The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 02, 2005, Page 13, Image 13
GAME SCHEDULE
pom, t * MEN’S BASKETBALL vs. Arkansas, 7:30 p.m.
^ „ WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. Michigan, 2:30 p.m. Friday
Wednesday, February 2, 2005 MEN’S GOLF at Florida, Friday
Rosters hinge on signing day results
By JONATHAN HILLYARD
SPORTS EDITOR
Today is the beginning of the 2005
college football season. Nobody will
strap on pads, throw touchdowns or
dump Gatorade on their coaches.
However, America’s college coaches
will hold their breath as high-school
seniors and junior college prospects
simply give them autographs. That’s
right — it is finally national signing
day.
For most coaches, this has been a
long, tumultuous process that started in
early February 2004, or even earlier. The
majority of the 117 coaches in Division
I-A have had their eyes set on a select
number of recruits since then and have
been doing their best convincing ever
since.
For USC coach Steve Spurrier, the
situation is quite different. Instead of a
full year to assemble a top-notch class,
Spurrier was given just more than two
months — not exactly an ideal situation
for a coach who has to recruit against the
Tennessees, Floridas, Georgias and
Clemsons of the world on an everyday
basis. But Columbia’s newest superstar
accepted the challenge in full stride and
pulled the first rabbit out of what
Gamecock fans hope is a rabbit-plentiful
hat.
Going into today, Spurrier probably
expects the signature of 26 recruits on
his desk by about 3 p.m. The most
recent additions may have been the most
important to the ol’ ball coach’s first
class at Carolina.
Spurrier and the Gamecocks were
able to accomplish something Monday
that Carolina has had trouble with in
the past — getting a big-time recruit
from Columbia. Running back Mike
Davis, from Glen Forest School in
West Columbia, is rated as one of the
top 25 running backs in the nation by
both Rivals.com and Scout.com. At
about 9:30 a.m. Monday, Davis
decided to stay in his hometown and
attend USC, spurning the likes of
Florida, Auburn, Maryland and, most
notably, Clemson.
“I think South Carolina is the best fit
for me academic wise and football wise. I
hope to show y’a. a good time at the
games,” Davis aid in his news
conference.
Davis is the to^ rated running back
in South Carolina aii stands at about 5
feet-10-inches and !09 pounds. He runs
a 4.48 40-yarc.
dash and bench
presses 30C
pounds.
Tuesday
brought more gooc
news for Caroline
as outside
linebacker Dakota
Walker announced DAVIS
that he will sign
with USC over Virgiia Tech today.
“My main goali; to help the team
win and do aryhing I can to
contribute,” Wder said on
Gamecockcentral.coi. “From an
individual standpoin I’d love to earn a
starting spot and bi named freshman
All-SEC and freshmn All-American. I
know it will take a loof hard work, but
that’s exactly what blan to do. Work
hard, keep my grad< up and just play
ball.”
Walker, a native of Mays Landing,
N.J., stands at 6-feet-4-inches and
weighs 225 pounds. Don’t let the size
confuse you — Walker runs a 4.5
second 40-yard-dash. He will not have
to worry about qualifying as he has a 3.0
GPA and a 1020 on his SAT.
With Walker being the 26th
commitment of Spurrier’s initial class,
not many prospects are leaving the
Gamecocks waiting. Offensive lineman
Quinton Brown opted to attend North
Carolina State on Tuesday. However,
Penn State commitment Knowledge
Timmons is rumored to be wavering
and considering Carolina as an
alternative. Timmons is a cornerback
listed as a three-star prospect by
Rivals.com.
Other schools in the Southeast will
be holding their breath today. In
Knoxville, the Volunteers are hoping to
hold on to what most people feel is the
nation’s top recruiting class, while in
the Swamp new head man Urban
Meyer is trying to rebound from a slow
start to finish with a top-15 class.
T'mi * gg;
KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
USC coach Steve Spurrier has put together a top-25 recruiting
class even though he has only been coach for two months.
