Spurs & Feathers November 2019 by Spurs & Feathers

2019-20 BASKETBALL PREVIEW ISSUE NOVEMBER 2019 • VOLUME 41 • ISSUE 11

NEW LOOK AJ lawson, exciting team hopes to shock SEC freshman class has staley dreaming of another title

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November 2019

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Publishing SCHEDULE

purs & Feathers is the official publication of the University of South Carolina Gamecock Club. It is published monthly, 12 times per year and is available to Gamecock Club members as well as additional subscribers. To opt in or subscribe, email subscribe@spursandfeathers. com or call 843-853-7678. The Gamecock Club and Spurs & Feathers thank you for your support. Below is our publication schedule for 2019:

Jan. 23 Feb. 20 March 20 April 24 May 22 June 19

July 24 Aug. 28 Sept. 25 Oct. 23 Nov. 20 Dec. 18

Editor’s Note: The editorial deadline for this issue was Nov 8.

CONTENTS 30

SPOTLIGHT

GAMECOCK CLUB

BASKETBALL

5 Legendary fan:

Fun House: Martin’s fast team ready to run

Legendary fan: Mark Bradley

Point Man: AJ Lawson leading the way

Firehouse Athlete of the Month: Bryan Edwards

Marcus Lattimore: A Hall of Fame Person

Keyshawn Bryant: From high-flyer to all-around game

Talent Galore: Staley’s deep team ready to rise to the top

Welcome Back: Herbert Harrigan glad she chose to return

Dr. James Warren

Got a Gamecock Club event you’d like us to list? Email jowens@ spursandfeathers.com

Postal Information: SPURS & FEATHERS (USPS 12779) (ISSN7454368X) is published 12 times a year, monthly January-December. The annual subscription price is $50 for non Gamecock Club Members. Members of the Gamecock Club receive a discounted subscription as a member benefit. Spurs & Feathers is published by Evening Post Industries, 2101 Gervais St, Columbia, SC 29204. Periodicals postage paid at Columbia, SC. Postmaster: Send changes to SPURS & FEATHERS, 2101 Gervais St, Columbia, SC 29204

FOOTBALL

20 SKY'S

SC-Florida Recap: Foul officiating

SC-Tennessee Recap: Rocky trip

SC-Vanderbilt Recap: Freshmen Shine

THE LIMIT

BASEBALL

SOCCER

Jeresey Retired: Clint Mathis a fitting first

Fabulous Farewell: Women’s seniors finish storied careers

COLUMNS

Gunter: Everyone stoked for men’s hoops

Girardeau: Cherishing the memories of rivalry wins

On The Cover: AJ Lawson Photo by Allen Sharpe Cover Design by Caryn Scheving

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EDITORIAL Jeff Owens

Executive Editor jowens@spursandfeathers.com

Josh Hyber

Fast Fall: Mlodzinski’s velo, stock rises

Staff Writer jhyber@spursandfeathers.com

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4 TABLE OF CONTENTS

November 2019

Legendary Fan Dr. James Warren committed to helping student-athletes By Brian Hand | Contributing writer • Photo by Allen Sharpe

r. James Warren Jr. makes it a priority to help enhance the student-athlete experience any way that he can. In fact, that is why he is a member of the Gamecock Club. “I have always wanted Carolina to excel in academics and athletics, so I have tried to financially support the university

Charlie Guarino

in every way possible,” Warren told the Gamecock Club. That strong commitment to Gamecock athletics for more than 50 years was honored prior to the South CarolinaFlorida game Oct. 19 with Warren serving as the Legendary Fan of the Game. Warren has been attending South Carolina games since 1964 with his first Gamecock football game being the season opener that year that ended in a 9-9 tie with Duke. Since then there have been many great memories for Warren and his family with the first baseball national championship in 2010 standing out. He attended the national championship-clinching win for the Gamecocks with his son. Like many, Warren’s favorite Gamecock is former basketball

Frank Cannon

Jackee Moye

star and 1969 ACC Player of the year John Roche. “He was such a clutch and talented player,” Warren said. “Perhaps more importantly, he led us, along with Coach [Frank] McGuire, into an era of

Laurel Suggs

respectability in the ACC and nationally.”

