Oct. 3, 2014

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COLUMBIA, S.C. – As the start of the 2014-15 campaign draws closer, GamecocksOnline.com takes a look at some notable moments in South Carolina basketball history by the tens, detailing notables every 10 days until the week of the season opener versus North Florida (Nov. 14), when we will have a daily post. We’ll look at certain eras in Gamecock history and we’ll revisit great games, great moments and Gamecock greats throughout the feature.

As of Sunday, Oct. 5, the start of the Gamecocks’ 2014 season will only be 40 days away, so we take a look at the place that the number 40 holds in South Carolina men’s basketball history. Only three players in the history of the program shot over 40 percent from 3-point range (min. 50 made) over the span of their career with the Gamecocks.

Brent Price (1988-1989) sits atop the record book, converting on 46.6 percent (117-251) of the shots he took from long distance. Last season Brenton Williams (2011-2013) cemented his place in school history when he shot 42.3 percent in his senior season, raising his career average to 41.2 percent (169-410), good for second in Gamecock history. Bryce Sheldon (2006-2007) hit 41.0 percent (102-249) of his shots from 3-point range in his two years with the Gamecocks.

Price spent only two years at South Carolina before transferring to Oklahoma to play out the final two years of his eligibility. Along with his school-best 3-point percentage, Price’s 85 percent free throw percentage stood as the best in school history before Williams took over the top spot last season.

Williams’ final season as a Gamecock was the best of his career, averaging nearly 15 points in over 30 minutes per game. He led the team in scoring 13 times and scored in double figures in 25 of the team’s 34 games during his senior campaign. He converted on a career-high seven 3-pointers twice, both in the second half of his senior season (1/25/14 – Missouri; 3/8/14 – Mississippi State). During his senior year, he shot 93 percent from the free-throw line, good enough to jump Price for the best free-throw percentage in school history. Williams also finished his Gamecock career with the highest single-season free throw percent in the SEC (93.0 percent), and holds Carolina’s consecutive free throws made mark with 50.

Sheldon spent the first two years of his career at Fullerton College (junior college) before transferring to South Carolina. During his time at Fullerton, he reeled in a number of junior college awards including Newcomer of the Year and All-Conference during his freshman season and All-American and pre-season Conference Player of the Year accolades during his sophomore campaign. In his first season with the Gamecocks, Sheldon averaged only 13 minutes per game, but had his breakout game late in the season against Florida when he scored 14 points on 4-of-6 from three-point range, including the go-ahead bucket with just over a minute remaining.

South Carolina begins official practice for the 2014-15 campaign on Monday, Oct. 6. Visit GamecocksOnline.com for full practice and preseason coverage.

Feature by Media Relations student assistant Jackson Filyo