The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 19, 2004, Page 4, Image 4
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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