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* S.C. breeds top prospects By AJ BEMBRY THE GAMECOCK While the efforts of new USC football coach Steve Spurrier have slightly favored out-of-state trips and commitments from some of the Southeast’s premier high school talent, a group of highly touted prospects from inside the Palmetto State has certainly piqued the interest of the incoming coaching staff. CJ Byrd, a safety from North Augusta and considered by Scout.com to be the best athlete in the state, has » already committed to the University of Georgia. He announced his decision early in the recruiting process, back in November, when UGA still had defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder. VanGorder, a Frank Broyles Award nominee for college football’s top assistant, left Athens to take over the linebackers for the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Byrd insists that he still intends to be a Bulldog next fall. Still, there are plenty of in-state gems left for Spurrier and company to try and woo to suit up for the Gamecocks. Perhaps the second-highest ranked prospect in South Carolina is Columbia’s own Mike Davis, considered by Scout.com to be the No. 11 overall running back in the country. He has received offers from USC, Kentucky, UNC, Auburn and rival Clemson, and is using his final official visit on Ralph Friedgen’s Maryland Terrapins. Davis was on the Carolina campus this past weekend, and came away rather impressed. “I would probably give it an eight or nine,” Davis told a reporter with CUTigers.com when asked how he would rank his hometown visit on a scale of one to 10. The 5-foot-10-inch, 210-pound, self-proclaimed Eddie George-style runner appears split between the Gamecocks and Clemson and is expected to make his announcement after he gets back from Maryland, just before the National Signing Day of Feb. 2. The Conway high school tandem of wide receiver Eric Huggins and defensive end Hivera Green are also ranked in SC’s top 10, with Huggins already committed to national powerhouse Oklahoma. Green, a quick 6-foot-5-foot, 255-pound teammate of early Spurrier recruit Bobby Wallace, is still looking, having received scholarship offers from USC, Clemson and the ACC Champion Virginia Tech Hokies. Although Clemson and Virginia Tech were both clear-cut leaders in the Green sweepstakes, the three-star prospect admits that Spurrier’s presence in Columbia has made him re-think his options. He recently returned from Blacksburg, Va., and is expected to make his intentions known before signing day. Clemson has received verbal commitments from two more top-ten recruits, Marlboro County wideout Rendrick Taylor and Greenville offensive lineman Cory Lambert. Ranked fourth and fifth respectively in tfie state, the two help solidify Tommy Bowden’s Tigers. The 6-foot-2-inch, 207-pohnd, speedy Taylor and 6-foot-7-inch, 300 pound monster Lambert rojund out Scout.com’s No. 19 overall recruiting class. The Gamecocks do have premier Sumter safety Damfen Wright committed for next year. Wright, a Holtz recruit who committed back in July, looks to play his way onto a vastly improved Carolina secondary, anchored last year by young standouts Ko Simpson and Fred Bennett. As national signing day rapidly approaches, Spurrier and his staff look to flesh out their inaugural incoming class with some of the best athletes not only in South Carolina but from all over the country. With the heated battle over the top recruits being waged by the likes of UGA, Clemson and Tennessee and the SEC continually up for grabs each and every year, it’s not always the best players who win football games. More often than not, it’s the right ones. Comments on this story ? E-mail ga7necockspo1-ts@gwm.sc. edu Early lead fails Gamecocks By MIQUEL JACOBS STAFF WRITER It has been 25 years since the USC women’s basketball team defeated Tennessee — a span of 29 games. Throughout that drought, Carolina has not come closer than 14 points since a 79-73 overtime loss in 1996. Despite fielding a much less experienced team than most during that stretch, Carolina gave the No. 5 Lady Vols a scare Thursday night before bowing out 53 68. The loss drops Carolina to 6-14 overall and 0-6 in SEC play. The losing streak against SEC competition also increases to 11 games. Gening Tennessee’s leading scorer Shyra Ely into trouble with fouls, the Gamecocks could not match the intensity displayed in the first half, as the Vols used a 16-2 run early