Feb. 13, 2007

USC will take to the road to play at Vanderbilt on Valentine’s Day (Wed., Feb. 14) for an 8 pm (EST) match-up with the Commodores in Memorial Gym. The two teams split their series last year with the road team winning both times.

The SC-VU match-up can be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (color analyst). It can also be picked up via the internet at www.uscsports.com.

USC, 12-11 and 2-8 in the SEC, plays a 16-8 Vandy team that has posted a 6-4 record in the SEC this year. Vandy has four starters in double figures (Bryars, 15.8; Foster, 14.7, Cage, 11.6; Neltner, 10.3), while USC has two scoring double digits (Kelley, 17.8 and Wallace, 10.4). Wallace paces USC with 9.6 boards per game, while Neltner (6.0) and Byars (5.0) bang for the Bulldogs on the boards. Wallace leads USC with 2.8 bpg and Kelley leads the Gamecock charge with 5.1 apg.

USC won 66-64 in overtime behind Tre’ Kelley’s then-career best 29 points in Nashville Jan. 18, 2006. The Commodores got the best of the Gamecocks on Feb. 25, 2006, coming away from Columbia with a 57-56 win.

Return home Saturday to host Tennessee on ABC

USC will return home on Sat., Feb. 17 to host Tennessee at 3:30 pm and the game will be nationally televised on ABC. It is Gamecock Club Appreciation Day and Gamecock fans will also have a chance to welcome back one of the all-time greats in Dan Traylor. Traylor will be honored in the first half and then be on hand to sign autographs on the concourse at half time. Traylor, a USC letterwinner from 1971-73, is the all-time career blocked shots leader (235) and led the team in rebounds twice.

Vanderbilt: Home, Palmetto State

Vanderbilt is one of three teams currently undefeated at home in SEC play, posting a 4-0 record in conference play in Nashville. Overall, the Commodores are 11-2 at home this season with both losses coming in November. Vanderbilt dropped an 86-70 decision against Georgetown on Nov. 15 and fell to Furman 70-62 on Nov. 28.

The Commodores are 0-1 against the state of South Carolina this season, dropping a non-conference game to Furman (70-62). Vanderbilt went 2-1 against the Palmetto State in the 2005-06 season after defeating the Paladins and splitting the series with South Carolina.

Almost

Joining the SEC in 1991-92, USC is on the verge of its 100th SEC win in the league – sitting at 99 ‘career’ wins in the SEC.

A look back

USC leads the series 21-17. USC has won 10 of the last 13 against the Commodores. A few things about the rivalry:

First Meeting: Feb. 28, 1927 (25-31 in Atlanta)

Last Meeting: Feb. 25, 2006 (57-56 in Columbia)

Last 5 Meetings: 3-2

Last 10 Meetings: 7-3

Scoring

Tre’ Kelley has scored 57 points in the last two games to bring his season scoring average up to 17.8 ppg. If he ended the season at 17.8 ppg that would be the most for a Gamecock since BJ McKie scored 18.8 ppg in 1997-98. If Kelley pushes his average over 20 points per game, he would be the first Gamecock to do so since Zam Fredrick scored 28.9 per game in the 1980-81 campaign.

Love the Music City!

Despite only being 14-11 in Nashville overall, the Gamecocks have had some recent success in the Music City. Carolina defeated the Commodores last season 66-64 in overtime. The SEC Tournament was also played in Nashville last season where the Gamecocks made a run but fell short against NCAA and SEC Tournament Champion Florida. Carolina was 4-1 last season in Nashville and the Gamecocks are 7-2 under Head Coach Dave Odom in the Music City.

Baskets, Dish

Tre’ Kelley has scored 1333 points and dished out 474 assists during his career. Kelley is looking to become just the third Gamecock to post 1000 points and 500 assists in their career. Jack Gilloon (1975-78) posted 533 assists and scored 1027 points while Melvin Watson (1995-98) was the second player to do so with 1424 points and 543 assists. Kelley needs to average around four assists a game over the next seven games to join those two former Gamecocks.

Be Like Alex?

Entering Wednesday’s contest with Vanderbilt, Brandon Wallace has 713 rebounds and 227 blocked shots in his career. The only other Gamecock to have at least 700 rebounds and 200 blocked shots in his career was Alex English. (1973-76) English grabbed 1064 rebounds and blocked 230 shots.

Kelley leads SEC in scoring

While Tre’ Kelley continues to lead South Carolina this season, he is also the leading scorer in SEC action as well, averaging 19.8 ppg in SEC play. In overall play in the SEC, Kelley is No. 3 with 17.7 ppg and he is fourth with 5.1 apg.