Mark Ackerman

Perry Orth

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It all started with ‘Daddy Date Day’ for Legendary Fan Mark Bradley By Brian Hand | Contributing writer • Photo by Allen Sharpe

“D

addy Date Day” turned into Legendary Fan Day for Mark Bradley during South Carolina’s Nov. 2 win over Vanderbilt. In 1994, Bradley’s triplet daughters were born and once they were old enough to attend Gamecock football games they would head to Williams-Brice Stadium, with each taking turns attending the “Daddy Date Day” games with their father. It is something that Bradley, his daughters and his wife treasure to this day. It was Bradley’s daughter, Lindsay, who nominated him for Legendary Fan of the Game honors. “My daughter set all of this up,” Bradley said. “She is the one that nominated me. I don’t deserve anything, but it was nice that they picked me. It was very, very special because it was my

daughter Lindsay that nominated me. It was just surreal to be out there and just be that close to the players when they were warming up and to meet Ray Tanner. It really was just cool.” Bradley has been attending South Carolina games since he was a freshman at South Carolina. His first game was Sept. 3, 1977, a 32-17 victory over Appalachian State. Since that day he has been hooked. In fact, he has only missed one home game since. He even makes it a point to stay until the end of all games, using South Carolina’s come-from-behind 39-38 victory over Wake Forest in 1980 as a perfect example of why. Bradley is forever thankful for his Gamecock memories, which include highlights like the baseball national championships, the women’s basketball national title,

the three straight 11-win seasons in football and much more. “It’s always been about the game for me and the camaraderie among Gamecock fans and the

way we support each other,” Bradley says of a being a Gamecock. “It never ceases to amaze me that the stands are always filled.”

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November 2019

ATHLE TE OF THE MONTH

BRYAN EDWARDS I

f there is one player head coach Will Muschamp can count on every week, it’s Bryan Edwards. “He competes every down like it’s his last down,” Muschamp said. “He is going to go down as one of the greats of all-time.” Edwards is the Firehouse Subs Athlete of the Month for the second straight month after continuing his assualt on the school record book. Edwards continued to come up big for South Carolina. Against Florida, he led the Gamecocks with seven receptions for 78 yards, including a 41-yard catch to set up Carolina’s first touchdown. The following week against Tennessee, he had eight catches for 83 yards and broke the school record for career receptions, with 208. He also had perhaps the catch of the year (see page 28) to set up a touchdown to put South Carolina up 21-17 at halftime. Against Vanderbilt, he had another career day, catching a career-high 14 passes for 139 yards. His 14 catches tied the school record for catches in a game and his 139 yards gave him his eighth career 100-yard game, the fifth-most in school history. After nine games, Edwards led South Carolina with 62 catches for 726 yards and five touchdowns.

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November 2019

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November 2019

The Meaning of Life For Hall of Famer Marcus Lattimore, helping others deal with adversity is his calling By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Allen Sharpe

ctober 27, 2012 is a day Gamecock fans will never forget. How could they? It was one of the darkest days in South Carolina sports history. More than 80,000 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium and a national television audience watched in horror as Gamecock star Marcus Lattimore lay on the field, writhing in pain. They will never forget the look of terror on Lattimore’s face and replays of the gruesome injury, his right knee bent in ways a leg is not meant to bend. Then came the heart-rending emotion. The look of sadness and despair on the faces of Gamecock fans. The tears streaming down faces as players from both South Carolina and Tennessee knelt in prayer and surrounded one of the nation’s best players, offering 10 SOUTH CAROLINA ATHLETICS • MARCUS LATTIMORE

