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Tarheels, Illini should be classic battle ■ Illinois’ guard play, UNC’s sheer talent make championship intriguing The No. 1 Illinois Fighting Illini take on the No. 2 North Carolina Tarheels tonight, in the NCAA national championship game, at 9:21 p.m. on CBS. The first thing that comes to mind with this matchup of college basketball heavyweights is the fact that the game is starting at 9:21 p.m. What idiot at CBS decided that this game TODD would start so PRFFN late, and why uncc.n 921 p m, my GRADUATE not 9 p.m.? It STUDENT IN may be a little SPORTS AND , . i u ENTERTAINMENT later’ but 1 could MANAGEMENT even stomach 9:30 p.m., over 9:21 p.m., just because it sounds better. 1 guess it doesn’t really matter to me all that much, because from 9 to 10 p.m., I’m going to be watching “24” on FOX. Jack Bauer and his crew at CTU have a tough task ahead of them. That evil bastard Marwan is up to something diabolical, and I don’t know how they’re going to get out of this one. But, back to basketball, tonight is the culmination of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. From 65 teams to two, and many broken brackets in between (really, who could have seen Bucknell beating Kansas?). Illinois’ strength is in its guard play. They have three tremendous players in Dee Brown, Luther Head and Deron Williams. Against Louisville, the 3 pointers rained in from all over the court. These guys can get back on defense, drive to the basket and bring down tough rebounds. In short, they can do it all. Another criticism of Illinois has been that they lack any talented “big men." Roger Powell, the 6-foot-6 senior forward, sparked the Illinois victory against Louisville by scoring 20 points, 1 off his season high, and he also brought down five rebounds. Illinois has been consistently spectacular all year long. They play great team basketball, and they will need to put together an extraordinary performance tonight if they are to take the title against a talented UNC squad. I will now admit to being completely biased. I hate UNC. I grew up in North Carolina, and the sight of those baby blue-clad fans nauseated me. One of the reasons why I love the state of South Carolina so much is because it is the only state in the entire country where a person says “Carolina” and everybody assumes you are referring to the Gamecocks. I despise the fact that even today, it has been driven into me so deeply, that when I hear the word “Carolina", I naturally think of UNC. Intensive therapy has helped me make great strides toward correcting this problem. As much as it pains me to say it, UNC has one of the most talent-rich basketball teams that I can remember seeing. These guys are good, and the majority of them will be playing in the NBA in the months and years to come. Forward Jawad Williams could not miss against Michigan State in the Final Four showdown, scoring 20 points as the Tarheels went on a rampage in the second half to break the game open. Williams was helped out by center Sean May, a terrifying presence in the paint, who put up 22 points of his own, 18 of them in the second half. The Tarheels defeated Michigan State through the play of their inside game, but guard play is one of the factors that have made UNC so good throughout the year. Raymond Felton, point guard, is the leader of this team. Felton struggled in the first half against Michigan State, and this is partly why the Spartans were able to lead at the halftime break, but he played strong in the end, finishing with 16 points. Guard Rashad McCants, a great defensive player, finished with 17 points. The championship game will be decided through individual matchups and style of play. North Carolina leads the nation in scoring, so a high scoring game would favor the Tarheels. May and Jawad Williams’ inside presence will play a major role in determining whether the critics were right about Illinois’ weakness in the paint. Look for freshman forward standout Marvin Williams to play a critical role in this game. Illinois rained down 3-pointers against Louisville. To win they will have to get hot from beyond the arc once again. If their shooters go cold, UNC might blow them out. It should be a real treat to see Illinois’ star guards take on their UNC counterparts. We could be in store for a real basketball clinic. This is UNC’s quandary: They have an entire team of individual superstars, basketball players that seem to fly through the air, dunk the ball with the force of a sledgehammer and defy all aspects of the physical limitations of gravity. Illinois has several very good players, but