Feelings in the Upstate are mixed as a
blazing start in Clemson recruiting has
cooled off. However, the Tigers should
finish with a nationally ranked, top-25
class.
So as the day rolls on, no tackles will
be made, no flags will be thrown, but
maybe for one college coach, a
championship will be in the making.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
KAE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK
USC forward Renaldo Balkman drives to the hoop in last week’s win over the Vanerbilt Commodores.
Balkman has scored 15 points in each of Carolina’s last two games, his only start of the season.
Gamecocks return home
to take on Razorbacks
□
STAFF WRITER
USC freshman Dwayne Day sent a
loud-and-clear message to Florida last
Saturday after almost becoming the
impromptu hero — scouting reports
and stats on paper do not guarantee
anything. Playing in only his fifth game
of the season, Day scored 14 consecutive
team points to bring the Gamecocks
back into the game. Just as the Florida
staff was ill-prepared for Day’s presence
because of what they perceived on paper,
the Gamecocks need to ignore the
favorable odds they see as they play host
to Arkansas (14-6, 2-5 SEC) in a critical
game tonight.
Carolina is 6-0 this season following a
loss, with four of those victories decided
by only five points or less. After
beginning the season with a 6-2 record,
USC has alternated consecutive wins and
losses, refusing to go on either a winning
or a losing streak.
The Colonial Center’s friendly
confines have also treated the home
team well, as the Gamecocks are 10-1 at
home with the lone loss coming from a
buzzer-beater by Clemson’s Cheyenne
Moore. With the uncertainty regarding
the status of Josh Gonner and Antoine
Tisby, Carolina’s intensity level will
have to match the second halves of the
Vanderbilt and Florida games to protect
that record.
“We’ve got to play with all out
effort,” USC coach Dave Odom said.
“We have to pick up our commitment
and determination on the inside.
Those areas the level of play must be
raised. Arkansas is very much like
Florida — they have talent at all five
positions.”
The Razorbacks boast a two-prong
threat in senior Michael Jones and
sophomore Ronnie Brewer. Jones is
Arkansas’ lone senior and scored 17
points against the Gamecocks in the
SEC Tournament last season.
However, the starting forward will be
in street clothes after suffering a groin
injury in the first minute of Arkansas’
68-67 loss to Kentucky last Saturday.
Brewer, who emerged as a premier
player this season, suffered a twisted
ankle in the game but expects to play
tonight. He has scored in double-digits
in all but one of Arkansas’ games this
season and averages 16.3 points per
game to go with his league-leading 3.11
steals.
“Ronnie is fine. He might have some
soreness, but he will be fine,” Arkansas
coach Stan Heath said. “He won’t have
any ill effects and will play in the game
on Wednesday.
“Mike is out. He could be out for 10
days up to* two weeks. I know he is
disappointed. We will have to have guys
step up.”
Beginning the season with a 12-1
overall record, the Razorbacks have
slipped after the start of conference
play. Gaining confidence with a
weaker non-conference schedule,
Arkansas has yet to win an SEC road
game.
The Gamecocks, like the majority
of the conference, have also struggled
on the road, a fact that Odom said is
the difference between the upper
echelon teams and the bubble
busters.
"(Kentucky has) done a better job
than the other teams in our league in
being a total program,” Odom said.
“The commitment that the rest of us
need to make is that championships are
won on the road, not at home. The rest
of us look at it as we are almost
whipped before we go on the road.
We’ve got to change our mentality in
this league.”
Regarding the conference midseason
conference race, Heath’s squad sits in
the western division’s fourth spot, two
games behind Mississippi State and LSU
and a half game ahead of Ole Miss. The
Gamecocks are perched in the same
position as last season, tied for third in
the eastern division. The tiebreaker lies
in Carolina’s favor with home victories
over Tennessee and Vanderbilt. Leader
Kentucky stands undefeated with the
possibility of winning out and finishing
16-0.