condolences and encouragement for what everyone knew was likely a season-ending injury. The outpouring of love and support as the home crowd rose as one for a standing ovation for a player who would go down as one of the all-time greats at the University of South Carolina. Though he tries to forget, Lattimore is reminded of those moments every day. But he does not look back on that day with sadness and regret. He looks back on it as the day his life began. He views the injury as a life-altering event that made him the man he is today. The moment when he began to realize his purpose and God’s calling for his life. “For the longest time, I blamed, I asked why?” said Lattimore, who was inducted into the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame Oct. 17. “It should have been

a different way, it could have been a different way. I don’t ask why anymore. “It didn’t happen to me, it happened for me. Because of that I have been able to impact so many people. I don’t regret anything. This university and what I have been through here made me the man I am today.” Lattimore, now South Carolina’s Director of Player Development, was one of the greatest players in Gamecock history. As a Freshman All-American, he rushed for 1,197 yards to lead head coach Steve Spurrier’s 2010 team to South Carolina’s first SEC East championship. Over the next two seasons, he helped lead the Gamecocks to consecutive 11-2 seasons. Though his career was cut short by two devastating knee injuries, he racked up 2,677 yards in just 29 games and set the school record

for rushing touchdowns (38) and total touchdowns (41). A fourthround pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2013, he had to retire in 2014 having never played a game in the NFL. But there is far more to Marcus Lattimore than the incredible numbers he compiled during his injury-shortened career. It was the way he handled the adversity that made him one of South Carolina’s most beloved athletes. “When you dislocate your right knee on national television for everybody to see, you gotta find some type of meaning if you want to continue to move forward with your life,” Lattimore said before his hall of fame induction. “It was painful and I was suffering, but I say this everywhere I go, suffering is no longer suffering the moment you give it meaning, and the meaning for what I went through was to share it with others, because we are all dealing with something we can’t see, whether it be an invisible element or something physical. “Adversity is the universal constant. Pain is inevitable, so being able to share advice on how to deal with it, that’s what I love to do.” After his NFL career ended Lattimore started the Marcus Lattimore Foundation, which supports youth initiatives that emphasize Christian values, character and life-skills development. After a brief stint as head coach at Heathwood Hall prep school in Columbia, he joined Will Muschamp’s staff at South Carolina and began his Beyond Football program, which helps studentathletes deal with adversity and challenges on and off the field. There is no bigger fan of Lattimore than Muschamp, who sees daily the impact he has on his players. “Every time I walk by his office, there’s a player or two or three or four sitting in his office talking to him, whether it’s about adversity, something going on at home, or just talking,” he said. “So many of the things that he has done in our state, in our community, for the University of South Carolina, and promoting the University of South Carolina and the Gamecock brand, and how he represents us in a first-class manner … he’s made a difference in this program as a player [and] as a mentor to a lot of people in this building.” Senior linebacker T.J. Brunson says Lattimore has had a positive

November 2019

influence on nearly every player in the Gamecock locker room. “The biggest thing I have gotten from his is resiliency,” he said. “Life isn’t fair, it’s just all about how you react and how you respond to things. Adversity reveals a man to himself, and I think he’s one of those guys that you can see and really understand what that means. He always comes here with a positive attitude and tries to help guys further themselves as people. He’s been a big help to me and to the program in everything.” Though Lattimore was one of the nation’s most decorated players in high school and a collegiate star at South Carolina, it is his personal strength and remarkable resiliency that have drawn so many people to him. He says that resiliency comes from his mother, Yolanda Smith, who raised nine children despite growing up in an Atlanta housing project and going through two divorces. “I have a mother who has experienced so much adversity and I saw her experience all this adversity, so genetically it is already in me to be resilient,” he said.

