USC over Tennessee 66-63

[Neo]

Any comments????

[cocky4ever]

Any comments????
Good thing we got some questionable calls from the officials or this game may have ended with a loss for us. However, you have to give some players credit. Carlos Powell had a really good game. Gonner came off the bench in the second half and helped us get rolling again. At SC we have great facilities. Maybe we should set up another goal somewhere just to practice free throws. LOL. Our free throws already cost us one game this year and almost cost us another. If we dont have the players that can get a decent amount of rebounds, especially offensively, we will have to shoot much better to have a chance to get to the tournament again.

[RW13]

I was at the game, great win, great performance, and most importantly, we were emotionally involved, something I didn't see from the UT side, important character building win in my opinion....

[OrangeCrush]

I thought Tennessee did a good job keeping the crowd out of the game until the alley-oop dunk in the second half. Carlos Powell is a good player and the players feed off his emotion. Some of the calls did suck, but Tennessee has had problems closing out games for a while. Crump has to learn how to stay in the game. Wingate has to learn how to finish. The gamecocks did not free throws, the vols did not make three pointers. I believe the Vols were 4 of 17 :mad: The Vols won the boards battle. Is the front-court considered a strength of the gamecocks. If the Vols can learn how to finish a game, they will be a team that can win some games. If not, nights like tonight will happen more often this season. It was nice to not be out of the game at halftime, like the past few years. It is a moral victory and moral victories are not good enough. Buzz is hearing the whispers and the people who deal with his job security have been paying attention this season. The Vols will need to upset some ranked opponents and put together a winning season to secure his job. I think he will be back next year, but he has to earn it this year.

Good luck to the Gamecocks until we meet again. Expect the vol faithfull who do show up for the game at TBA(good chance it will be a small crowd) to be on Powell the whole game as a flopper. I'm sure he will eat it up and play with the crowd just to get their dander up. It should be a fun show.

[Stockcock]

Frankly, I thought UT outplayed USC for most of the game. Looking at who they have played and lost and then looking at our record we should have blown them out, but they did to us what LSU did. Pound the ball inside.

For most of the game UT beat us down the court and forced more TOs than we did. We came alive in the last 7-8 minutes of the game, but other than CP I didn't think the rest of the team was in it until then. Tre Kelly played poorly as did Wallace and Tisby. Kinsey seems to have lost his shot too. If it weren't for Gonner and Powell (and Balkman at the end - he needs to start) we would have lost this game - and we almost did anyway. Winning at home by 3 points against an average UT team is not impressive. Still, just like the close loses at Kansas, Pitt and UK counted as losses this counts as a win.

Our weakness is inside defense. We don't match up well with teams that have big men up front.

Our starters should be:

Gonner
Kelly
Balkman
Powell
Tisby or Wallace

[LesR923]

Tisby again was inneffective. 0 points and 2 fouls is not what I would cal a quaity night for our 5 man. Wallace has got to start in place of Antwan. Tisby just doesn't seem up to the task of battleing inside yet. Powell is the team leader and runs the show. His stroke was really on tonight, except at the line. Just seemed like his adrenaline was rushing too hard to settle down. He'd step up and just throw the ball instead of taking his time. What was Kelley's deal tonight? Seemed like he just wanted to pass the ball to the team in Orange. He had 4 turnovers in 5 posessions at one point. Not good. Gonner realy bailed us out. Im do glad to see him continue to progress. At this rate, Gonner will be 2nd team SEC, Powell probably 1st. Balkman comes into the game every time and suddenly the momentum changes. His intensity goes unmatched on the courts. I love it. I was however VERY disappointed with my felow students for not giving Major Wingate a bit harder of a time. Last year we were on him hard, but this year it was amost as though the pace was empty until 5 mins left (except of course when Spurrier walked in and out with those recruits.) Anyways just glad to get a win

[COCKSTER]

Very well put STOCKCOCK!! I agree with you totally.UT is an average team that we should team like a drum!! Our biggest problem is free throws!! We cannot shoot 50%
(sometimes 40%) from the line,& expect to beat very many teams.We will lose at least 6 gamesthis year because we can't hit free throws!! (now that's sad). And although,
I like & respect coach Odom,poor free throw shooting is a coaching problem & has very
little to do with talent.(HELL nobodys guarding you on the line).Coach Odom must address this problem,if we expect to win!!
GO COCKS

[JBryant12]

We got lucky this time but if our free throw shooting doesnt improve we may not be able to say the same next time.

[fernandomike]

I am ecstatic. UT is making tremendous progress as South Carolina usually beats us by 30 points. Make Buzz coach for Life!

[JBryant12]

That an optimistic view

[GamecocksRule]

Any comments????

Geez, another game spent on the edge of my seat...I guess that's why I love the Gamecocks so cause they are so good at doing that to me! LOL

[CarolinaGrad]

I thought Tennessee did a good job keeping the crowd out of the game until the alley-oop dunk in the second half. Carlos Powell is a good player and the players feed off his emotion. Some of the calls did suck, but Tennessee has had problems closing out games for a while. Crump has to learn how to stay in the game. Wingate has to learn how to finish. The gamecocks did not free throws, the vols did not make three pointers. I believe the Vols were 4 of 17 :mad: The Vols won the boards battle. Is the front-court considered a strength of the gamecocks. If the Vols can learn how to finish a game, they will be a team that can win some games. If not, nights like tonight will happen more often this season. It was nice to not be out of the game at halftime, like the past few years. It is a moral victory and moral victories are not good enough. Buzz is hearing the whispers and the people who deal with his job security have been paying attention this season. The Vols will need to upset some ranked opponents and put together a winning season to secure his job. I think he will be back next year, but he has to earn it this year.

Good luck to the Gamecocks until we meet again. Expect the vol faithfull who do show up for the game at TBA(good chance it will be a small crowd) to be on Powell the whole game as a flopper. I'm sure he will eat it up and play with the crowd just to get their dander up. It should be a fun show.

Believe you me, we Carolina fans understand about not finishing a game. Sounds like the last few years when we played UT in football.

[CockDaddy]

Good thing we got some questionable calls from the officials or this game may have ended with a loss for us. However, you have to give some players credit. Carlos Powell had a really good game. Gonner came off the bench in the second half and helped us get rolling again. At SC we have great facilities. Maybe we should set up another goal somewhere just to practice free throws. LOL. Our free throws already cost us one game this year and almost cost us another. If we dont have the players that can get a decent amount of rebounds, especially offensively, we will have to shoot much better to have a chance to get to the tournament again.

About time we started getting some calls!