The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 20, 2002, Page 12, Image 12
GAME SCHEDULE
VOLLEYBALL vs. Alabama at the SEC Tournament
CONTACT US in Fayetteville, Ark., 11:30 a.m. Friday
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Clemson, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? MEN’S SOCCER vs. Coastal Carolina in NCAA Tournament
E-mail us at gamecocksports@hotmail.com first round, 4 p.m. Saturday
FOOTBALL at Clemson, 7:45 p.m. Saturday
USG’s center of attention
.a.jr • ■
FILE PHOTO BY ROBERT GRUEN/THE GAMECOCK
Tony Kltchings gets a look at the basket in a game last season. Kitchings, a senior, will play a big
role for the men’s basketball team this year with his powerful offense and defense in the paint.
Tony Kitchings ready to lead USC
to new heights in 2002-03 season
BY MATT ROTHENBERG
THE.GAMECOCK
If this is the year that the USC
men’s basketball team is going
to make it big, then it will need
to get some major performances
from its big man.
Kitchings, listed as 6-foot-10,
260 pounds, has battled weight
problems, often coming in a tad
heavy. But he has slimmed down
and is ready to it show off to the
SEC.
Ever since his days as a highly
touted recruit from South Aiken
High School in 1998, Kitchings
has evolved into a player who
will help define the direction that
the Gamecocks take this season.
A menacing threat in the post,
Kitchings will be counted upon
to lead USC to a berth in the
NCAA Tournament.
His career numbers don’t par
ticularly stand out as all that im
pressive — 7.7 points and 5.7 re
bounds per game — but
Kitchings has a knack for com
ing through at just the right
times. He led the Gamecocks to
defeats over Ole Miss and
Kentucky in last year’s SEC
Tournament and sparkled
throughout the NIT as well.
Following some early-season
practices, USC head coach Dave
Odom remarked that the em
phasis of the offense this year
would be in the post. Kitchings
thinks that utilizing one of this
year’s strengths is a big change
that should help out the offense.
“I think if we’re going to be a
great team in this league, you’ve
got to start in and develop out,”
Kitchings said. “By going inside,
if they double-team us, we kick it
out and (our outside shooters) hit.
It’s a good offense.... Hopefully,
it works to our benefit.”
Kitchings has truly blossomed
over the years. In the
Gamecocks’ tournament run this
past March, he had four straight
games with a double-double.
But Kitchings has had his
share of troubles as well. A con
cussion suffered early last sea
son affected his play throughout
the year. Although he appears in
shape right now, his condition
ing hasn’t always been top
notch. Still, Odom believes
Kitchings has to see more of his
vast potential.
“I think his skills have devel
oped dramatically. I think his
conditioning is the best that it’s
been,” Odom said. “He continues
to be beset by injuries and ob
stacles, which I wish he would
fight harder to overcome. I want
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him to fight his setbacks harder.
I want him to know and under
stand that this is his finale and
that every day is precious to him
and his development and our
team’s development.”
Since Odom was named the
head coach in April 2001,
Kitchings has noticed how his
role has changed between the
two coaching staffs.
“They just believe in me. In
the first meeting when (Odom)
came here, he said we’re going
inside,” Kitchings said. “Going
inside, I feel that the more touch
es I get, the more things I can do
with the ball. I really think I can
make a game or break a game.”
With fellow seniors Chuck
Eidson, Marius Petravicius and
Chris Warren playing their final
year at USC, Kitchings thinks
this team has a definite shot at
the NCAA Tournament—one of
his goals.
”1 think the senior class, we
really want to go to the NCAA’s.
This is my fifth year here, and I
’t Koon trot WqVo rrn
---J- --o~
ing,” Kitchings said.
Another one of Kitchings’
goals is to model himself after
his counterpart at Alabama,
Erwin Dudley.
Dudley, a 6-foot-8 senior post
player, has led the SEC in re
bounding the past two seasons
and is one of the Tide’s main in
side threats.
But Odom knows what
Kitchings is capable of, and he
wants the center to see that. He
doesn’t feel it will be easy, though.
“Tony’s a lovable person. He
sees life, as the story it is and I
can’t change it,” Odom said. “I
think he can change it. I think
life’s obstacles are there as a
challenge to us, and Tony gives
in to it too much.”
But Kitchings knows exactly
how to silence any of his critics.
“I need to make sure I keep at
tacking the boards and keep
scoring, and that’s how you keep
people from worrying about
your weight — to keep produc
ing,” he said.
Without a doubt, the more
Kitchings produces, the better
the Gamecocks’ chances are
come March.
Yet, as Odom noted, “He’s got
to go after it. That’s what it
comes to.”
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Holtz, football team focused on Tigers
BY JASON NOLL
! THE GAMECOCK
USC head coach Lou Holtz’s re
maining goal for his football team
is simple.
“We could end up in a bowl,
but that’s not our concern right
now,” Holtz said. “Our main con
cern is this: to play Clemson.”
Saturday’s game against the
Tigers is the final game of the sea
son for the
Gamecocks, and a
win would make
the team eligible
for a bowl game.
However, Holtz
and many fans feel
that the most im
portant game that
USC will play will Dondrial
be in Death Pinkins will
Valley. make his
“This is more second
important than a career
bowl game to me,” start
Holtz said. Saturday.
Coming off of
four straight loss
es, Holtz is concerned about his
team’s confidence, commitment,
performance and focus.
“We don’t have a lot of mo
mentum,” Holtz said.
Holtz is also concerned about
how well quarterback Dondrial
Pinkins will fare in his second
start. Pinkins, in his first start
at quarterback, rushed for 84
yards but passed for only 74 in
USC’s 28-7 loss to the Florida
Gators.
