March 26, 2006

Game 37 o South Carolina vs. Louisville o March 28, 2006 o Madison Square Gardeno New York City, N.Y.

Probable Starters for the Louisville game (from previous game)

South Carolina Gamecocks (21-15, 6-10 SEC) PPG RPG APG

Tipoff: 9 pm (EST)
TV: ESPN2 (Ron Franklin, Fran Fraschilla, Bill Raftery & Heather Cox)
Radio: Gamecock Radio Network
Series Record: UL leads 13-4
In Columbia: UL leads 4-3
In Louisville: UL leads 8-1
Neutral site: UL leads 1-0
Last Meeting: USC won 70-67 on Feb. 6, 1991 in Columbia

Cock Calls
1 Kelley Averaging 17 ppg in NIT 14.4 ppg, 5 apg in the last 7 games; 21x w/ 10+; 24x 4+ apg
2 McDowell Averaging 9 mpg in NIT Scored 10 PT vs. WKY (3-3 3 PT); Career high 12 vs. Winthrop
4 Sheldon Played 12+ minutes in 12 straight games; 12 PT vs. UK at SEC Tourney (4-6 3 PT)
5 Archie The only freshman scholarship player on the squad — will be redshirted this year
10 Trice Career-high 7 REB vs. WKY; 24 starts (9 straight); shut down UT’s Lofton at SEC Tourney
12 Nerbun Only walk-on the team this season; Played 1 MIN, w/ 3 ATT vs. WKY
14 Tisby Did not travel with team to FSU or UC; 16 PT, 7 REB; started 7th straight game vs. WKY
20 Palacios Broke bone in left foot in Florida game (3/12) that will require surgery – done for season
21 Kinsey 18.3 ppg in NIT; All-SEC 2nd team; 1162 career PT (#26); Hit a 3 in 30-36 games
23 Day Has 10 starts in 32 games played this season; Did not play at Auburn or vs. UK
24 Konate Has not played since 1-25 due to ankle injury; Played in 13 games this year
33 Wallace 5th career double-double at Cincy (12 PT, 13 REB); 6 games w/ 4 + BLK
34 Balkman Left early 2nd half at Cincy w/ injury; 6+ REB in 20 games this season

Carolina Faces Third Straight Former Metro Conference Opponent in Louisville in NIT Semi-Finals; Gamecocks Quest to defend NIT title continues

USC, 19-15 and 6-10 SEC, continues its quest to defend its 2005 NIT title when it plays Louisville (21-12, 6-10 Big East) – its third straight opponent in the NIT that is a former Metro Conference rival – in the NIT Semi-Finals on Tues., March 28 at 9 pm in Madison Square Garden. The winner will play the winner of the 7 pm semi-final (Michigan vs. Old Dominion) on Thur., March 30 at 7 pm..

USC has won eight straight NIT games. The last Carolina loss in the NIT was against Memphis in the 2002 NIT Championship. Carolina has made it to the NIT Final Four in its last three appearances – including a 60-57 NIT title game win in 2005 over St. Joseph’s after defeating Maryland in the semis. USC is 12-1 in the NIT under Dave Odom.

The game will be televised on ESPN2 with Ron Franklin, Fran Fraschilla, Bill Raftery & Heather Cox making the call. The UL game can be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (color analyst). The UL game can also be heard via the internet at www.uscsports.com.

USC and U of L

UL defeated Missouri State on Wed., March 22 74-56. USC won at Cincinnati March 23 65-62.

The two teams have played five common opponents this season: Detroit, Clemson, Kentucky, Pittsburgh and Marquette. USC was 2-5 vs. the five, while Louisville was 3-3.

UL Coach Rick Pitino is 9-5 vs. Carolina; two of those losses came while he was at Boston University (0-2), with the balance coming during his last six seasons at Kentucky in SEC play (9-3).

Two of Pitino’s UK teams defeated Odom-coached Wake Forest teams. Kentucky beat Wake Forest 103-69 in the 1993 NCAA South Region semifinals in Charlotte, N.C. (3/25/93) and Pitino’s Wildcats prevailed 83-63 in the NCAA Midwest Region championship in Minneapolis, (3/23/96). The Decs defeated Louisville 60-59 prior to falling to Kentucky in the 1996 NCAA Midwest Region semifinals (3/21/06). UL beat Wake 81-58 in the NCAA West Region first round in Tempe, Ariz. (3/20/92).

Turn Over

The Gamecocks have turned the ball over 44 times in their last five games while their opponents have turned it over 81 times during that span.

