The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 19, 2003, Page 12, Image 12
12 ' THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday. November 19. 2003 CAME SCHEDULE
VOLLEYBALL vs. Alabama in SEC Tournament,
6 p.m. Friday
POIVTAPT TTS MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Navy, 8 p.m. Friday
(Il Yvj 1 U U WOMEN’S BASKETBALL at Clemson, 8:30 p.m. Friday
Story ideas? Questions? Comments? FOOTBALL vs. Clemson, 7 p.m. Saturday
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’ t *
.
USC wins first 2 games of season
Gamecocks defeat Gardner-Webb
and Idaho to advance to the
semifinals of the Guardians Classic
BY WES WOLFE
THE GAMECOCK
The USC men’s basketball team
(2-0) is going to the semifinals of
the Guardians Classic after beat
ing Gardner-Webb (1-1) 83-74 on
’ Monday and Idaho -
(1-1) 76-66 on
Tuesday.
“I realize these
, two teams aren’t
the ilk of the SEC
teams we will face,
but these were
good steps, small
Odom steps, but impor
tant steps,” USC
head coach Dave Odom said.
The Gamecocks won the'first
match over Gardner-Webb al
most despite themselves, down
by eight at the half and only
shooting 36 percent from the field
along with 59 percent from the
free throw line. Guard Josh
Gonner and guard Tarence
Kinsey led the Gamecocks in
scoring with 14, while forward
Brian Bender led Gardner-Webb
with 21 points.
“There’s a lot of things we can
improve upon,” Odom said. “I
thought our team looked much
quicker tonight than last year’s.
We cannot give up that many
points in the paint.”
The Runnin’ Bulldogs’ lead in
the first half was driven by their
points in the paint. Gardrier
Webb had 22 more points in the
paint than the Gamecocks in the
first half. Carolina looked com
pletely cold in the first 20 min
utes, with forward
Carlos Powell go
ing 2-of-10 from
the field and
Kinsey shooting 3
of-9.
“It was begin
ning of the game
jitters,” Gonner
said. “We were so Gonner
riled up that we
were just too riled up. We were
just trying to do too much at one
time, and they were just doing the
simple things and they were
breaking us down.”
The comeback in the second
half came off of exceptional three
point shooting by Gonner, guard
Tre Kelly and guard Mike
Boynton. Those three combined
for 10-of-13 from beyond the arc.
The three-pointers made the dif
ference in the second half, with
Carolina taking a one-point lead
with five minutes left to a 10-point
lead with one minute left.
However, Gardner-Webb made
a short run, cutting the lead to
five in 21 seconds, but the
, Bulldogs had to start fouling to
stop the clock. USC converted on
its free throws and ended with a
nine-point win.
USC was in control most of the
game against Idaho, outscoring
the Vandals by 16 points in the
paint and shooting better from the
field. However, the edge on three
pointers went to Idaho. The
Vandals went 9-of-15 from beyond
the arc to USC’s 7-of-19. Most of
Idaho’s three-pointers came at the
hands of guard Dwayne Williams,
who led the team in points with 16.
Kinsey led the Gamecocks with 21
points in the game.
Carolina came out of the gate
versus Idaho a much improved
team after its performance
against Gardner:Webb. The
Gamecocks showed good ball-han
dling, good ball movement and
were making shots in the paint.
USC also used an attacking de
fense, forcing turnovers and other
mental mistakes by the Vandals.
Idaho appeared to have trouble
getting traveling calls, which al
lowed Carolina more scoring op
portunities. USC got out to a 10
“There’s a lot of things
we can improve on. I
thought our team looked
so much quicker tonight
than last year’s.”
DAVE ODOM
USC HEAD COACH
point lead through good three
pointers and decent inside shoot
ing, but Idaho kept the game close
by hitting several key three-point
shots, cutting the lead to one by
halftime.
USC came out in the second
half as successful as it was in the
first, getting offensive rebounds
and points in the paint. The
Gamecock defense kept at Idaho
too, drawing charges and forcing
turnovers. Carolina built an 11
point lead and survived a 7-0 run
by the Vandals to finally put
away Idaho at the end of the
game.
Kinsey was named the MVP of
the South Carolina Regional of the
Guardians Classic. Kinsey went
10-of-23 for 30 points and 16 re
bounds in the two games.
