Jan. 16, 2004

USC Sports Information: What were you thinking when you were dribbling down the court after your steal against Auburn – the steal in overtime on Wednesday?

Carlos Powell: I thought he (the Auburn player) was going to foul me. He swiped and missed so I laid the ball up.

USCSI: At any point did you think, “Should I dunk it?”

CP: Yeah, I thought about that (smiling)

USCSI: You played a great game against Auburn but what can you say about Brandon Robinson’s slam in the first half?

CP: The guys were on me pretty bad about that – my teammates talked a lot about that yesterday. Robinson is my boy. I jumped and then turned around and he was still in the air.

USCSI: Who is the biggest trash talker on the team?

CP: We really don’t talk unless someone starts talking to us.

USCSI: Who is the best dunker on the team?

CP: It would probably be a tie between Josh Gonner, Brandon Wallace and Tarence Kinsey.

USCSI: Who is the best shot blocker on the Gamecock team?

CP: We’ve got two – Renaldo Balkman and Brandon Wallace. Renaldo just comes out of nowhere and Brandon will just beat it to the glass.

USCSI: Who has been the most improved player on the team?

CP: At this point I would say Brandon Wallace.

USCSI: What has been the biggest surprise for the team this season?

CP: It’s been our defense. Just by listening to what the coaches have said we have improved it so much.

USCSI: You seem to play to the crowd. Talk about USC’s fans.

CP: They have gotten better every year. This year they have been really supportive. The fans here have been through thick and thin and I appreciate that. They are really supportive and that motivates us.

USCSI: Does a big crowd at home help you or do you not even hear them?

CP: They get really loud and sometimes you can’t even hear your teammates calling out the plays. I hope we have a great crowd tomorrow against Tennessee. We need their support!