Second Half Power?

The Gamecocks have trailed in two of the three NIT games at the half. In the second half, USC has outscored its opponents 115-99. In the first half, USC has outscored its opponents 82-76. Carolina led WKU by 15 at the break while trailing FSU by three and Cincinnati by six.

Vs. old Rivals

USC hasn’t played UL since it joined the SEC 15 years ago. But, the two met up at least twice a year when they were members of the now extinct Metro Conference (1983-91). During that span USC posted an 4-12 record vs. UL, including a 0-1 record at a neutral site. Louisville holds the all-time series lead against USC at 13-4. Last Meeting: 2-6-91,70-67, in Columbia
First Meeting: 12-23-63, 67-66 in Louisville
Streak: USC has won two straight dating back to 1991
Columbia: 3-4 Louisville: 1-8 Neutral: 0-1 (Memphis)

Road to the NIT Final Four

Louisville and Michigan were No. 1 seeds, Carolina was a No. 3 and Old Dominion was a No. 5 in the NIT. Michigan and Louisville both played all three games at home while Carolina and Old Dominion played two of its three games on the road (seeds are # in front of name).

3 Carolina 1 Louisville 1 Michigan 5 Old Dominion
First Round 6 W. Kentucky 10 Delaware St. 9 UTEP at 4 Colorado
Second Round at 2 Florida State 4 Clemson 5 Notre Dame 9 Manhattan
Quarterfinals at 1 Cincinnati 2 Missouri State 3 Miami at 3 Hofstra

No. 100?

Coach Odom (98-69) is two wins shy of 100 at Carolina. Odom, in his fifth season, is fourth all-time at USC with 98 wins. Only Frank McGuire, Frank Johnson and Eddie Fogler have more wins in their Carolina career. Quickest to 100 Career Victories at USC
Coach Game # to reach 100
Frank McGuire 154
Dave Odom 167 (2 wins shy of 100); Louisville game will be game #168.
Frank Johnson 174
Eddie Fogler 189

‘Cocks in the NIT

USC is making its 10th appearance in the NIT and second consecutive. Last season, USC took home the trophy after defeating five teams: Miami, UNLV, Georgetown, Maryland and St. Joe’s. The Gamecocks are seeking their second consecutive NIT trophy; the only other team to ever win back-to-back post-season NIT titles is St. John’s in 1943 and 1944.

The Gamecocks are 19-8 overall in the NIT and are 12-1 under head coach Dave Odom (see page four for full NIT results). USC has made it to Madison Square Garden in New York five times: 1969, 1975, 2002, 2005 and 2006. Carolina played in the championship in 2002 and in 2005. USC took home the championship in 2005 while finishing as the runner-up in 2002 to Memphis.

Gamecock Appearances in the NIT
1969, 1975, 1978, 1983, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006

Odom Post Season

With the win over Florida State, Carolina now has 20 wins for the third consecutive season. It is the first time a Carolina coach has won 20+ three straight years since the Frank McGuire era when he won 20+ in six consecutive seasons (1969-1974). His teams have won 20+ in four of his five years at USC.

Since Coach Odom’s arrival in the 2001-02 season, the Gamecocks have turned it up a notch at the end of the season. Carolina is 19-7 in the post-season under Odom – including three NIT appearances, an NCAA appearance and the SEC Tournament.

Year Record Highlights
2001-02 6-2 SEC Semi-finals/NIT Runner-up
2002-03 0-1
2003-04 2-2 SEC Semi-finals/NCAA Tournament
2004-05 5-1 NIT Champions
2005-06 6-1 SEC Tournament Runner-up/NIT Semi-finals
Totals 19-7

40s

Thirteen times Gamecocks have played 40+ minutes in a game this year – including the overtime loss to Marquette and Georgia and the OT win at Vandy and at Florida State. Posting 40+ this year: Tre’ Kelley vs. Marquette, Temple and Florida State; Tarence Kinsey vs. Marquette, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Florida State and Cincinnati; and Brandon Wallace vs. Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Florida State and Cincinnati. Renaldo Balkman also played 40+ at Florida State Kinsey tops the list without a breather, playing all 45 minutes in the OT win at Vandy.

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).

A Few Things

• The Gamecocks have made 251 (36 games) three pointers this season. Heading into the game against UL, the number ranks as the second-most three pointers hit in a season by a Gamecock team. The record is 257 (2002, 37 games).