USC will play next against
Navy at home on Friday, Nov. 21
at 8 p.m. before heading out to the
Guardians Classic semifinals in
Kansas City, Mo., on Nov. 24.
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PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/TH
Forward Tarence Kinsey, who scored 21 points in two games, was
voted MVP of the South Carolina Regional of the Guardians Classic.
PHOTO BY JOHNNY HAYNES/
‘ THE GAMECOCK
Dunta Robinson gets i
set for a play during
the Florida game. + ^
The last stand
i
Senior co-captain Dunta Robinson is ending his
career in college and possibly preparing for the pros
BY BRAD SENKIW
• THE GAMECOCK
The college life of USC comerback Dunta
Robinson hasn’t been short. He spent two
years as an understudy to two defensive
backs, Sheldon Brown and Andre
Goodman, who now play on Sundays. He’s also suf
fered through four straight losses last season and the
possibility of a repeat this year. He’s also had to deal
with being a student athlete by getting up and going
to school and practice, hoping to find a way to grad
uate. And after all that. Robinson.
a co-captain, is preparing to play
his final game at Williams-Brice
Stadium in the annual rival game
against Clemson on Saturday.
“I didn’t think I’d be in this sit
uation this fast,” Robinson said.
“It feels just like yesterday I was
arriving in August, but I’m almost
at the end of my journey.”
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Gamecock players on Saturday, will be honored for
what they have meant to the Carolina football pro
gram. Robinson said he still isn’t sure how he’ll feel
with coaches, players, fans and family members cel
ebrating his final game.
“I don’t know what the feeling’s going to be and
that’s what’s scary about it," Robinson said. “You
don’t know if you’re going to get out there and be sad
or rejoice. I know one thing — it’s going to be a spe
cial moment.”
And special is what Robinson has been for the
Gamecocks. The Athens, Ga., native came to Carolina
as a guy who wasn’t looked to for an immediate im
pact. Robinson said he was glad he got the opportu
“It feels like yesterday I
was arriving in August,
but I’m almost at the
end of my journey.”
DUNTA ROBINSON
use CORNERBACK
nity to learn from the players in front of him and
thinks that being patient has really helped his game.
This season, Robinson leads the team with four
interceptions and is an All-SEC candidate. With so
much personal success, Robinson said it’s what he
had hoped for, but winning his always the ultimate
goal.
As far as the prospect of what will happen after
his college playing days will end, ESPN NFL draft
guru Mel Kiper Jr. rated Robinson as the top corner
in the next draft just last week. Robinson was also
listed as a first-round selection, continuing a legacy of
great defensive players joining the
pros from Carolina.
“It’s a great legacy to have, and
it’s something I want to do,”
Robinson said. “I’ve always want
ed to be a professional football play
er. To even get the opportunity to
talk about going on to the next level
is a dream come true. It’s some
thing special.”
a_i _r. n-l_i.~ c—
1 XIIVA UII/U511 HVJUlUOUll ivono i'll
ward to getting that chance, he’s quick to say gradu
ation is his primary goal.
“Going through college isn’t easy, and I made it
all the way through. To play football and do all that
and still go to school, it’s good to see that I made it
through all that.”
Robinson said that playing next year is “some
thing I think about, but I know it’s not promised.
“The first thing for me to do is graduate. I know
that if you do make it, I understand how short a ca
reer it is,” Robinson said.
Not only has Robinson gone the traditional route
♦ ROBINSON, SEE PAGE 13
Holtz’s contract gets
extended for fifth year
BY STEPHEN DEMEDIS
THE GAMECOCK
With one game remaining in
the season and the team in need
of a win to become bowl eligible,
the USC Athletics Department
gave a vote of confidence to the
coaching staff by giving head
coach Lou Holtz a one-year ex
tension to his contract. This
makes Holtz’s contract five years
in length.
With such a young team, only
five listed starting seniors, the
program looks to not only build
on their strong foundation, but
also keep the team moving in t{ie
same direction under the same
coach. This year, the team nearly
beat three top-15 opponents.
“The future could not be more
promising for the Carolina foot
ball program,” Athletic Director
Dr. Mike McGee said. “After
back-to-back top 10 recruiting
classes, there is still work to be
done towards achieving the goal
of becoming a championship-cal
iber program. We have full con
fidence that under coach Holtz’s
leadership, this goal can be ac
complished.”
