair, saw his in-ring career come I
I took screeching halt when Vince McMa
i n i _ j j i i i
Scott maae one 01 nis Diggesi misuses Dy cm
i nWo ing Taylor as the "Red Rooster."
t the However, the two have teamed
itting again, which leaves WCW with their v
cut out for them as far as booking,
ure 4 Have you ever wondered what it's
;choff to run a wrestling jjromotion?
NATE SAYS...
Nate says Clemson basketball players
Vincent Whitt and Johnny
Miller were suspended from play
for the rest of the season. Whitt
will be eligible to play next season,
but Miller will graduate this spring.
The two had been suspended earlier
for violating team policy.
M .
Page 7
Rebels
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Sean Rayford Photo Editor
ns only 34 points behind Alex English as'the
this team some depth, and he can help by picklittle
bit, because that's what we are lacking,
lp us in the best way possible," McKie said,
nly guy glad to have Williams back. Williams is
return and hopeful of making his presence felt.
3 days that I actually played or did anything retVilliams
said. "So it feels real good to get all that
i way and finally be able to just concentrate on
J~
uiuarus
sn't ex- Bringing in academically deficient
in the athletes is supposed to help the athletic
program,
on only History has shown this as not
id SAT necessarily the case, however. Wake
Forest won back-to-back ACC basketof
rec- ball championships in 1994 and 1995
; of ex- and also defeated our own soccer team
lership in the fall.
! appli- "All of our student-athlete admits
th Car- qualify easily under NCAA guidelines,"
ginia. Wake Forest Athletic Director Ron Well;as
list- man said.
by U.S. "Even the 'special' admits exceed
ig way the NCAA minimum standards for ini>
wants tial eligibility."
STANDARDS page 8
W's NITRO
lash Well, either you're putting yourself
over in a sad Royal Rumble or you're forced
lage by one of your wrestlers to sell souvenirs
r hit to the common man. Which is worse?
tood
;ain- News and Notes: Today is the anniversary
of Andre the Giant's death. Andre
, the Rene Rousimoff died in 1993 at the age of
ting, 46. He was remembered in a biography
for- on the A&E network last week, which
:or a drew the second-highest rating of any
biography ever shown on the channel ?
fRO a terrific hour of television Stinp has been
nic, fighting a few house shows lately, wearlany
ing the black-and-white face paint, by the
over way. Sting was backstage AND in makeHO.
up at Souled Out, but he wasn't used.
:tion He fought Bret Hart, who is still nursWF,
ing a serious groin injury. WCW.COM has
revamped its online site, and it has a lot
con- to offer. Yes, McMahon did "win" the RoyBoy
al Rumble Sunday night. That means he's
to a scheduled for a WWF title match at
hon Wrestlemania XV. It'll be interesting to
x>k- see if that booking influences Eric Bischoff,
as he's always tried to best egos with the
1 up WWF owner. ECW tickets are on sale at
/ork Capital City ticket outlets for its Feb. 5
show at the Township. Prices are $35, $20
like and $15.1 hope to have a full preview of
that show next w,eek.