Lattimore now uses that experience to help members of the South Carolina football team. “Every week there is a new set of challenges for these guys, not only off the field but on the field,” he said. “They are dealing with so much stress and pressure from all of these different people in their lives. Having someone that they can come to and completely disconnect from the game, I think it is critical and it’s been eye opening for me because you forget how demanding the job is.

“Being that voice they can lean on is special for me.” Lattimore meets with players every day, helping them with issues on the field, in the classroom and in life. If he can help just one of them, it is worth all the trials and setbacks he endured to get to this point. “It gives me life, it is my purpose to be able to share with them and to listen,” he said. “If I can be that person for the rest of my life and continue to do that in some form or fashion, I think I will be OK.”

As he prepared to take his place in the USC Hall of Fame, Lattimore, 27, reflected not only on his accomplishments on the gridiron but on his experience as a college student, an experience he says changed his life. “This university has changed my life,” he said. “I learned so much about myself. And not because of the injuries, obviously that was part of it, but I learned sacrifice and I learned what hard work really means. My love for the game was reignited with Coach Spurrier and I feel like a completely different person now. Looking back on that time, it’s an out-of-body experience, but I’m so glad I went through it because I have developed into a person I kinda like.” Looking back, Lattimore tries not to dwell on that fateful day in October 2012, but he doesn’t shy away from it either. He welcomes the opportunity to talk about it — if it can help him help someone else. “It used to sting, it used to sting just thinking about it,” he said. “But now, I can look at it and say it happened for a reason.”

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BASKETBALL

Fun and Games Martin’s athletic, high-energy team could be poised to shock SEC By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Allen Sharpe

rank Martin is pretty blunt when it comes to his disdain for preseason basketball polls and all-conference teams, especially media polls that tend to slight his program. He’d rather not even talk about it, he says. But South Carolina’s head coach bristles when asked about his Gamecocks being ranked 10th out of 14 SEC teams. “All that’s irrelevant, but I am a little disappointed our program isn’t getting a little bit more respect,” Martin said at SEC Media Day. He has a right to be. South Carolina, 16-16 overall last season, returns three starters from a team that finished 11-7 in the conference last year plus forward Justin Minaya, who started as a freshman before missing most of last season with a knee injury. Despite losing All-SEC forward Chris Silva, Martin has his deepest and most talented team at South Carolina. With the return of four key players, the addition of two that were ineligible last season and the arrival of several talented freshmen and an experienced grad transfer, Martin could play 10-12 players a game this year. Martin has so much talent he was still tinkering with his starting lineup entering his eighth season. “This is a fun team,” he said. “They’re fun to be around. It’s not a knock on the previous teams, it’s just we’ve all worked hard to create the atmosphere we have right now.” “This team has a lot of energy,” said Minaya, who started 30 games as a freshman. “They play with a lot of energy and a lot of competiveness. It’s probably one of the most competitive teams I’ve ever played on, but competitive in a good way. We’re all trying to make each other better.” 12

BASKETBALL • SEASON PREVIEW

AJ Lawson is the leading returning scorer, averaging 13.4 points and posting 18 double-figure games in making the SEC All-Freshman team last season. After he flirted with the NBA Draft, Lawson was a surprising ommission from the media preseason All-SEC team. He was named to the SEC coaches first-team All-Conference. “AJ was one of the better players in the conference,” Martin said. “I would have wished he got a little more publicity and a little more respect.” Also returning is the electric Keyshawn Bryant, who averaged nine points and was a human highlight reel as a freshman. He missed the first few weeks of the season after knee surgery but is expected back by January. He will be joined in the frontcourt by Minaya, a tough, hard-nosed player who averaged 7.9 points and 4.2 rebounds two years ago, and 6-11 senior Maik Kotsar, a two-year starter and key player on the 2017 Final Four team. They will be joined by three guards expected to see significant playing time: TJ Moss, who played in seven games before missing the rest of the season with foot and ankle injuries; Jermaine Couisnard, a skilled offensive player who was academically ineligble last season; and point guard Jair Bolden, who sat out last year after transferring from George Washington. Among the newcomers are Micaiah Henry, a 6-9 grad transfer who averaged 9.7 points and 4.7 rebounds last year at Tennessee Tech, and talented freshmen Jalyn McCreary, Wildens Leveque and Trae Hannibal.