“I think both teams are looking at
this as a pivotal game to put us back in
race,” Heath said. “Dave has done a nice
job of getting that program going. We
are anxious to get back on the court
again. We are playing good basketball,
and I think our record is deceiving to
how we are playing.”
USC’s Renaldo Balkman, Tarence
Kinsey and Carlos Powell have been the
consistent hands in the past week and
will need to bring energy and a scoring
touch. More importandy, with the
Razorbacks missing Jones and the crop
of talent around the SEC, the
Gamecocks will need to be sure that
they too are not surprised by an
opposing Dwayne Day.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu
Big game
isn Hjust
halftime,
TV ads
Do people still realize
that the Super Bowl
involves football?
I have the joy of hearing many
conversations each day. During class, on
___the shuttle, in the
Russell House —
it is basically non
stop. Normally I
zone out and go
into my
daydreams,
which usually
involve at least
. _ one or more of
the following
BROOM people: Jessica
Simpson, Steve
SECOND-YEAR c . . , . .
POLITICAL SPumer (th,s 15 a
SCIENCE joke, I promise),
STUDENT or Mary-Kate
and/or Ashley
Olsen, but occasionally I’ll catch a few
words and decide the conversation
might be worth participating in.
AMV5ANCETTA/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid tals with reporters at Alltel
Stadium in Jacksonville on Tuesday. Thi is his first Super Bowl.
I was riding the shuttle back from
another day of mind-numbing education
when I heard a group of girls talking in
front of me. As I began to slip into my
normal late-afternoon haze, 1 heard one
of those attention-catching phrases:
“You know, Paris Hilton isn’t really that
hot." Huh? Who are you? Stop the bus.
We just took a vote, and Joan Rivers here
got voted off 1-0.1 voted yes.
Anyway, as I listened to the rest of
their conversation, I learned that they
were actually talking about the Super
Bowl and the three things they were
looking forward to: the parties, the
halftime show and the commercials.
The parties I can understand. It’s
college, and apparently people our age
(well, at least those a year older than me,
mom) don’t feel right unless they are with
at lea;t 30 people and consuming some
sort ocold beverage. The Super Bowl is
just pother reason for that to happen.
Te halftime show is a totally different
thinj If you are actually watching the
Sup< Bowl only to see the halftime show,
plea-* stop reading right now. Just the
thoght of people that dumb reading
wofs that are in any way associated with
meis making my brain cells commit
sui‘de. I would discuss the halftime show
at reater length, but instead I think I’ll
ju; excerpt a few entries from “Jake’s Top
5(Things He’d Rather Do Than Watch
th Super Bowl Halftime Show”:
8) Transfer to The Citadel — you
kow, to meet my future wife.
19) Have my cable package reduced
t only the Lifetime channel.
24) Dress up as Curtis Chow and
♦ Please see BLOOM, page 14
Odom answers rumors;
Gonner, Tisby could play
By BRIAN DAVIS
THE GAMECOCK
USC men’s basketball coach Dave
Odom announced Tuesday that senior
guard Josh Gonner and junior forward
Antoine Tisby will remain on the team,
assuming their commitment and care is
to the team first.
Odom said both players should be
available in tonight’s home game against
the formidable Arkansas Razorbacks.
“They both — assuming practice goes
well today, and there’s no other problem
— they both will dress and be available
tomorrow night,” Odom said. “And as I
told you, I’m not going to make any
promises about anything beyond that."
Odom would not reveal the details of
the two incidents but referred to them as
a “team matter.”
“It’s a team matter, and it will remain
that,” Odom said. “It will remain that.
And it makes me proud to tell you that
my team has kept their mouth shut.”
Odom continually made the media
aware that his decision and intention is to
always make the choice that is correct for
the team. It is assumed that if Gonner
and Tisby continue with the
commitment they expressed to Odom in
♦ Please seeiODOM, page 14
Junior forward
Antoine Tisby,
left, prepares
to dunk
against
Tennessee
earlier this
season. Tisby
and guard
Josh Gonner
could play
against
Arkansas.
CHARLIE
DAVENPORT/
THE GAMJCOCK