Holtz said Corey Jenkins will
play some quarterback against
Clemson, but Pinkins will be the
starter.
“The hardest time for a quar
terback is the second start,” Holtz
said. “Now, for Dondrial, it's been
extra hard, because his first two
starts are going to be at the
Swamp (versus Florida) and at
Clemson.”
Holtz said a big obstacle for the
Gamecocks will be Clemson’s im
proved defense and its talented
receiving corps. A win Saturday
would mark the first time USC
beat Clemson two years in a row
since 1969-1970. The game will be
the 100th time that USC and
Clemson face each other on the
football field.
In the rear-view mirror
Sizing up the Florida game,
Holtz cited his team’s continued
defensive breakdown in third
down situations. Florida con
verted eight of 14 third downs in
Saturday’s game.
“We have had all kinds of
problems there this year,” Holtz
said.
Holtz is frustrated with his
team consistently making the
same mistakes every week, lead
ing to four straight losses.
“It’s like ‘Groundhog Day’ all
over. Every week, it’s the same
thing,” Holtz said.
Holtz also wasn’t pleased with
his team’s inability to get in good
position to score against Florida
and in the three
previous losses.
He blames the
poor field position
on special teams
struggles, the de
fense’s inability to
force a turnover
and the team’s
third-down trou- Holtz
bles.
“Overall, (Florida) made some
great throws where we had pretty
good coverage and had some pass
es where we couldn't cover the re
ceivers. All four games have been
mirror examples of one another,”
Holtz said.
Another worry is the consis
tency of kicker Daniel Weaver,.
who missed a field goal against
Florida.
“He has been inconsistent with
his foot position,” Holtz said.
“That seems to be his biggest
problem.”
The standout performers the
from Florida game included of
fensive lineman Shane Hall, run
ning back Kenny Irons and
Jenkins.
PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK
Punter Teyler Dean kicks out of his own end zone last week
against Florida. Poor field position has been a problem for USC
over the last several weeks.
Jenkins started the game at
free safety where he recorded six
tackles and forced a fumble. He
also rushed for 15 yards on three
attempts. Jenkins is USC’s first
two-way player since Dickie
Harris in 1971. Holtz was espe
cially impressed with Jenkins
and safety Rod Wilson.
“Those were probably the two
most outstanding performers on
defense,” Holtz said.
On the injury front
Holtz said running back Thez
Robinson’s ankle sprain will
probably keep him out of the
Clemson game. Spur Jonathan
Martin should be back after suf
fering a shoulder bruise at
Florida. Wide receiver Troy
Williamson is still questionable
for Saturday’s game because of a
sore groin.
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Relief is
herefor
bummed
USCfans
KYLE ALMOND
GAMECOCKSPORTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Several big games this
weekend offer a chance
for athletics redemption.
Depressed after another tough
football loss?
Cheer up. Help is on the way.
This semester has been hard to
swallow for USC sports fans. The
football team hasn’t been able to
score. Neither has the men’s soc
cer team. The women’s soccer
team got screwed out of the post
season, and the volleyball team,
as good as it is, keeps getting
waxed by Florida.
And then you’ve got to read me
complaining every Wednesday
about something, whether it’s
Little League, the Craig Kilbom
show or Randy Moss.
I know, it’s been hard on you.
But there’s a lot to look forward
to, especially this weekend.
Of course, you’ve got the
Carolina-Clemson football game.
There’s no game bigger all year,
in any sport. If you’re a diehard
Gamecock fan, a win there is the
ultimate cure — all of your pain,
all of the bitterness that has built
up over the semester, is alleviat
ed. You could fail all your exams,
get dumped by your girlfriend and
hit by a car, and the world would
j stilAe a beautiful place as long as
we triumph Saturday.
Then there are the season
openers for the basketball teams
in the brand-new Carolina Center.
I’m telling you: Once you get into
the place, your jaw will drop to
the floor. All those state-of-the-art
technologies painted in garnet
and black — it’s simply an awe
some sight. And they’re actually
going to turn down the lights and
use spotlights to announce the
starting lineup. How cool will that
ho?
Basketball season will be great
even if our teams aren’t that good.
But the beauty is, both teams have
the potential to make it to the
NCAA Tournament.
The men’s team, if its players
can stay healthy and confident in
their abilities, could have a win
ning record in the SEC. Chuck
Eidson looks like he has a jumper
now to go along with the rest of his
game. The big men — Tony
Kitchings, Rolando Howell and
Marius Petravicius — are experi
enced, and we’ve got explosive
wing players like Carlos Powell
and newcomer Kerbrell Brown.
The talent is there.
The women’s team has a go-to
scorer in Jocelyn Penn, capable
point guards in Cristina Ciocan
and Kelly Morrone, and a strong
inside presence in Petra Ujhelyi.
If its newcomers can develop fast
and provide some depth, the wom
en could find itself back in the Big
Dance.
There are other games this
weekend that can provide USC
fans a shot at athletic redemp
The men’s soccer team, despite
its late-season collapse and in
ability to beat the other good
schools in the state, will play host
to a first-round NCAA
Tournament game Saturday. And'
the Gamecocks have a chance to
exact revenge on Coastal Carolina,
which beat them earlier in the sea
son. A win would also set up a sec
ond-round rematch* against
Clemson, which defeated USC in
a double-overtime classic at the
Graveyard in October.
The volleyball team heads to
the SEC Tournament in Arkansas
on Friday and, barring an upset,
should be facing Florida in the fi
nal. The Gators have swept USC
twice this season for the
Gamecocks’ only two conference
losses, but the third time could be
the charm.
Now I don’t want to jinx our
♦ ALMOND, SEE PAGE 13