November 2019

Though Martin is excited about the potential of his freshmen, it’s the returning players who have him optimistic. Though he has just one senior and a grad transfer, his key players are experienced. Lawson and Bryant both started last season, while Minaya was a starter as a freshman. Bolden and Couisnard, who were heavily involved in practice last year, know the system and should be able to contribute right away. “The returning players are all better basketball players. That’s the part that gets me excited,” he said. “All those returning guys are in a much better place than they were a year ago.” With more depth, Martin will also play a different style. He likes his teams to play fast and with a quicker, more athletic team, South Carolina is expected to push the pace even more. And like the Final Four team, he now has big guards who can play the type of aggressive defense he likes. Lawson, who skipped his senior year of high school to play at South Carolina last year, is one of the most versatile players in the league. At 6-6, he can play both guard spots or small forward. He has improved his 3-point shooting and decision-making and is expected to take his game to another level this season. More importantly, he’s not allowing his early success or lack of respect bother him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a young guy handle the type of pressure he’s going through as a young guy [the way he has],” Bryant said. “He stays composed. He knows how to handle things. He just keeps his mind right." Lawson will lead a deep backcourt. Bolden, Moss and Hannibal, the South Carolina high school player of the year, can all play point guard, while Couisnard is a sharp-shooting off guard who scored more than 40 points twice in a local pro-am tournament last summer. Bolden, who played in 35 games at George Washington, says the backcourt depth will be the team’s strength. “We have a lot of talent at the point guard position and all the guys who play point can play the 2 and play combo so we can play together, which is something you don’t see in a lot of point guards,” he said. “I’m real confident. We all know how to play well together.” The Gamecocks also have two versatile forwards in Bryant and Minaya who can play together and complement each other with varying skills. Bryant, a slashing player who can bring down the house with his thunderous dunks, worked during the offeason to get stronger and improve his permiter shot. He should give South Carolina more athleticism and scoring when he returns. Minaya, who played in only five games last year, is a strong defender and the team’s best offensive rebounder. He is also hungry after missing most of last season. “It was definitely a long year for me, but I think it made me better, made me mentally stronger,” he said. “And I’m physically stronger, so I’m doing good. It made me a lot better.” “He’s a more confident and more aggressive basketball player,” Martin said of Minaya. “He’s a better defender. He’s doing an unbelieavle job on the glass, especially offensive rebounding. And he brings a dyanmic from the peremiter when he’s not in there on the offensive glass.” With a deep backcourt and strong perimeter game, the key for the Gamecocks will be replacing Silva, a three-year starter and two-time All-SEC player. His rebounding, defense and low-post scoring will be difficult to replace and Martin will lean on a host of players. He says Kotsar, a three-year starter, had his best preseason and is playing with more confidence than last season. He’s even developed a 15-foot jump shot that Martin hopes to take advantage of. “He’s in great spirits and he’s aggressive. Maik’s in a good place,” he said. Henry, a strong 6-9, 235-pound forward/center, hopes to bring toughness to the frontcourt. Martin is also hoping that Leveque, a 6-11 shot-blocker, McCreary and sophomore Alanzo Frink can help in the frontcourt. With size, depth, versatility and what could be a dynamic backcourt, it’s no wonder Martin is optimistic. His team believes it can take the SEC by surprise again. “I feel like we’re going to have a big year,” Bryant said. “We’re going to shock a lot of people this season.” “It’s going to be an exciting team to watch,” Minaya said. “It’s going to be a real fast team, really energetic team, and it’s going to be a really fun year, so you don’t want to miss it.”