• The overtime game against FSU was Carolina’s fourth game of the that needed extra time to decide a winner (2-2) this season and its first overtime game in NIT play all-time. The four overtime games are the most overtime games that Carolina has ever had in a single season. Carolina has played 10 overtime games in the past three seasons (6-4).

• Kevin Palacios, who came off the bench as of late to play some valuable minutes, suffered a broken bone in his left foot during the SEC Championship title game vs. Florida. He had surgery on Sat., March 18 and will not play the rest of the season.

• Tre’ Kelley is the only Gamecock to start every game this season. If he starts vs. Louisville it will be his 37th start and it would tie him with Chuck Edison (2002) at No. 1. Kelley is the first Gamecock to start every game in a season since Edison did it in 2002-03, starting all 28 games, averaging 11.3 ppg. If Tarence Kinsey starts vs. UL, he will move to No. 2. See records later in the notes.

• Carolina is 22-13 under Coach Odom in the month of March. Since joining the league in 1991-92, SC is now 38-34 in March. The win at Auburn was Odom’s 370th win as a head coach and he needs two more wins to hit 100 wins at USC.

• Tarence Kinsey has scored 20+ points 10 times this season and a career best 24 points three times. He was just off his career best of 24 when he scored 23 in the win over WKY. Prior to this season in 85 games he had only scored 20+ points twice.

• In addition to Kinsey, Tre’ Kelley has hit 20+ five times this season – including 25 in the win over No. 14 Tennessee – and Renaldo Balkman has hit it once.

• Carolina is 13-5 this season when Bryce Sheldon hits a three-pointer in a game. When he hits three or more three’s in a game, Carolina is 5-1 on the season. When he scores 10 or more in a game, the Gamecocks are 3-0.

• USC made the SEC semi-finals for the third time in five years with Odom, advancing to its first final under Odom and second overall in the SEC (1998).

• The eight assists by Tre’ Kelley in the Kentucky game are the most by a Gamecock in a SEC Tournament game. The previous high was six by Larry Davis (vs. LSU on 3/7/96), Chuck Edison (vs. Alabama (3/9/00), and Aaron Lucas (vs. Tennessee, 3/10/00). Carolina won all four of those SEC Tournament games..

• USC turned the ball over just 37 times in the SEC Tournament (9.2 topg) – including seven times vs. Kentucky. Even more impressive, USC turned the ball over just four times in its win over MSU – the fewest turnovers since USC turned it over just four times in a 75-77 loss to Florida on Jan. 18, 2003.

• USC won three SEC road games this season (at Vandy, Florida, Auburn), matching the same total of 2004 (at Auburn, Vandy, Georgia). The last time USC won four SEC road games: 1998 (at Georgia, Auburn, Vanderbilt and Florida).

We don’t, they do

Tick Tock

Tarence Kinsey and Tre’ Kelley both passed Jamel Bradley for the most minutes played in a season with their play in the win over Florida State. Bradley played 1211 minutes in 2002. Entering the Louisville game, Kinsey has played 1256 this season and Kelley has played 1253 minutes – putting them at one-two in minutes played in a single season. Entering this season, Bradley and Aaron Lucas were one-two in minutes played in a single season (both in 2002).

With 1,095 minutes played this season, Brandon Wallace passed John Roche (1969, 1094 minutes) to jump into the single season top 10 vs. Cincy. He needs 14 minutes to move to No. 9.

Quickly

ESPN? Yes! USC is 9-3 in the past two years on ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU. In 2005-06 USC appeared on television 22 times during the regular season and including Tuesday night’s game, 30 times total, including 10 games on national television (8 ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU, 2 CBS) and one tape delay (SUN Sports). The 22 appearances were the most regular-season television appearances ever for the Gamecocks. USC is 15-14 on TV this season.

USC is 8-6 following a loss. USC was 8-3 in 2004-05 and 6-4 in 2003-04.

Beaten some big timers

With the two wins over UF’s Billy Donovan, Odom has posted a number of quality wins over coaches who have led their teams to the Final Four and/or won national championships during their own careers. With 369 careers wins as a head coach in his 20 years at East Carolina, Wake and South Carolina, Odom has wins over a number of legendary coaches including Donovan, Roy Williams (at Kansas), Lon Kruger, Rick Majerus, Dean Smith, Gary Williams, Mike Krzyzewski, Tubby Smith, John Chaney, Nolan Richardson, Bobby Cremins, Denny Crum, Jim Valvano, Jim Boeheim, Terry Holland and Eddie Sutton.