they play great team basketball. On any given day, a great team can defeat a squad full of superstars. I see two possibilities: UNC either manhandles Illinois, or the Fighting Illini keep it close and finish off their dream season with a national championship. f » ■ 1_i ERIC GAY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS North Carolina’s Sean May puts up a shot over Michigan State’s Delco Rowley in the second half of their semifinal game. ■ SEASON Continued from page 12 ran the floor hard and shot the deep ball well, holding Carolina at bay for much of the game. Carolina made one final charge, and a full-court sprint to the basket by senior Josh Gonner for the game-winning layup kept USC alive in the postseason. Things got a bit easier in the next round, as UNLV’s luck ran dry. The round, as UNLV’s luck ran dry. The Running Rebels lived by the 3 and ultimately died by it against the Gamecocks, as the Rebel attack was nothing short of unbalanced. UNLV had only four players score more than 8 points, as USC handily beat the Rebels 77 66, moving one game closer to Madison Square Garden. The opponent standing in Carolina’s way was a young-but talented Georgetown team that became another opponent versed in the art of 3-point shooting. The Hoyas seemed to have Carolina’s number early, as they led early and often. But a Gamecock rally was hard-fought, and the team iced the game from the free-throw line. The Hoyas missed two 3-pointers to tie late, and the Gamecocks escaped with a 69-66 win and a plane ticket to New York City. The Gamecocks’ opponent for the semifinal game was ACC powerhouse Maryland. But you would not have known Maryland was a former bubble team by the way they played, as Carolina picked the Terps’ pockets for turnovers that turned to points. USC ran away with the game 76 67, setting the stage for another shot at the NIT title. The title tilt featured the Gamecocks and the St. Joseph’s Hawks. The Hawks were yet another team that felt they had been snubbed by the NCAA Tournament, as they had another 20-win season but were left out of the big dance. The game was a back-and-forth affair, but Carolina managed to have the lead late. Up 56-54 with 20 seconds left, Rocky Trice went 1 for-2 at the free-throw line, and Pat Carroll made USC pay, hitting a 3 to tie the game at 57. That’s when one of the biggest moments in USC history occurred. THE MOMENT Tied at 57, with 7.5 second left, USC coach Dave Odom bit his tongue and allowed play to continue without calling a time out. Junior Tarence Kinsey brought the ball into front court, dribbling to the right side of the key. Kinsey proceeded to pull up with a 3-pointer that hit bottom of the net, as only .09 of a second was left on the clock, giving Carolina a win for the NIT title. THE MVP In his final season as a Gamecock, Carlos Powell was the emotional and physical leader of the Carolina squad. Powell moved into USC’s No. 6 all-time leading scorer spot and was named to the Third Team AI1-SEC. Powell’s emotions were none more apparent than after the win for the NIT Championship, as he clutched the game ball and refuse to let it go. Powell was named the tournament MVP for his hard work throughout the Gamecocks’ run. USC finished the season with a record of 20-13, notching their third 20-win season in the last four years. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gii~m.sc. etlu —e-—-a-i—ml— ■ NEXT SEASON Continued from page 12 % summer. USC trainers put Wallace on a 3,000-calorie-a-day diet and a rigorous weight-training regimen last summer to little results. Averaging only 22 minutes of playing time, Wallace was often cited by Odom as not having the stamina to participate more because of his slight frame. USC coaches look to see more consistency from Tisby next season. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound junior college transfer from Allen County Community College became a key contributor after struggling early on in the season. With more minutes and more experience, Tisby could become the answer in filling the void left by Rolando Howell in 2004. Odom has relied heavily on junior college players in the past. This season will be no exception. Of the three players signed by Odom during the early signing period in January, two were junior college players. Allasane Savadogo from Gulf Coast Community College and Bryce Sheldon from Fullerton College will both have two years of eligibility remaining beginning next season. Savadago, a 6-foot-8, 250 pound forward, averaged 8 points and eight rebounds last season. The Burkina Faso, Africa, native chose USC over Auburn, Ohio State