Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

This Week in USC Sports History 1977 - The Gamecock baseball team was eliminated from the College World Series with a 2-1 loss to Arizona State. USC won its first three games in Omaha, but then dropped consecutive games to the Sun Devils. • Page 9 Ready for roundball Dave Odom has been working to put USC back on top by David Cloninger The Gamecock It may be summer, but Dave Odom isn’t taking a vacation. Hired in April after Eddie Fogler resigned, USC’s new basketball coach has wasted no time putting together a new staff and recruiting players for the 2001 02 season. “I love Columbia; people have been great to me here,” Odom said. “I’ve been warmly received. The University has gone out of its way to make me feel welcome.” Odom came to USC with the deck stacked against him. The Gamecocks had been searching for a new head coach since USC was eliminated from the National Invitational Tournament, and every head coach USC contacted wasn’t interested in the position. When USC Athletics Director Mike McGee convinced Odom to leave Wake Forest for Columbia, Odom immediately had to deal with a program which was losing two seniors (Antonio Grant and David Ross) and had its remaining players wondering whether they should transfer or stay with the new coach. Plus, Fogler’s only recruit, Pavel Storozynski, decided to attend Texas Tech instead of USC. But, Odom still found a way to succeed with the hand he’d been dealt. hour days alter the celebration of Odom’s hiring, he was given his first setback when sophomore Travis Kraft decided to transfer. The North Dakota native told Odom he felt it would best for him to relocate. Sophomore Calvin Clemmons also decided to transfer, going back home to play for the Charlotte 49ers. “After careful consideration, I have decided that it is in my best interest to pursue my education and basketball career at another university,” Clemmons said. The sophomore averaged 4.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, as well as playing in 22 contests. Kraft was hampered in each of his two years at Carolina by a stress fracture in his foot. The forward averaged 2.5 points and 1.5 rebounds per game, but could only play in four games in the 2000-01 season. “I think both of those were in the mix before we got here,” Odom said. “The program is very important, but we have the ability to know what’s best for each player, and we certainly support Travis and Calvin in their decisions.” Following Kraft’s and Clemmons’ departures, Odom brought three members of his Wake Forest staff to Columbia. Frank Haith, Barry Sanderson and Ernie Nestor all joined the USC coaching staff following stints at Wake Forest. “One of the things I feel best about is the ability to keep our staff intact,” Odom said. “We have good continuity. Ernie and Barry certainly fit that mold. They understand me.” Odom later gained a commitment from his first USC recruit in Carlos Powell, from Florence’s Wilson High School. A 6 foot-7 forward, Powell averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds per game his senior year, but wasn’t heavily recruited. Rick Johnston/The Gamecock New South Carolina head basketball coach Dave Odom has already filled his coaching staff and gained three commitments in two months at USC. roweu, oesioes oeing a frontcourt addition to twin towers Tony Kitchings and Rolando Howell, could also play a factor in Odom’s recruitment of fellow Wilson standout Major Wingate. Wingate, rated the sixth-best nsing junior in me nation ny rrep Stars, attended Odom’s basketball camp last week and said when the time comes, he will either follow best friend Raymond Felton, a Latta High School star who has verbally committed to North Carolina, or come 10 use, ana piay with Powell. The NBA is also an option for the 6-foot-10, 260-pound power forward. However, since neither Wingate nor Felton are in Odom seepage 10 Tiger's loss is our gain David Cloninger Who Else ? The PGA Tour has been stricken with controversy lately, stemming from the Supreme Court’s decision to let handicapped golfer Casey Martin use a golf cart while playing. The rhubarb between golf purists and Martin had-been raging for a number of years, so the rest of us finally got to breathe easier when the case was decided. But, just when one controversy ended, another reared its head last weekend at the U.S. Open. Shocking the world and turning heads everywhere, Tiger Woods did not finish first at a Grand Slam tournament. Woods entered Sunday’s play nine shots back from leaders Stewart Cink and Retief Goosen, tied for 23rd place. He finished tied for 12th. What? Tiger Woods, the man who won four consecutive major championships, who won all four Grand Slam tournaments within a year, who took the title of "Greatest Golfer the World Has Ever Known" from Bobby Jones, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, finished tied for 12th? I demand a recount. There’s no possible way for Woods to shoot a 5-over 145 Friday and pretty much eliminate himself from contention on the first day of a golf tournament. It must’ve been the wind. Golf has become a game of follow-the-leader, with Woods, not the golf course, representing the biggest obstacle a golfer must overcome. I suppose this thinking can’t really be criticized, since Woods has shown he doesn’t care about being in a pressure situation. He just trots out onto the course, spins in a circle to "Nike-ize" himself and calmly destroys every Titleist he can get his driver on. The contingent of sportswriters Cloninger SEEPAGE 10