November 2019

2019-20 ROSTER NO. NAME

POS HT/WT

CLASS HOMETOWN

00 AJ Lawson

6-6, 178

1 TJ Moss

6-4, 195 RS/FR Memphis

2 Trey Anderson

6-6, 203

San Diego

4 Jalyn McCreary

6-7, 225

Marietta, GA

Toronto

5 Jermaine Couisnard G

6-4, 211 RS/FR East Chicago, IN

10 Justin Minaya

6-6, 215 RS/SO Harrington Park, NJ

12 Trae Hannibal

6-2, 217

Hartsville, SC

13 Micaiah Henry

F/C 6-9, 235

Decatur, GA

14 Nathan Nelson

6-6, 189

Murfreesboro, TN

15 Wildens Leveque

F/C 6-11, 230

Brockton, MA

20 Alanzo Frink

6-7, 260

Jersey City, NJ

21 Maik Kotsar

6-11, 270

Tallinn, Estonia

23 Mike Green

6-1, 188

Myrtle Beach, SC

24 Keyshawn Bryant

6-5, 197

Winter Haven, Fla.

25 Seventh Woods

6-2, 189

Columbia, SC

52 Jair Bolden

6-3, 215 RS/JR Brooklyn, NY

Frank Martin — Head Coach Perry Clark — Assistant Coach

Chuck Martin — Assistant Coach Bruce Shingler — Assistant Coach Maik Kotsar

SEASON PREVIEW • BASKETBALL 13

Lawson loves to point. He’ll flash a peace sign, dribble a basketball on an index finger or flex his muscles during photo shoots. But there’s no question about his signature pose: pointing at the camera and flashing a wide smile. It makes sense. He’s South Carolina’s point guard after all. “I’m pointing at the fans, showing my love for the fans,” Lawson told Spurs & Feathers. “And that’s what point guards do, they lead. Pointing can be an example of you leading.” Make no mistake about it, Lawson will be the focal point of the 2019-20 Gamecocks. He will be the player fans point to as the team’s catalyst, win or lose. South Carolina’s top returning scorer and an SEC All-Freshman team honoree last year, Lawson averaged 13.4 points and 2.9 assists per game last season. The Toronto native posted 18 double-figure scoring games and had eight games with five or more assists. “He’s your prototypical … NBA guard. He’s 6-6, 6-7, really shoots it long. Athletic. He’s a special player,” Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland said at SEC Media Day. “I think he’s really talented. He’ll make a lot of money playing basketball someday.” But the 6-6, 178-pound Lawson was not named to the media’s preseason All-SEC team despite ranking 21st in the conference in points per game and 18th in assists last season, numbers that have generated buzz around his NBA potential. He was named to the coach’s All-SEC team, but the initial slight rankled him. “It just made me more motivated. I’ve got a chip on my shoulder,” Lawson said. “… It motivates me to be the best.” Lawson went through the NBA Draft evaluation process this offseason and had front-office executives and coaches tell him to get stronger, work on his ball handling, establish a consistent jump shot and make better reads. Lawson admits he knew all long he was going to return to South Carolina, though he never said it until this winter. “Feedback is always great, because you always want to learn as a basketball player and try to get better,” he said. “That’s what I’m doing is being a student of the game.” Defense was one area Lawson specifically honed in on. Frank Martin watched Lawson play this summer for Canada in an international game against Australia. He liked what he saw defensively. “He was guarding their best player,” the South Carolina head coach recalled. “I’m sitting there saying, ‘AJ’s guarding the best player on the other team. Hmm, this is interesting.’ And then they went at him and tried to screen him on two different occasions. And he refused to get screened. “I said, ‘That’s a young man that has gotten better.’” Martin saw his best player playing the type of defense he likes to play, and now has the personnel to execute with big guards like Lawson. “He bought in to one of the things we try to sell, which is our defensive mindset,” Martin said. “They won the game because a secondary player ended up taking a bad shot and the guy they

