March 16, 2006
When the realization hit, Melanie Johnson flashed a broad smile.
“The last time I went to the playoffs was in high school,” the junior mused. “And this year, I’m playing on a much better team.”
For the moment, Johnson had found a salve to her disappointment. A day earlier, she and the rest of the Gamecocks watched in dismay as the NCAA Tournament passed over Carolina. USC (17-11, 7-7 SEC) will instead play in the first round of the WNIT Friday at Xavier (20-8, 11-5 Atlantic 10).
Swallow castor oil. Juggle chainsaws. Jet ski across the Bering Strait. Some teams would rather do anything than accept a bid to the WNIT. But after two years of watching the postseason from afar, the Gamecocks are excited about their maiden playoff run.
“We were sitting at the SEC Tournament last year, watching the game after us, realizing our season is over. Now, we have something to look forward to,” Johnson, Carolina’s second-team all-SEC selection, said.
“I think the experience to play is a positive for our group as a whole,” said head coach Susan Walvius.
That energy was evident in practice Tuesday. Elbows swung, eyes narrowed, and bodies harpooned across the floor. During their two weeks in postseason purgatory, Carolina’s coaches used scrimmages and other competitive drills (read: losers sprint) to keep their players’ instincts sharp. And maybe, to purge the disappointment of a first-round loss to Auburn in the SEC Tournament.
“I think there was a lot of stress in that game,” Walvius said. The Gamecocks, stricken by tight rims, shot 29 percent from the floor against the Tigers. “Certainly, it hurts. But it’s the pain in your life that makes you strong.”
So what have the Gamecocks worked on during their layoff?
“Getting our wind back. Getting our kids to give more effort running the floor. If we aren’t pushing tempo, we aren’t taking advantage of the numbers we have. Our focus is to scrap and outwork as many teams as we can,” Walvius said.
To see the benefits of a long WNIT run, look no further than Kentucky. Last year, the Wildcats missed an at-large berth, but advanced to WNIT semifinals. This year, they’re a five-seed for the NCAA Tournament.
A deep WNIT run could be valuable training wheels for the Gamecocks, who return 13 of 14 players for next year. It’s now up to them to metabolize their NCAA disappointment into determination.
“Only two teams can end their season on a win,” Johnson said. “Hopefully, we’ll be one of them.”
30-second scout: Xavier finished in fourth place in the Atlantic 10 but, like Carolina, was eliminated in the opening game of their conference tournament. They remind me a lot of Ole Miss – no player taller than 6’1″, a big gunner (All-American Tara Boothe, who averages 21 ppg and 9 rpg), and athleticism and three-point shooting in abundance.
In fact, how favorably do Xavier and Ole Miss compare? Xavier averages 71.4 points per game; Ole Miss averages 71.3. Both teams, despite their lack of height, finished second in their conferences in rebounding.
Video Vanguard: The Gamecocks are assured of one fan at the Cintas Center Friday. Carolina’s video coordinator from 2004-05, Craig Patterson, now works in the video office of the Cincinnati Bengals.
