Sports

Big SC Hoops Test

The University of South Carolina men’s basketball team has been a major disappointment for … well, decades. There was stretch during the late 1960s and early 1970s under former head coach Frank Maguire when the Gamecocks excelled on the national stage, but since then the pickings have been slim. Ready…

The University of South Carolina men’s basketball team has been a major disappointment for … well, decades.

There was stretch during the late 1960s and early 1970s under former head coach Frank Maguire when the Gamecocks excelled on the national stage, but since then the pickings have been slim.

Ready for some brutal truth? USC hasn’t won a game in the NCAA Tournament since 1973. In fact it’s been almost a decade since the Gamecocks have even made it to the “Big Dance.” Things have gotten positively brutal of late – with South Carolina teams posting losing records in six of the last seven seasons.

Exacerbating this “extended fail?” The stratospheric success of the school’s baseball and football programs – which have soared to unprecedented heights during the basketball program’s darkest hour.

Looking to break this cycle is second-year head coach Frank Martin – whose inaugural Gamecock squad posted a 14-18 mark last year.

Is Martin’s second squad any better? Let’s hope so …

This year’s Gamecocks will face their toughest test of the year this week – a road matchup against the No. 9 Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1, 0-0 Big 12). Wanna watch? Tipoff is scheduled for this Friday at 9:30 p.m. EST – with ESPNU televising the game nationally.

So far Martin’s 2013-14 squad has posted a 2-2 mark – with road losses to No. 20 Baylor and arch-rival Clemson.

Bolstering the Gamecocks’ fortunes in Stillwater will be the return (for now) of two-sport star Bruce Ellington, who will play a few games prior to the returning to the football team for bowl practice.

Ellington – who will rejoin the team for good in January – averaged 9.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game last season. On the gridiron, he caught 43 passes for 635 yards and six touchdowns (leading the team in all three categories).

Can Ellington mesh with star freshman Sindarius Thornwell and transfer Tyrone Johnson in time to key a Top Ten upset on the road?

We doubt it … but Martin’s going to need to start coming up with some big wins to put butts in seats (preferably real, not imaginary butts).

Pic: Travis Bell Photography

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11 comments

Squishy123 December 5, 2013 at 1:17 pm

Nobody cares about USC basketball.

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Head Cheerleader December 5, 2013 at 2:09 pm

nobody cares about clemson and the Big Eacc

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CNSYD December 5, 2013 at 2:19 pm

You are probably correct, especially the AP poll. They don’t care about Syracuse or Duke. Next week they probably won’t care about the real Carolina who beat the number 1 team last night.

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Carls Jr December 6, 2013 at 2:31 pm

Hey Pops. You just worry about your basketball streak in Chapel Hill.
Real/Fake Carolina…East/West USC. Anyway it helps you sleep at night, just remember this: High Five!

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CLEM5ON be good December 7, 2013 at 12:02 am

that’s why they cant beat Carolina in football. They keep thinking they are playing the wrong team. Gamecocks say HI!!!!

Squishy123 December 9, 2013 at 3:43 pm

Carls Jr., this sure has you worked up doesn’t it.

Squishy123 December 5, 2013 at 8:38 pm

What’s that got to do with USC and SEC basketball sucking?

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Carls Jr December 6, 2013 at 2:27 pm

Wow, are you a hypocrite. Every chance you get you incorporate a dig at USC, then say you are not a Clemson fan. You are orange to the core, excpet for that red neck of yours. Just STFU and worry about fixing 5 in a row.

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Squishy123 December 9, 2013 at 3:42 pm

So if I don’t like USC, I must be a Clemson fan… I realize this is the neckbeard redneck USC fan theory. Your sister must be so relieved to have you preoccupied in something other than her.

just another guy December 5, 2013 at 1:31 pm

Well, he is rebuilding a program from below nothing. It was worse than horrible. 1 game off of 500 ain’t bad in his first year. I am willing to give him a pass this year as well. Next year I would like to see some major improvements.

BTW, Sic, why don’t you talk about the Lady G’s some. They may finish with the best recruiting class ever at SC this year and right now in the top 10 coaches poll at a 8-0 mark. They will have more people turn out for a Lady G’s game than the men.

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Tater Tom December 7, 2013 at 9:00 am

Funny, how there have been some Clem5on fans of late bragging about the basketball game recently played on FB. These same fans said before that only football matters when they drank some of dabo’s Kool-Aid and thought they could win. They didn’t, and they immediately (well after some very old history report, mainly stuff from over 70 years ago) changed to talk basketball. Well yes out basketball team sucks. We Gamecocks know that too, but A. If we can go other sports, and B. If you want to talk history (ours is at least less than 5 years old on this subject) Didn’t, USC have back to back National Titles in baseball (as well as a third in row in the game and 5th over all)? 2 is more than 1 and baseball in considered one of the “big 3” sports So if you can do both Carolina has had a better overall program of late than Clemson. we have a 2-3 disadvantage in basketball but own the other ones. In fact I am pretty sure the equestrian team is #1 now too. And they have what in their sport would equate to a national championship. So with these points in mind, should we stay with football, and nor old history too? I know you want it every way but lets see how you want it. dumb off subject reply from CNSYD in 3,2,1…

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