Game Notes

Jan. 10, 2006

With the first game under its belt in its 15th year of play in the SEC, Carolina, 9-5, travels to Oxford, Miss., after dropping a 69-76 game to Tennessee on Sunday in Columbia. At 11-3, Ole Miss is riding a five-game winning streak and is off to its best start since the 2001-02 campaign. Riding high behind Dwyane Curtis’ double-double, the Rebels defeated a pre-season top 25 pick, Alabama, 71-61, in Tuscaloosa.

The Ole Miss game, not televised, will be carried on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (color analyst). In addition, the game can be heard via the internet at www.uscsports.com.

“We play at Ole Miss on Wednesday, a place USC has not had success in recent times or anytime,” said Odom. “Ole Miss is a much improved basketball team over a year ago and they have better personal. They will be a tough out for everybody this year in this league. They are off to a great start and Rod Barnes is doing a great job. But after the Tennessee game I know we are anxious to play again.”

“Depth is an issue with our team right now,” said Odom. “I think we have struggled to get our depth developed this year. I thought we would have developed more in practice than we have. I think the biggest thing is leadership, or lack thereof of the floor. We need somebody to stand up in crunch time and win a basketball game. We get off to a good start and play good for 30 minutes and for someone reason we aren’t able to finish the game like we started it. Four of our five losses you can directly trace to the last 10 minutes”

No red carpet there

UM leads the series 11-10 with all meetings coming during SEC competition except one. USC captured an 85-79 win in the Gulf South Tournament in Shreveport, La. on Dec. 30, 1961. Eight of the last 11 meetings between the two teams, including five of the last six, have been decided by six points or less.

The Gamecocks last time in Oxford (Jan. 31, 2004), Ole Miss took a 79-68 victory from a Renaldo Balkman-less Gamecock squad. The two teams split the series last year with USC winning in overtime 76-70 on senior day in Columbia (March 3, 2005). One week later Ole Miss got the Gamecocks 53-52 in the SEC Tournament’s first round.

The home courts aren’t a lot of fun for the two teams in this match-up. USC holds the series edge in Columbia 6-1, with the Rebels only win coming Feb. 17, 2001 (61-67).

Oxford could be its toughest road test yet this year as the Gamecocks are 0-7 in Oxford all-time (all played since USC joined the SEC). In fact, USC has only won two games in its history in Mississippi: one game at Southern Miss and one game at Mississippi State. A win there would be another feather in the Gamecocks’ athletic cap per se — as the Carolina football team took an 0-12 lifetime record to Knoxville on Oct. 29, 2005, before Steve Spurrier’s squad came away with a 16-15 over the Phillip Fulmer-led Volunteers.

Them

Under eighth-year head coach Rod Barnes, Ole Miss hosts Carolina riding a five-game winning streak. Ole Miss is 11-3 this season and 1-0 in the SEC. Posting an 8-1 record at home this year, its only loss was at the hands of then-No. 5 Memphis (49-72). UM is 1-2 in away from home and 2-0 in games played on a neutral court.

The Rebels are led by Dwyane Curtis’ 14.4 ppg and 7.6 rpg. Also averaging double-figures is Bam Doyne at 10.0 ppg with 4.5 rpg. Last year the Rebels posted a 14-17 record and were 4-12 in the SEC, finishing tied for fifth in the SEC Western Division.

Gotta beat it

USC is 3-1 this year following a loss. USC was 8-3 last season following a loss. USC was 6-4 in 2003-04 following a loss.

We Bring

Three of the five Gamecock starters continue to average double figure points and two starters are averaging 6.4+ rebounds per game as well. Individually Carolina is led by Tarence Kinsey, who is averaging a team-leading 15.8 ppg and is third with 4.5 rpg. Tre’ Kelley is second with 11.0 ppg and leads the team with 3.3 apg. Renaldo Balkman leads the team with 6.6 rpg, 1.8 spg, 1.8 bpg and 11 dunks. Balkman is second with 2.9 apg and third with 10.8 ppg. Brandon Wallace, is second with 6.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg and 10 dunks, third with 2.7 apg and fourth with 8.0 ppg.