Nationally

As of Feb. 12 on the national rankings list, Brandon Wallace is No. 12 in blocked shots and No. 17 in rebounds. He is No. 2 blocked shots and rebounds in the SEC. Nationally Tre’ Kelley is No. 47 in assists and moved up to No. 64 with 17.8 ppg.

As a team on the national scene USC is No. 7 in fouls with 14.4 per game and No. 11 in turnovers with 11.7 per game.

Grab it

Brandon Wallace has 220 rebounds on the season and is averaging 9.6 per game. If he stays on pace to average 9.6 it would be the most for a Gamecock since Jimmy Foster averaged 11.0 per game in the 1980-81 season. Last season, Renaldo Balkman led the team with 239 rebounds and Wallace was close behind with 231. Wallace and Balkman both played 38 games last season. Wallace has 220 rebounds in 23 games this season and Carolina has at least seven games remaining. If Wallace averages 9.6 rebounds per game in the next 7 games, his projected total of rebounds for the 2006-07 season would be 287.

Archie Following

Dominique Archie is second on the team with 112 rebounds and 17 blocked shots. Archie tied his career high with three blocked shots on Saturday night against Georgia. He recorded three blocks against Southern California and Lipscomb earlier this season. Archie, a red-shirt freshman, is third on the team in points per game.

Moving On Up

Tre’ Kelley and Brandon Wallace continue to climb the career record paths as both are working on a number of career milestones this year. With their play vs. Vanderbilt, Wallace will have played in 129 career games (No. 2 all-time) Kelley is No. 2 with 128 games played. Carlos Powell has the school record with 132 games played (2001-05). Both Wallace and Kelley could top Powell’s record before the end of the year.

Plan your work, work your plan

Make your plan, work your plan. Brandon Wallace set out this year to break the career blocked shots record this season and he’s on track to do it. The record is 235 by Danny Traylor (1971-73). Wallace will need less than 1.3 bpg if you figure seven games at the minimum left on the schedule as he has tallied 227 career blocks prior to the Vandy game.

To get to Traylor at 235, Wallace will have to get past Alex English (No. 2, 230, 1973-76).

Wallace has 64 blocks this year – the seventh most in a season for a Carolina player. Wallace passed his 2005 total of 55, Wallace’s 73 blocks in 2006 were the fourth most in Carolina history.

With at least seven games remaining, if he could average two blocks a game he would have two of the top five spots in most blocked shots in a season.

The most blocked shots in a season are Danny Traylor with 122 in 1972 and his 1973 total of 113 is the second most. If Wallace does average two blocks a game over the next seven games Wallace and Traylor would hold four of the five top spots for most blocked shots in a season and it would also make Wallace the all-time career record holder in blocked shots with Traylor falling to second.

High Notes

• Tre’ Kelley has scored double digits in all but two games this season (4 vs. CofC and 9 at UGA). He leads the team with 17.8 ppg. Against Georgia Kelley scored in double figures for the 20th time this year and the 63rd time in his career. His 36 points at UK were the most for a Gamecock in SEC regular season play, only topped by BJ McKie’s 37 in the SEC Tournament semi-finals in 1998. He has 4+ AST in 16 games this year, including a season-high eight assists four times.

• Kelley has attempted 20 or more shots in six games this season. (Southern Cal, Baylor, Princeton, Florida, Kentucky, Georgia) Entering this season, Kelley took 20 or more shots in only one game. (March 21, 2006 NIT Game vs. Florida State).

• Kelley also leads the team with 113 assists on the season, averaging 5.1 apg. He is looking to become the fourth Gamecock to ever lead the team in assists in three consecutive seasons (Jack Gilloon, Michael Foster, Melvin Watson). He led the SEC in assists last season.

• Brandon Wallace is averaging 9.6 rebounds per game, snaring 8+ REB in 19 games this year, including 11+ in nine games. He pulled down a career-best 16 rebounds at Mississippi State and a career-high 10 offensive rebounds vs. Arkansas.

• Wallace is looking to lead the team in blocks for the third consecutive season. He would become the fifth Gamecock to accomplish that. (Alex English, Mike Brittain, Jeff Roulston, Tony Kitchings). He has blocked 64 shots, (2.8 bpg). On track to break the school record set by Danny Traylor (235, 1971-73), he would have to average less than 1.2 bpg in the next six SEC games + one SEC Tournament game.

• Bryce Sheldon has 2+ 3’s in nine games this year, including a career-high six 3’s in the Gamecocks win at Southern California on Nov. 16. He has scored 20+ points twice this season.

• Evka Baniulis. He has scored 3+ PT in 13 of the last 17 games, including a career-high 21 points in the game against Auburn where he went 5 of 8 from beyond the arc. He yanked down a career-high 6 REB vs. UK and in the Arkansas win.