Taking The Lead AJ Lawson now the focal point of Martin’s talented team By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Allen Sharpe & Travis Bell

14 BASKETBALL • AJ LAWSON

November 2019

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“He can do a little bit of everything,” Minaya said. “He can shoot the ball. His shot has improved so much. He can pass the ball. He can dribble. He has everything.” “His 3 ball is definitely a whole lot better and I’ve been seeing him making better decisions on his passes,” sophomore Keyshawn Bryant said. “We’ve been having him control the ball a little bit more so he can make the best decisions.” Lawson has become a leader for the Gamecocks off the court as well. He represented the team, with Martin and senior forward Maik Kotsar, at SEC Media Day in Birmingham, Ala. At the team’s local Media Day he was the Gamecock player most reporters went to first. And he didn’t shy away. He admitted that preseason predictions for the Gamecocks — the media picked the team to finish 10th in the SEC — bothers him. “Because I know we have a great team, a great coaching staff,” he said. “I know we can do a lot. So we’ve just got to show them.” “… We have a lot of pieces and we’re a great team. We have no egos. We’re all playing together. I think we have good chemistry right now during practices. I think we can do a lot and surprise some people.” If the team does, odds are people can point to Lawson as a major reason why.

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wanted to make a play couldn’t get the ball. That showed me a lot about AJ.” Lawson led Canada at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece with 16.7 points per game, including an event-high 31 points against Senegal. Lawson also has become more vocal. “He’s really stepped up as a leader on this team. He’s a guy that a lot of the younger guys look to to set the tone at practice,” redshirt junior guard Jair Bolden said. “… AJ has the confidence now to pull [someone] aside and tell them what they’re doing wrong. And then he’ll give them a little bit of encouragement. “To hear that from a guy like AJ, a guy who had a great year last year and is projected to go first round and be drafted, but also a guy who had his struggles and found a way, it’s kind of inspiring for everybody.” “As a leader, he’s way more vocal,” redshirt sophomore Justin Minaya said. “He’s way more comfortable out there on the f loor. He knows where he has to be. He’s been through this before. He’s going to have a really good year.” Though being South Carolina’s primary ballhandler will be one of Lawson’s responsibilities — especially in tight games and crucial moments — he also will see time on the wing while Bolden or TJ Moss play the point. He led the Gamecocks in scoring 12 times as a freshman, including six 20-point games. In mid-October, he was one of 20 players named to the 2020 Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award watch list.