On the road again … and again … and again

Including Ole Miss, six of USC’s next eight games will be on the road. USC will play Georgia at home on Sat., Jan. 14 at 3 pm (JP televised) and then play at Vanderbilt on Jan. 18 and at Kentucky on Jan. 21. After a home game with Florida on Jan. 25, USC plays at UT on Jan. 28, at Arkansas on Feb. 4 and at Florida on Feb. 8.

But on the flipside, USC’s next six of seven games after that stretch will be played in the friendly confines of the Colonial Center, beginning with Mississippi State on Feb. 11.

First at home, first on the road

Since joining the SEC 15 years ago, USC has opened the league schedule at home nine times, posting a 4-5 record, including a 69-68 win vs. No. 5 Florida. Opening on the road six times, USC is 1-6.

While opening at home nine times, USC is 2-5 in its first road game.

Among the stats

USC leads the SEC in scoring defense, allowing 61.1 ppg. USC is second in field goal percentage behind Florida (53.3%) at 49.1%.

Individually, Tarence Kinsey is No. 8 in the SEC with 15.8 ppg. Kinsey is in the top 10 of four categories, sitting at No. 2 in three point field goal percentage at 49.2%.

Starters vs. Bench

USC’s starters are averaging 53.0 ppg, with the bench averaging 17.4 ppg. USC’s opponents are getting a bit more from its bench with the starters averaging 41.3 ppg to the bench’s 19.8 ppg. USC starters average more than 75% of its points and its opponents starters are averaging 68% of its points.

USC starters scored a season-high of 72 vs. Marquette, but a season-low 38 vs. Wofford (with the bench scoring 35 in that game). The USC bench scored a season-high 38 points vs. Western Carolina, but a season-low of six vs. Winthrop and Temple.

Marquette’s starters scored a season-high 60 points vs. USC and its bench scored a season-high 32 points. Detroit Mercy’s starters scored a season-low 21 vs. USC. Temple’s bench scored a season-low nine vs. USC.

Kinsey’s career

All told Tarence Kinsey has 823 career points and needs 177 points to hit the 1,000 mark and become the 38th Gamecock to go over the one thousand mark. Averaging 15.8 ppg this season, he would need to average 11.8 ppg in the last 15 regular season games to hit 1,000 career points.

Kinsey has hit 20+ points five times this season. In his first three seasons at USC, Kinsey played in 85 games and in those 85 games he hit the 20+ mark only twice. (23 vs. South Carolina State, 12-22-04 and 21 vs. Idaho, 11-18-03).

Who else might hit 1,000 in his career? Tre’ Kelley has 621 career points and is averaging a career-high 11.0 ppg this season after hitting 5.1 ppg his freshman year and 8.9 ppg his sophomore year.

Brandon = Block City

Brandon Wallace has blocked three or more shots in three games this season, tallying 24 on the year. He has three or more blocks in 18 games in his career. Wallace has 114 career blocked shots, ranking seventh all-time. He is nine behind sixth place Tony Kitchings (123, 1999-2003) and 10 behind fifth place Ryan Stack (124, 1995-98). The career blocks leader — Danny Traylor blocked 235 from 1971-73. After Stack, he will need 36 more blocks to hit No. 4 Mike Brittain at 160 (1983-86).

40s

Four Gamecocks have played 40+ minutes in a game this year – including the overtime loss to Marquette. Posting 40+ this year: Tre’ Kelley vs. Marquette and Temple; Tarence Kinsey vs. Marquette and Brandon Wallace vs. Tennessee.

Even though USC played three games in extra minutes last season only one Gamecock, Tre’ Kelley, played 40+ minutes (in the 62-63 OT loss to Clemson).^TMTM