in the second half to erase a 37-36 deficit. With Ely quietly earning her game-high 16 points, the Vols turned to sharpshooters Shanna Zolman and Brittany Jackson, who combined for 8-of 14 from the 3-point line. Zolman scored all but three of her 13 points in the second half while Jackson scored all 15 of her points from beyond the arc. “We had great looks because of ball movement,” Zolman said. “We’re continuing to work on our inside outside game. It gave us a jump start and we were able to hold them.” Carolina has not won a game this season after trailing at the half. Opening the game on a 14-4 run, the Gamecocks combined intense pressure with quick hands to force 13 Tennessee turnovers. On the inspired play of sophomores Iva Sliskovic and Lea Fabbri, Carolina rallied behind a season-high attendance of 4,374 fans to claim a 19-11 lead with 9:48 left in the half. Fabbri’s third foul and subsequent benching halted the Gamecock initiative as the Lady Vols used an 11-0 run to reclaim the lead going into the half. “A big part of our game today was Lea,” Walvius said. “She came out of the game with foul trouble and that hurt us. I feel she did a great job controlling the game for us.” Both teams traded shots for the first six minutes of the second half until Stacy Booker’s 3-pointer with 13:50 left in the game gave Carolina it’s 37-36 lead. Tennessee used a rousing halftime speech by Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt to realize what was at stake in the game. The Vols have not lost to USC since 1980 and are a program filled with success, namely Summitt’s 867 wins which stand at a third all-time high amongst all men’s and women’s basketball coaches. She is 12 victories away from surpassing North Carolina great Dean Smith as the leader. “The first half was not Tennessee’s way,” Summitt said. “It’s not acceptable, but I’ll take the win. I’m proud of the second half. To have (Jackson and Zolman) is huge for our basketball team. When bbth are in the game and shoot realljrwell, we’re a better team.” When we don t play the 1 ennessee Way,’ we’re letting a lot of people down, all that helped build the program in the past,” Zolman added. The Gamecocks entered the game knowing that focus and determination were the keys to defeating the experienced Tennessee team. Despite being outscored 41-29 in the second half, the staff will look to the way in which the inexperienced Gamecocks played 30 minutes with a team that has won 39 consecutive regular season SEC games. “We lost focus and they took advantage of that,” Sliskovic said. “But I don’t feel that this game was a complete loss. We played against the No. 5 team in the country and I feel that we gained something with this game.” With a road game against Kentucky on Sunday, the Gamecocks are running out of opportunities to win in the SEC. Three of the final eight games are against teams ranked in the top 20 and only four home games remain for this team. Comments on this story ? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm. sc. edu KYLE PARKER/THE GAMECOCK Iva Sliskovic plays tough defense in the first half of the Gamecocks’ loss to Tennessee on Thursday. USC had a three-point halftime lead. ■ HILLYARD Continued from page 8 the second half. ^k Balkman has reestablished himself as force to be reckoned in the SEC and this just in, he can shoot. Yes, he still leads Carolina in three point field goal percentage and all of a sudden he is an ace from the free throw line. Balkman was the best of the Gamecocks at the line Wednesday, converting all four of his free throw attempts. Kinsey continues to be a scoring threat for this young team, and if last year was any indication, should be a go to guy come March. His ability to drive to the hoop and pull up and shoot will be vital to USC’s success. This win could not have come in a more timely fashion. In almost an identical game, the Gamecocks lost to Clemson in overtime, killing the team’s early season momentum. Now lingering at .500 in the SEC, a win at Florida would get the team within one game of second place in the division with three of four games coming within the ever more friendly confines of the Colonial Center, where USC is 10-1. Battling the Gamecocks for position in the SEC east now is Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Georgia, all teams that USC has already defeated once. With Kentucky more than likely taking the top seed in the SEC East, a second place finish could do wonders for USC. A second place finish would most likely mean USC has nine to 11 conference wins, which would put them at 17 to 19 wins overall. A bye in the SEC Tournament, which would come with the two seed in the East could, give Carolina a legitimate crack at that magical 20th win that the boys on the NCAA committee hold so dear. So, if you though^ you were just watching a djsappoinung start and an average win on Wednesday think again, because you could have been watching the beginning of a great finish to this basketball season. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockspoi-ts@gwm.se. edu ■ LINEUP Continued from page 8 ^^his nerves. When I start, I’m too calm,” Gonner said. I m so used to starting. When I come off the bench, I’ve got something to prove.” “I’m fired up when I come off the bench. Right now, I d rather not start. I play a lot more fired up when I come off the bench,” he said. The Gamecocks will need that fire to keep burning as they travel to Gainesville on Saturday to take on the Florida Gators. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksportS@gwm.sc.edu . NCAA turns down QB’s 6th-year plea FROM STAFF REPORTS USC received verbal notice by the NCAA on Wednesday that fifth-year senior quarterback Mike Rathe would not be granted an additional year of | eligibility. The school sent a request for an extension on Rathe’s behalf to the NCAA last month. Rathe was seeking an extra year of playing time based on circumstances involving his sophomore year at Mesa Community College during which he broke a finger on his throwing hand. The NCAA said the circumstances surrounding Rathe’s freshman year at the University of San Diego did not warrant an extension of his five-year clock as specified in the organization’s bylaws. There is an opportunity for appeal, an option which USC and Rathe’s family are considering. Rathe said Wednesday he was hoping for a successful appeal, but wished to offer no further comment until he had received written notification of the NCAA’s decision. Rathe is most widely known for his performance in this year’s game at Kentucky, where he led the game s K winning drive. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu DAVID STAGG/THE GAMECOC t The NCAA denied quarterback Mike Rathe a sixth year of eligibility. Rathe threw the winning touchdown at Kentucky. GAMECOCK CHALLENGE I THE CHALLENGE: Every week, Jonathan Stephen Alex Miqubl Ron Aisha Thp Gampmrk'q readers and Hillyard Fastenau Riley Jacobs Morris Haynes staff test their sports knowledge sPorts Asst. Sports Staff Staff Special Reader of with game predictions editor editor Writer Writer 8uest the week wun game predictions. (iq.iq) (12-8)(14-6) (13-7) (15-5) (12-8) 24 Miss. State at LSUMSU MSU MSU_ MSU MSULSU 7 Kentucky at ArkansasKentucky Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky Kentucky Ole Miss at VanderbiltVanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Vanderbilt Tennessee at AuburnUT _UTUT UTUT Auburn Georgia at 14 AlabamaAlabama Alabama Alabama Alabama Alabama Alabama 3 UNC at Virginia " UNC UNC UNC UNC UNC UNC 4 Syracuse at 20 Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Syracuse Syracuse Pittsburgh Syracuse Syracuse 16 Texas at 6 KansasKansas Kansas Kansas Kansas TexasTexas N.C. State at ClemsonN.C. State N.C. State N.C. State N.C. State Clemson N.C. State USC at Florida Florida Florida USC USC USC USC 65-64 75-68 69-63 70-66 72-71 63-59 WANT TO BE READER OF THE WEEK? E-MAIL SELECTIONS FOR NEXT WEEK’S GAMES TO GAMECOCKSPORTS@GWM.SC.EDU. LAST WEEK’S RESULTS: Stephen Fastenau got back in the hunt with a 9-1 week. Special guest remains in the lead. Ron Morris joins us this week. London $210 Paris $218 Amsterdam $290 Rome $294 Many more Destinations avafiaWe woridwldet Fares are round-trip Taxes additional. Restrictions apply; fares subject to c* J Study Abroad airfare Deals and Spring Break on sale...save NOW!!! HTRAVELCOTS 1-800-592-CUTS (2887) _SeetheworUyourway Cal! or book online! * To become part of a premiere living and ^ learning community * To live in a co-ed community with on-site classrooms * To live in the heart of the beautifully renovated... lf . . 4 CPreston Goff eye > >. s , 1 ' v, - ' i. ' ' W'-4> * ; ■ ' ..1- •' ■ " ' • >k}i'* Interested? Join us lor a Recruitment Ten January 28, 2005 4pm - 6pm Principal’s Lodge West Wing, Preston College (Tea & light refreshments will be served) For more information call 777-1588 ,4 ’ Preston Application Deadlines February 8, 2005