With the final game of the sea
son coming against Clemson on
Saturday at Williams-Brice
Stadium, the Gamecocks will
look to end what has been a diffi
cult second half of the season.
The team has lost four of its past
five games to teams with winning
records and will be taking on a
Tiger team that is playing its best
football of the year.
“We lost to Tennessee in over
time, to Ole Miss by three and to
Florida by two points and it does
not help,” Holtz said. “All we are
trying to do is get some momen
tum from somewhere. Each of
those teams came off big wins
and was playing well when we
faced them. Now, we play
Clemson. That is the way this
whole year has been. We are
playing people when they are
playing their best. These are
things we cannot control.”
Clemson, who won the game
between the two schools last
year, is on a two-game winning
streak, including a 26-10 upset of
Florida State, the ACC champs.
The Tigers boast a strong offense
coupled with a defense that is ex
ceeding expectations.
“They are very good on of
fense, defense and in the kicking
game. They are a very good foot
ball team,” Holtz said. “Tommy
Bowden and his staff have done
an excellent job. They are com
ing in here on a roll and are play
ing their very best.”
The team surrendered a nine
point lead in the second half in
the loss to Florida, which left a
bad taste in the players’ mouths.
Holtz knows that the team can
not linger on the loss.
“We have to bury Florida,” he
said. “They beat us once; we can
not let them beat us twice."
While Carolina intends to
come out ready to play on
Saturday, Holtz wants it to be a
good, clean game. The
Gamecocks failed to come back
and defeat Florida in part be
cause of penalties. With such a
crucial game coming against a
bitter rival, Holtz knows that
mistakes could be a deciding fac
tor.
“The first thing I want to get
across to our players is thatT
want to play this game with class *■
I want to play this game with
class on our part. I don’t feel that
we did that last with our six fool
ish penalties. Clemson is an in
tense rival and there is no doubt
about that, but I want to get that
across to the players,” Holtz said.
Holtz knows that this game,
like the past six, will test his
team. A win would not only give
Carolina bragging rights, but
would also go a long way in
bringing recognition back to the
program with a bowl bid.
“It’s going to be a war for 60
minutes against Clemson at then
very best. They are playing very
well. But we are going to have to
play well, and I expect to pla. k
well,” Holtz said.
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Bucs deactivate Johnson
BY FRED GOODALL
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA, FLA.-Keyshawn
Johnson will get his wish to leave
Tampa Bay — once the season is
over.
Meantime, he won’t even get
to play.
The Buccaneers shelved their
disgruntled star receiver for the
rest of the year Tuesday, saying
he had become disruptive dur
ing a disappointing 4-6 start
for the defending Super Bowl
champions.
“For whatever reason he
didn’t want to be here. He let me
know that some time after one of
our early games,” coach Jon
Gruden said.
The Bucs said they would de
activate Johnson for the remain
ing six games. He will be paid his
full salary and was not fined, gen
eral manager Rich McKay said.
Reached in Miami by the St.
Petersburg Times, the two-time
Pro Bowl selection said he was
shocked by the move.
“I really don’t know what to
say. Basically, they are shutting
me down for the rest of the sea
son. I don’t understand it,”
Johnson told the newspaper.
“I gave them everything I had
between the white lines. I did ev
erything they asked me to do. But
it’s OK, I’ll continue to work out
and stay in shape and look for
ward to playing somewhere else
next year,” he said.
Johnson is the Bucs’ third
leading receiver this season with
45 catches for 600 yards and three
touchdowns.
McKay said he spoke with
Johnson’s agent, Jerome Stanley,
and “we agreed that it will not be
necessary for him to be present
at our facility for the remainder
of the year.”
Johnson is midway through
an eight-year, $56 million con
tract that included a $13 million
signing bonus. He has been un
happy with his role in Gruden’s
offense and had been dropping
not-so-subtle hints he did not
wish to remain in Tampa Bay be
yond 2003.
“We’ve worked hard to try tr
get him the football.... We wan*
our players to be happy. But un
fortunately, it has festered for a
while. I believe it has affected
him. Certainly we hate to see him
go, but that’s just part of football
sometimes,” Gruden said.
McKay said Johnson ap
proached him and Gruden four
or five weeks ago and was em
phatic about his desire to leave
Tampa Bay at the end of this sea
son.
“Following that I really feel
♦ JOHNSON, SEE PAGE 13