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TH^AMEGOCK SPOPTX Page 12 Kv_/ —I— —I— X- —L Wednesday, Jan. 25,2006 . f USC looks to avoid Gators’ jaws Florida enters Columbia holding No. 5 ranking, low-rated schedule Illatt moore THE GAMECOCK USC’s 10-8 record (1-4 in the SEC) has a lot to do with the difficult teams it has played. With a strength of schedule that ranks 3 0th in the country, it is easy to see why things haven’t gone smoothly for the Gamecocks. And things aren’t about to get any easier. After playing the No. 5 Florida Gators (17-1, 3-1 in the SEC) tonight, the Gamecocks will start a three game road trip, starting in Knoxville to face a surging No. 19 Tennessee team. Then Carolina will travel to Arkansas, and the team will end the trip with a visit to play the Gators for the second time in two weeks. Florida started with a 17 0 record before losing to Tennessee on Saturday night. However, those 17 wins include blowout victories against St. Peter’s College, Bethune-Cookman and the unfortunate Savannah State (losers of 91 of its last 100 games). The Gators’ strength of schedule is 154th in the country, lowest in the Southeastern Conference, behind teams like Tennessee Tech (152), Elon (112) and Delaware State (133). “Every coach makes a schedule that they think is right for their team,” said head coach Dave Odom in his pre-game chat Tuesday. “I’ve always believed that the fans deserve a good schedule, and I think to be the kind of program that Carolina fans want, we’ve got to play a demanding schedule with some national powers mixed • » in. Odom was hesitant to look forward, though. He was concerned with the task at hand, coming in the form of a Florida team that has defeated Carolina in nine straight meetings, including all three games at the Colonial Center. “With Florida, we are “With Florida, we are facing a team, and I say team underlined.” DAVE ODOM USC head coach facing a team, and I say team underlined,” Odom said. “They are, in the truest sense, a real team.” All five of the Gators’ starters average double-digits in points; four of them are in the top 20 in the SEC in points-per-game. Florida is led in scoring by sophomore guard Taurean Green, who averages 13.9 points per game. He is also third in the conference in assists (5.06 per game) and 10th in steals (1.67 per game). GATORS • 13 Juan Bias / THE GAMECOCK USC guard Dwayne Day looks to carry a recent scoring surge into the Gamecocks’ battle with Florida tonight. Day's scoring average is twice as high in conference games as it is on the season. USC faces Florida at the Colonial Center. WOMEN LOOK TO BUILD ON RECENT ROAD WIN Brent Greenberg THE GAMECOCK After a weekend trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., the USC women’s basketball team will return home with a newfound sense of confidence. The Gamecocks handled the Crimson Tide 67-48 Sunday to garner their first conference win this year. Carolina will return to the Colonial Center today to take on the Georgia Bulldogs, hoping its first conference win will lead to another. The Gamecocks have been strong on the boards throughout the season, holding a +9.7 rebound margin against their opponents, which ranks No. 1 in the SEC. If the Gamecocks are to pull the upset, it will require a defensive effort similar to the one they put forth against Alabama. Carolina held the Tide to 19.2 percent shooting from the field in the first half and 28.3 percent for the game. Carolina will also hope to catch fire from the perimeter as they did in Tuscaloosa. Juan Bias / THE GAMECOCK USC guard Lauren Simms, averaging 8.5 points per game, leads the Gamecocks against Georgia on Thursday The Gamecocks shot 61.5 percent from beyond the arc, including Stacy Booker’s perfect 4-for-4 effort. The Lady Bulldogs are reeling from a conference loss, as they couldn’t manage to pull off the upset against the No. 3 LSU Tigers on Sunday. LSU’s Seimone Augustus hit the winning field goal with 14 seconds remaining to drop the Lady Bulldogs to 13-5 overall and 3-2 in conference play. Georgia will be led by the steady play of Tasha Humphrey, 'who dropped 31 points and collected 11 rebounds in the loss to LSU. She has reached double figures in scoring in 16 of the Bulldogs’ 18 games. She now has a total of 21 career double doubles. On the defensive side of the ball, Sherill Baker, who is two steals shy of the SEC’s all-time record for her career, anchors Georgia. Comments ty this story? E-mail gamecocksports@gwm.sc. edu 'Challenge gives couch potatoes shot at glory Readers can take aim at staffers by following guidelines, gut instinct Take The Gamecock Challenge. Starting this week you can compete against all of the yahoos up here on the third floor of the Russell House for bragging rights and a free T-shirt if you can beat us. I think only one Reader of the Week bested our staff during FRSTEDflU football Third-year season. This Print~ , j j • j journalism reader did J , . . , . student not claim his free T-shirt, so we still have plenty to give away. Nothing tops our annual NCAA tournament contest, but until then, this is a good alternative. Next week’s games will rim in the paper Friday. E mail your picks this weekend and the one we choose will run Monday. That being said, I’m going to give you some help with making your picks. I don’t have much credibility as a prognosticator, so proceed at your own risk. Rule 1: Follow the line. There’s a re^on the terms underdog and upset were coined. A safe picker is generally a successful picker. This applies more to the staff pickers, as the strategy helps more in the long run, but picking safe gives you a better chance at winning a T-shirt. Rule 2: Pay attention to home/away records. Home court advantage is a more important part of college basketball than it is at the pro level. If a favored team is going into a hostile environment, consider picking the home team. For instance, Maryland’s fans are ridiculous. When Duke goes to Cole Fieldhouse it’ll be a game, despite the shellacking the Blue Devils handed out earlier this season. Terp fans know the name of your girlfriend, your girlfriend’s mother, any illegitimate children you might have and what movies you like. Don’t cross them. Rule 3: Experience reigns supreme. Teams with a senior laden roster can trump inexperience nine times out of 11 or so. North Carolina has a good squad, and Dean Smith is virtually my godfather, but I wouldn’t pick the Heels in most ACC games because the team is young. This rule will be especially important when picking your l^CAA tournament bracket. It’s useful during the season, too. Rule 5: Never leave a fellow crasher behind. Rule 6: Look for a star. Adam Morrison is reason enough to pick Gonzaga every time, as is Duke’s J.J. Redick (except at College Park). The Gamecocks don’t have that player this year, and although they have my loyalty, I may not pick them the rest of the season. Rule 7: Don’t listen to ridiculously tall sports editors who think they know what they’re talking about. I don’t know anyone like this, but most college sports fans know their stuff and can stand on their own feet as far as knowledge of the sport. Go with your gut. It doesn’t always work, but it feels really good when it does. Come NCAA tourney time, pick a No. 12 seed to knock off a No. 5 in the first round. It always happens. Much like Kansas always finds a way to fail and Kentucky fans always carry an elitist attitude. Four No. 1 seeds never make the Final Four and, even if Old Dominion is your favorite team in the world, don’t pick them to win it all. They won’t. PRSicnnu • 13 <