and Pittsburgh and will give the Gamecocks added depth in the post. Shelden, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound swingman, averaged 14 points a game his freshman year at Fullerton after averaging 23.6 his senior year at Loara High School in California. Shelden will compete with Rocky Trice for a starting guard spot. The lone high-school signee from the early period is forward Dominique Archie from Augusta, Ga. Archie’s impressive stat line at T.W. Josey High School included 18.5 points per game, 11 rebounds, four assists and 5.5 blocks. Trice, a junior college transfer from last season, broke through into a starting guard spot he will likely keep going into next season. The 6-foot-2, 180-pound Swainsboro, Ga., native averaged just 6 points a game but shot more than 50 percent from the field. Sophomore Tre’ Kelley showed that flashes of brilliance last season were no fluke. The point guard’s consistency in running the offense proved him to be an adequate replacement for graduated senior Michael Boynton. Freshman point guard Stephen McDowell will likely come off the bench again next season. Junior Tarence Kinsey will look to replace Powell as a scoring machine for the Gamecocks. The forward’s clutch shooting ability will make him a primary target in 2005-06. Odom will attempt to continue his tradition of winning with whatever talent is available in 2005-06. The 2004 SEC Coach of the Year has led the Gamecocks to 20-win seasons in three of the four years he has been USC coach. USC reached the NIT finals in Odom’s first season. In 2003, the Gamecocks earned an NCAA Tournament bid with 23 wins, and this season, Odom’s squad finished 20-13 while winning the NIT championship. Comments on this story? E-mail gamecockspoits@gwm.sc. edu ■ COACH Continued from page 12 place Eastern division team before the recent setbacks, a history that Somera views as telltale signs of a strong program. “There definitely was an attraction here at South Carolina with an opportunity to win more,” Somera said. “With the talent that we have on our team, there’s no reason that we can’t be up there challenging for an SEC championship. I think South Carolina, the university, Columbia ... this whole package is very attractive to an athlete, to a prospect trying to figure out where they want to go play. I don’t think there’s any reason why we can’t attract top talent at this university.” With a strong background in West Coast volleyball, Somera said she hopes that she and her staff, including holdover Jason Hou from Hudson’s staff, will be able to teach that knowledge to the Gamecocks and begin competing for championships soon. What it’s like (in the Pac-10) is every night you’re playing against a very, very good volleyball team, and you really have to be very prepared physically and mentally for every point, to just compete,” Somera recalled. “What I think that an athlete takes away from that experience is learning how to get the most out of thdmselves all the time. Those are the things that we want to teacn our team here. It’s that when you discipline yourself and hold yourself accountable to giving your all and laying it on the line, and doing it even when you don’t feel like it, that you become a better person.” With six weeks to become acquainted with her new team, Somera has already pointed out the team’s strengths as hitting and blocking, headed by second-team All-SEC pick Shonda Cole. Before the summer comes and contact between players and coaches is prohibited, she said she hopes to instill a winning attitude in her young team and fix the skills that need the most work. After that point, two-a-days begin in August, when Somera and her start wm Degin working toward their first game Sept. 2 in Tallahassee, Fla. “We’re spending a lot of time on first contact right now,” Somera said. “It’s where we need the most work. The girls can hit and block. We need to pass and dig and take care of free balls better. We also want to really begin to create a team identity that reflects a winning attitude. I don’t care how good of a team you are. That’s what you’re doing every season anyway -- working every week to get better and better. We’re going to be no different than anybody else... come August.” Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu iS v. $262 Roundtrip! Jf ■ 3- jggSf London - Paris - Amsterdam^ / A Frankfurt - Rome Fares are roundtrip from ATL A subject to change. Taxes are additional. || Space won't last...Don't Wait! Roundtrip student E ysuth Airfare Sale uiith the Travel CIITS^fl HTRAVEL CUTS soo-s^-cuts^) I See the world your way I minm ww Ivnvirviprnrl? rnwi