Jan. 6, 2004

Question and Answer with Tarence Kinsey and Renaldo Balkman

USC Sports Information: Does playing Florida mean more to you than other SEC schools?

Tarence Kinsey: Not really I try to put it in the same category. We just want to win. Even though I am from Florida I just want to beat them. That is no different than any other school. But we just take it game by game.

Renaldo Balkman: Not really. I just look at it as another team and opportunity to go out and play hard.

USCSI: Are you more excited to play against Florida?

TK: I am going to have the same excitement for each game. We want to win and be like Kentucky and go 16-0 in the conference. But as I said before, we know we aren’t that type of team and we just have to take it one at a time.

RB: In a way it is more exciting but I am just going to try to think of it as another team on our schedule.

USCSI: What game have you enjoyed the most this year?

TK: All of them because I am playing this year and I can contribute.

RB: I have really enjoyed all of them. But now we are getting into the conference games so that is going to be fun.

USCSI: What game are you most looking forward to playing?

TK: When we play Florida in Gainesville.

RB: I try to take it game by game. Right now I am looking forward to playing Florida. After tomorrow, I will look forward to playing Georgia. It’s all new because I am a freshman.

USCSI: Who dunks the best on the team?

TK: We’ve got a couple of high flyers but I like myself in that category.

RB: (laughing) A lot of people on the team can jump real high but it is either Tarence Kinsey, Josh Gonner or myself.

USCSI: Who is the team’s top shot blocker:

TK: It’s got to be Renaldo.

RB: I would say Brandon Wallace. But I am up there with him.

USCSI: Who have you learned the most from this year?

TK: Mike Boynton, Jr.

RB: Tarence Kinsey, there are a lot of things I thought would happen on the court but he showed me different. I have learned a lot from him.

USCSI: What is your favorite moment as a Gamecock thus far?

TK: The first game that I started. When they called my name out because that showed that all my hard work got me to that spot.

RB: Getting my first dunk of the season.