Nov. 29, 2004

South Carolina forward Carlos Powell, fresh off a double-double against Temple on Saturday night, has been named the SEC Player of the Week. Powell averaged a double-double last week – 20.0 ppg and 10.0 rpg – in USC’s two wins. USC, 3-0, takes on Appalachian State on Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 pm and Clemson at 7:30 pm on Saturday, Dec. 4 – good seats still remain for both games at The Colonial Center.

“I am trying to hold in my excitement in – really. This means a lot to because it’s the first time in my career. I am going to call my mom (Donna McCall) as soon as I finish this interview,” said Powell, a Florence native. “I give all the credit to my teammates and my coaching staff for helping me get better in the off-season. I don’t really think about Player of the Week honors but I had hoped at some point in my career I would have a chance to receive this honor because I want to be considered among the best in the conference – it’s a respect thing really. I might be guarded more this year, but we have a lot of guys on this team that can score and make plays, so I am not really worried about that.”

“This year I am trying to stay more relaxed and trying to be more focused,” said Powell. “The younger players look to me as a leader because I have been here so long. They come to me with a lot of questions and I try to help them. “

Powell Notes

* Powell collected his fifth career double-double against Temple with 22 points and 13 rebounds in the 60-46 win on Saturday.

* He has scored in double figures 18 straight games in non-conference play, scoring in double figures 59 times in his career and has a 72-game scoring streak dating back to March 2, 2003.

* Powell has led the team in scoring all three games, including Western Carolina last Sunday.

* He now has 1,059 career points, good for 36th on South Carolina’s all-time list.

Powell’s Season Stats

PPG RPG APG BPG SPG

19.3 7.7 2.0 0.3 1.7

PLAYER OF THE WEEK NOTES

* This marks the first Player of the Week honor for South Carolina’s Carlos Powell.

* Powell is the first South Carolina Gamecock to win SEC Player of the Week since Chuck Eidson earned the award on December 2, 2002 when he had the school’s first triple-double.

* This also marks the eighth time a South Carolina player has received this honor since the 1995-96 season.