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Simms to lead women’s basketball BySHONDATHORNE THE GAMECOCK Columbia native Lauren Katrice Simms is co-captain of this year’s women’s basketball squad — no small feat considering she’s a sophomore. Simms is a Spring Valley High School graduate but joined the varsity team as an eighth grader while attending Summit Middle School. Instead of practicing with the eighth grade squad, she was on the court playing with Spring Valley upperclassmen. She said she was nervous being the baby on the team but had to show her teammates what she was made of. Eventually she grew into the atmosphere and gained respect. In her first four years, she helped lead the team to the state playoffs. Finally, the women’s team made it to the state 4A regional during her senior year, the first time in Spring Valley history. Entering the scene as a freshman at USC, she quickly made herself known on the court. One of her biggest challenges was being a starter, as most first-year players sit out. “I just wanted to contribute to the team as much as possible,” Simms said. Lauren stepped up to the challenge, averaging 9.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. Despite her 5-feet-8-inch frame, she came up with big plays when it counted. Simms scored a season-high 22 points and had eight steals against Tennessee. At the end of the season, she was ranked third on the team. Her expectation for tjie team this season is to get to the NCAA and SEC tournaments. Overall, she. said she wants the team to play better this season than last season. “As a co-captain I want to grow as a leader and become more vocal,” Simms said. Her biggest source of motivation comes from her family. Watching her brother and dad play basketball outside is what started her passion to play. Without her family’s love and support, she said she wouldn’t be here now. Besides basketball, Simms enjoys playing the keyboard, playing drums and surfing the Internet. If she had the chance to play another sport, she said she would play volleyball or run track. If she could choose one song to describe herself, it would be “Let’s Go” by Trick Daddy featuring Lil Jon & the East Side Boyz. Simms’ favorite NBA team is the Detroit Pistons. While attending USC, Simms plans to major in exercise science. She said she wants to get a doctorate in physical therapy and one day own a sports and health fitness center. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gW7n.sc.edu ELAINE THOMPSON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Sophomore guard Lauren Simms passes to teammate Lea Fabbri in a loss to the Washington Huskies. Florence native translates fatherhood into on-court leadership, performance By BRIAN DAVIS THE GAMECOCK “Magic City, man, Magic City.” Carlos Powell grinned as he commented on his hometown of Florence. The senior power forward for the USC men’s basketball team was raised in a tight Southern family and was raised a lover of sports, most notably baseball. “I played baseball my entire life. I always wanted to be a professional baseball player,” Powell said. A graduate of Wilson High School in Florence, Powell was a hardcore baseball player and set his dreams in that direction growing up. “I was pretty good, home run champion a couple times.” Powell said basketball was a late addition to his life. “You wouldn’t believe it, man. I didn’t start playing basketball until really late. Most guys started when they were 6 or 7. I was about 15,” Powell said, laughing. When he’s off the court, Powell enjoys the one thing that unites many men — video games. “I’m a video game guy. Boys on the team think they can beat me so I always have to show them who’s the champion around here,” Powell joked. The muscular, tattooed player also enjoys bowling and gladly avoiding eager journalists when he’s off the court. The most important part of Powell’s life, however, is his 2-year-old daughter, who does not live locally but still has pride in her father’s skills. “She knows basketball, man. She’s got her daddy’s jersey too,” Powell said. The young yet experienced father has been well prepared to run a family after growing.up in such a tight-knit family. “Everybody’s doubting you. If you got a strong family, man, you can go so far.” Powell is undoubtedly the Gamecocks’ most complete player, averaging more than 12 points per game in his last two seasons for the Gamecocks and garnering a 2003-04 All-SEC selection. This season, the 6-foot-7-inch, 225 pound star hopes to up his numbers and fulfill his selection as a preseason All-SEC selection. Powell said his aim to take his game to the professional level is driven by the daughter he cares so dearly about. “That’s my main goal. Once you have a daughter, you look at things differently,” he said. “Every time I am down, I just think about her and I feel better. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t be as focused as I am now.” With a 21-point performance in the team’s exhibition game against USC Upstate and a formidable pre-SEC schedule with opponents like Kansas, Powell understands this is his last season and his last chance. “I’ll go to work inside, or if they need me outside, I’ll go to work there too. I’m going to T do whatever it takes to make this team win,” Powell said. With this, there are two things Gamecock fans can be assured of: The Magic City formed a magical player and father. Comments on this stoiy? E-mail ga7necockspo1ts@gwm.sc. edu CHARLIE DAVENPORT/THE GAMECOCK Senior forward Carlos Powell in action against USC Upstate. He scored 21 points. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Lou Holtz talks with Flordia coach Steve Spurrier prior to the Nov. 10, 2001 game in Columbia. USC lost, 54-17 to Spurrier’s Gators. ■ HOLTZ Continued from page 1 “I think Spurrier would be a good successor, given what I know about his record with coaching college football,” Hudson said. Third-year Clemson horticulture student Chris Brown said he thinks the addition of Spurrier would not make much difference to USC. “USC will do the same with Spurrier as they did with Holtz,” Brown said. “Holtz was supposed to turn everything around. Maybe in his mind he did. Bring (Spurrier) on. We’ll beat him, too.” Holtz is wrapping up his sixth season as USC head coach. His contract runs through 2008 but includes a clause that would allow the coach to leave with five days’ notice. Holtz brought recognition to the Gamecock program after leading his team to back-to-back Outback Bowl wins. The past two seasons, however, Holtz has gone 10-14 and failed to reach a bowl game. In coming to USC, Spurrier would bring a collegiate record that includes six conference championships and one national title. The Of Ball Coach won at least nine games in each of his 12 seasons with the Gators. ESPN was alive with Spurrier talk Thursday. Around the Horn, a sports banter show in which four panelists from around the country score points for their arguments, opened with a Spurrier segment. “It’s a great move for South Carolina,” Boston Globe writer Michael Smith said. “He’s the most-coveted coach in the country.” Denver Post writer Woody Paige, another of the show’s panelists, once covered the SEC for The Commercial Appeal, a Memphis paper. “He’s a great recruiter,” Paige said. “He can bring the Florida kids in. Columbia is not that bad of a city, despite what some people say.” Although the national scene is focused on where Spurrier will end up, locally the spotlight is still on Clemson. USC takes on its rival Saturday, and Holtz said that is where his focus will be. “I don’t want to go down that road, because there’s only one thing on my mind right now and only one thing important in this world and that’s Clemson,” Holtz said Monday. The USC players’ minds will now not only be on their hated rivals, but also on impressing a new coach and sending their legendary coach out with his 250th career victory. Sports Editor Jonathan Hillyard contributed to this story. Comments on this stoiy? E-mEjl gamecocksports@gum.sc. edu THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The Clemson defense wraps up Miami running back Frank Gore in the Tigers’27-20 overtime upset of the No. 10 Hurricanes. ■ DEFENSES Continued from page 1 Carolina averages one sack a game, the fewest in the SEC. In contrast to the Gamecocks, Clemson has won four out of its last five games, losing only last week to Duke. The Tigers were also able to pull off another huge upset this season. Last year, it was a win over No. 3 Florida Stare that gave Clemson the momentum to roll through its schedule. This year, it was No. 10 Miami whom the Tigers were able to defeat in the Orange Bowl. The key to Clemson’s late-season success has been its defense. In the first five games, Clemson gave up an average of 31.2 points per game. Since a 35-6 win against Utah State on Oct. 16, the Tigers have allowed only 13.2 points per game. The Clemson defense has created 14 takeaways, including 10 interceptions. Clemson suffered a huge setback last weekend against Duke, however, ending a four-game winning streak and possibly killing the momentum from beating Miami two weeks ago. The Tigers have tightened the belt in their run defense during their four-game win streak. During the opening of the season, the Clemson rush defense allowed over 200 yards per game, but the Tigers have trimmed the number down to only 62.2 during the last five games. The Tigers have also forced 11 of their 14 turnovers in the past five games after having the fewest takeaways in the nation during the beginning of the season. Clemson has cut its total defense in half, from 422 yards per game to only 259 during its impressive turnaround, by increasing its already formidable quarterback pressure. Clemson has 42 sacks this season and has gotten to the quarterback 25 times in the past five games, accelerating the pace of a rush that had more sacks in the first half of the season (16) than Carolina has had all year long (10). Clemson is only six sacks away from tying the school record of 47. This does not bode well for a Carolina offensive line that' has struggled against the pass rush. The Gamecocks have given up three sacks each in contests against Troy, Tennessee and Florida and allowed a season-high four sacks against Mississippi. The Gamecocks have given up 18 sacks this season and have a hefty task ahead of them, facing a tough Clemson pass rush that has been the key to the Tigers’ late surge. The defense that steps to the plate Saturday could push its team over the top in the annual in-state slugfest. Comments Hi this story ? E-mail 7 ga?necockspoits®gwm.sc. edu