The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 18, 2000, The Welcome Back Issue 2000, Page C4, Image 28
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Fogler stays
at USC, but
Kinloch goes
Forward transfers to Tennessee Tech
by Jeff Romig
The Gamecock
USC men's head basketball coach
Eddie Fogler announced July 7 that he
has withdrawn his name from consider
ation for the men's head basketball coach
ing position at the University of North
Carolina.
“Although I had one preliminary dis
cussion with (North Carolina Athletics
Director) Dick Baddour, the timing is
not right for me to continue any fur
ther discussions with the university,”
Fogler said. “North Carolina has the pre
mier basketball program in the country
and I was honored to have this discus
sion with them, but I know there are oth
er outstanding candidates out there for
the head coaching position at UNC.”
USC Athletics Director Mike McGee
was pleased with Fogler's decision to re
main with the Gamecocks.
“Obviously, we are pleased that coach
Fogler will remain as South Carolina's
head coach. We look forward to con
tinuing our basketball program's devel
opment under coach Fogler and expect
to have a successful program under his
leadership.”
Fogler will have to deal with the loss
of one of his forwards to transfer.
After the commitments of Rolando
Howell, Michael Boynton and Greg Tay
lor last Fall, Fogler had a decision to make.
Fogler would enter the 2000-01 sea
son with 14 potential scholarship stu
dent-athletes, but only 13 scholarships
available.
Damien Kinloch solved the problem.
On May 19, Fogler announced that
the sophomore forward had left the Game
cock basketball program to transfer to
Tennessee Tech where he will play for
former USC assistant coach Jeff Lebo,
who earned Ohio Valley Conference
Coach of the Year honors last season.
“We wish Damien Kinloch well,”
Fogler said. “He was a major contributor
to our team this past season but believes
this transfer will enable him to better
reach his goals.”
Kinloch, a product of North
Charleston High School, averaged 3.9
points and was fourth on the team with
4.2 rebounds per game. He played in all
32 games last season for the Gamecocks,
rtnrtinrr 1 Q anrl ovnrirnnir 188 miniltOC H
game.
“I thank coach Fogler for being part
of the basketball program at South Car
olina,"'Kinloch said. “But I believe that -■
transferring will give me a better op
portunity to reach my goals on the bas
ketball court. I wish the teammates and
coaching staff at South Carolina well.”
Kinloch played in all but one USC
game in his two years, playing in 60 con
tests and averaging 3.1 points and 3.5 re
bounds with 30 blocked shots for his Car
olina career.
Kinloch was expected to provide
added depth to a Gamecock front court
that boasts sophomores Marius Petravi
cius and Tony Kitchings at center, seniors
David Ross and Antonio Grant and sopho
mores Ivan Howell, Calvin Clemmons,
Travis Kraft at forward.
Sean Rayford The Gamecock
On July 7, Eddie Fogler took himself out of the running for the head coach’s opening at the
University of North Carolina. Fogler became a leading candidate after Kansas head coach
Roy Williams declined the position to coach the Tarheels.
Kraft’s family
joins him in SC
The Associated Press
North Dakota native Travis Kraft is a rising sophomore
for South Carolina and his family doesn’t want to miss it.
That’s why the Kraft family, including their two youngest
children, Calvin, 12, and Taylor, 8, packed up their sweaters,
coats and mittens and moved to balmy Columbia
“It was harder for me than I anticipated,” Barb Kraft said
of her son’s decision to play basketball 1,600 miles away at
South Carolina
Tim and Barb each made two trips to watch their 6-foot
7 son’s first season with the Gamecocks as a forward, but they
wanted to give him more support.
“There were a couple of times he’d call home after the
game and he’d be sitting in his room having a sandwich or
pizza and I’d say, ‘Where is everybody else?’ He’d say, ‘With
their parents,”’ Bait Kraft said. “That broke my heart.”
1 lm ana Bam Man grew up in iNorrn uaKoia ana ineir
parents were just a few hours-drive away from their town
in May-Port, N.D., so it was not an easy decision to move
their lives across the country.
“As the winter continued to move on, we thought and |
talked some more. It was two-fold, we liked the area and we
wanted to follow (Travis) more often,” Tim Kraft said.
Both Tun and Barb got a jobs in Richland County Dis
trict 2 this fall.
Tim will teach physical education at Bookman Road
Elementary. Barb, who was honored with one of the four
1999 Milken Educator Awards for North Dakota, winning
$25,000 and a trip to Los Angeles, will teach math at Dent
Middle.
Both were successful basketball coaches at May-Port
High School, Tun making the regionals in each of his two sea
sons, finishing third in the state during Travis Kraft’s junior
year.
Barb took her team to the regionals in each of her five
seasons, reaching the state championship tournament in 1999
2000. They’re putting their coaching careers on hold so they
can watch to watch their son play.
“They’re still kind of wide-eyed right now,” said Travis
Kraft’s teammate and roommate, David Ross. “Coming from
the town they lived in, this is New York to them right
But Columbia is becoming home. After going to a church
25 miles away their first weekend, they’ve now found one
within five miles of their new home. '*<
There’s a basketball hoop in the driveway. Only a few
boxes remain in the garage, including one full of winter clothes.
A Gamecock hat, pennant, stickers and pictures, includ
ing one of his big brother in action last season, decorate 12
year-old Calvin’s room. Calvin also attended Fogler’s bas
ketball camp last week.
Travis Kraft says he will live in the dorms during the
school year and he plans to live off campus next summer.
He said he was ready move out of his parents’ home, but
didn’t like being so far from his family.
“It’s a perfect world now. They can cook me some food
and wash my clothes,” he said.
Student Distribution Schedule
New Mexico State 1 Aug. 23,24,25,28,29,30
Georgia Aug. 23,24,25,28,29,30
Sept. 5, 6, 7
^Eastern Michigan Sept. 5,6,7,11,12,13
MississippiState 1 Sept. 11,12,13,18,19,20
Arkansas Oct. 2,3,4, 9,10,11
Tennessee Oct. 9,10,11,23,24,25
Monday Sept. 4 Labor Day - No Classes /
^ Monday, Tuesday Oct. 16,17 Fall Break - No Classes v
Date Coupon Book Sales - Aug 23,24,25,28,29,30
I SEC ROW SEAT
|i 30 38 1
4 E AW»1 WE THS PATE thLt
New Mexico State . I |&§ ? itj
& Georgia Aug. 23,24,25,28,29,30
Eastern Michigan ; > r*§ M% gfijj jllBpSS
& Mississippi State Sept. 5,6,7,11,12,13
£$ ffipypl PfPfp
Arkansas & Tennessee Oct. 2,3,4,9,10,11
*—
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//
Students must have your I.D, Card with you to get
into the Stadium with Student Ticket. The Student
Section is located in the North Section of the St:
Sections 21 thru 34. «i 1 x
For more complete information about student tickets, pick up a copy of the
Student Football Information Book
at the Russell House lobby Information Desk.WgmM ®K«§S| ______
Student'Tickets will be distributed at the Russell House, room 205 9am ■ 4pm.
: Students are not guaranteed a student ticket to each game, only Hficapped or disabled students can get assistance by calling _
- the right to a ticket as long as student tickets are available. \_v _ f