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Boynton CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 me to just sit back and relax.” In Boynton’s first year with the Gamecocks under former head coach Eddie Fogler, he was just trying get used to college basket ball. As Dave Odom took over, Boynton was struggling with in consistency. Last season, Boynton saw personal success at times as his minutes increased. But as time passed, Boynton began to under stand his role on Odom’s team was not going to be what many ath letes hope for. “I would have hoped for more success, been a big star, but that hasn’t been my role since I’ve been here. I’ve been asked to be q;,ore of a leader, a guy that does not get all the accolades and mag azine covers,” he said. It all came to light at the end of last year when strength and con ditioning coach Darby Rich chal lenged Boynton to work harder and get in better shape. Boynton felt to be a better leader, he had to do show by example and said he looked at himself “in the mirror after last season and didn’t like what I saw from a lot of different perspectives.” After a rigorous off-season where he dropped weight, strengthened his body and worked on his jump shot day and night, Boynton is primed to show the younger talent what it takes to have success. “Success is a process, and it’s not a process when you want it to be. It’s a process everyday. You have to dedicate yourself to being the best you can be and who knows what that is, but you’ll nev er know if you don’t put in the time,” Boynton said. Boynton’s confidence has risen dramatically and he said it’s a similar feeling to what he had go ing into his senior season in high school where he was one of the best players on his team. He also said he has the confidence to com pete with anyone in the SEC and the country. Boynton’s career at a glance Senior, Guard, Brooklyn, NY (Bishop Loughlin) Year GP GS FG Pet. 3FG Pet. FT Pet. Ast. TO Stl Pts Avg 2001 30 1 .294 .212 .375 46 42 21 67 2.2 2002 34 2 .365 .432 .556 50 51 23 64 1.9 2003 27 11 .280 .299 .619 44 36 27 75 2.8 Total 91 14 .307 .294 .553 140 129 71 206 2.3 GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATION BY STACI JORDAN/THE GAMECOCK It’s now his job “to be an exten sion of the coach in the locker room and on the floor, a guy that shows guys the right way to do things, a guy that leads by exam ple, works hard, tries to get better and help the team win.” He also thinks that minutes aren’t so important and that’s something it’s taken him four years to realize. To Boynton, it’s all about team success, which starts with the individual. Now, all he has to do is prove it to his team. “I owe it to guys like Tarence Kinsey, Tre Kelly and Brandon Wallace to show them,the way, not only telling them what to do but going out and doing it myself. I make a conscious effort everyday to give everything I have because I’m telling them, look, you have to give everything you have because anything less than that will lead you in the wrong direction,” Boynton said. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@hotmail.com Day Date Ft* 11/21/2003 Mon 11/24/2003 Wed 11/26/2003 Sat 11/23/2003 Tua 12/02/2003 fr» 12/06/2003 Sat • 12/06/2003 Sun 12/14/2003 Thu 12/18/2003 Sat 12/20/2003 Tue 12/30/2003 Sat 01/03/2004 Sun 01/11/2004 Thu 01/15/2004 Sun 01/18/2004 Thu 01/22/2004 Sun 01/26/2004 01/28/2004 02/01/2004 02/06/2004 02/08/2004 02/12/2004 02/15/2004 02/10/2004 02/22/2004 02/26/2004 02/20/2004 03/04/2004 03/08/2004 03/07/2004 Opponent Location TV Outcome/Time ctomson Clemson, S.C. 8:30 PM Appalachian State Columbia. SC 7:00 PM Marcar Columbia, SC 7:00 PM Florida A&M Columbia, SC 6:00 PM Stetson . DeLand, FL 7:00 PM Southern Utah Albuquerque, New Mexico 10:00 PM TBA Albuquerque. New Mexico TBA Charlotte Charlotte. N.C. 2:00 PM Louisiana-Lafayette Columbia. SC 7:00 PM North Carolina Myrtle Beach, S.C. 3:00 PM Salon Had South Orange. 7:30 PM Minnesota Minneapolis. Minn. CBS 4:00 PM Alabama • Tuscaloosa, Ala. 3:00 PM Tennessee * Columbia, S.C. 7:00 PM Arkansas* Columbia. SC * 2:00 PM Florida * Gainesville. Fla. Sunshine 7:00 PM Kentucky * Columbia. S.C. 2:00 PM CoBege of Charleston Charleston. S.C. 7:00 PM LSU * Baton Rouge. La. 2:00 PM Mississippi * Columbia, S.C. 7:00 PM Tennessee * Knoxville, Tenn. 3:00 PM Alabama« Columbia, S.C. 6:00 PM Auburn * Auburn. Ala. 3*» PM Mississippi Stats * Stark vide, Miss. 8:00 PM Georgia* Columbia. S.C. SEC-TV 3:00 PM Kentucky - Lexington. KY 7.-00 PM Vanderbilt * Columbia. S.C. 2:00 PM SEC Tournament Nashville, Tenn- All Day SEC Tournament Owtadlnoto Nashville. Tonn. All Oay SEC Tournament SemUlnsa Nashville, Tenn. Alt Oay SEC Tournamertt Final Nashville, Tenn. ESPN 2 4:00 p.m. Day Data Man 11/17/2003 Tim 11/18/2003 Frt 11/21/2003 Mon 11/24/2003 Tue 11/28/2003 Sat 11/29/2003 Wed 12/03/2003 Sat 12/06/2003 Mon 12/15/2003 Wed 12/17/2003 Sat 12/20/2003 Mon 12/22/2003 Toe 12/30/2003 Fri 01/02/2004 Wed 01/07/2004 Sat 01/10/2004 Wed 01/14/2004 Sat 01/17/2004 Sat 01/24/2004 Wed 01/28/2004 Sat 01/31/2004 Wed 02/04/2004 Sat 02/07/2004 Wed 02/11/2004 Sat 02/14/2004 Sat 02/21/2004 Wed 02/20/2004 Sat 02/28/2004 Wed 03/03/2004 Sat 03/06/2004 Tfcu 03/11/2004 Opponent Gardner Webb (Guardians Classic) Ekm/ldaho (Guardians Classic) Navy Semis (Guardians Classic) Championship Finals (Guartftane Classic) Campbell The Citadel Clsmson * Temple Charleston Southern North Carolina State South CmtMna State Yale Appalachian Stats Florida * Georgia * Auburn * LSO* Vanderbilt - Mississippi * Alabama * Kentucky * Mississippi State * Vanderbilt Arkansas * Florida * Georgia Kentucky * Tennessee * SEC Tournament