AJ LAWSON • BASKETBALL 15

fter every South Carolina Summer basketball workout, Keyshawn Bryant went through the same shooting routine. He had to make five shots in seven different spots around the 3-point line and then five from seven different mid-range spots. He then repeated each shot before shooting free throws. Sometimes he went back later in the day and repeated the entire process again. This summer, Bryant noticed the shooting sessions became shorter and shorter. “I would check the time and be like, ‘I wasn’t in here too long,’” Bryant said. “That’s when I was like, ‘My jump shot is definitely improving.’” Bryant’s goal was diversifying his skillset so he’s not billed as an athlete who happens to play basketball. South Carolina head coach Frank Martin pushed that transition, and it’s something that could factor into how the Gamecocks do this season. “That’s just something I had to do. Watching last season, watching film, I know there were a lot of people that doubted my shot and played off me,” Bryant told Spurs & Feathers. “I didn’t get to be in certain plays because I couldn’t really shoot the 3 that much. “That was one of my top priorities this offseason, to work on my 3-point ball and mid-range.” Last season Bryant made 45.5 percent of his two-point shots and just 20.7 percent from 3. He never made more than one 3 in a game and only made a 3 in back-to-back games once. “You do someone a disservice when you just accept them for who they are and not force them to grow,” Martin said. “His athleticism is his Godgiven gift he needs to maximize every day. But he’s got to grow as a basketball player. He’s got to understand how to play so he can take full advantage of that unbelievable athleticism. “… [Now] he’s a better basketball player. Last year he was just an athlete, where it was like, if he could see the rim, he was going to go dunk it. And if you didn’t see him coming, he was going to block a shot. But he didn’t know how to play basketball. “[But] he has taken a step forward. You can put him in screens now. He’s got a better understanding on how to play when the game is slower. You hear about people being better basketball players — it means they understand how to play in that structure. Keyshawn has taken a step forward there. He has grown.” Bryant, who averaged nine points and 3.8 rebounds last season, entered the season as one of four returning starters expected to lead Martin’s deep and athletic team. But just before the team’s season opener, he had knee surgery that is expected to sideline him from four to six weeks. When he returns in December or January, the 6-5, 197-pound forward wants to show he can do more than just dunk. “Over the summer that’s all I really worked on. I kind of forgot I can dunk,” he said. “Sometimes I didn’t even dunk in practice and Frank was like, ‘Yo, you jump the highest on the team. Go grab some rebounds.’ “I just focused on getting my shots up.” “They’re dropping a lot more often,” South Carolina forward Maik Kotsar said. “I feel like he’s a lot more confident taking those shots. He pulls up with confidence from pretty much anywhere.” Said guard AJ Lawson, “It’s a noticeable difference. He’s definitely worked on it. I can tell. In practice he’s been shooting a lot of mid-range and 3s, and he’s confident with it, knocking down some.”

Growing Up Athletic Bryant transforms himself into all-around basketball player By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Allen Sharpe & Jenny Dilworth

16 BASKETBALL • KEYSHAWN BRYANT

November 2019

So South Carolina assistant Bruce Shingler kept an eye on the talented prospect, who eventually returned home to play for Winter Haven (Fla.) High School. At Winter Haven, Bryant was coached by Tyrone Woodside, whose cousin, Anthony Grant, is a former teammate of Martin’s at Miami Senior High School. “He needs to be with you,” Woodside told Martin. But South Carolina at the time wasn’t sure it had room for Bryant because it didn’t know whether or not Louisville transfer Brian Bowen would be ruled eligible to play. On May 30, 2018, the ruling came. Bowen was ineligible, and it created an open spot on the Gamecock roster. Bryant committed three days later. Bryant scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in his Gamecock debut — a performance highlighted by an otherworldly dunk just five minutes into regulation. But it was an up-and-down season, and not just in regard to the flight pattern of his dunks. At Florida, in front of 40 or so family members who made the 130-mile trek from his hometown, he scored two points and turned the ball over seven times in the first half. He scored six points in the second half, though, as part of a game-tying run. Said Martin, “His uncle, who I had never met before, grabbed me [after the game] and pulled me aside and said, ‘Don’t stop doing what you’re doing with him. If anybody tells you to stop, you call me. I’ll make sure you can do whatever you need to do. Keep challenging that young buck.’” He has. “Seeing him develop, working on his shot, getting more confidence on the court and doing more things, it’s just great,” Lawson said. “I can’t wait for him to show what he’s got.”

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Bryant also added about 10 pounds of muscle, which will help him create space coming off screens. “I feel like freshmen year a lot of times he tried to force it one way and go in and dunk the ball, which wasn’t a bad thing, of course, but now he’s more crafty,” Kotsar said. “Whenever someone’s in the way he can easily get around it as opposed to him getting a charge.” “Those are things that he’s still growing on,” Martin said. “But as he learns that, the sky’s the limit for him.” Bryant has also become a better defender. “He had no idea how to guard last year. He would just kind of run around and go make a play,” Martin said. “He’s starting to understand how to use that athleticism to be a real good defender. I keep telling him, ‘If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’re going to be a big-time defensive player.’” Rival coaches noticed Bryant’s progress last year. “Frank seems to pick a guy who truly seems to buy in, and that person kind of takes on his personality,” Tennessee head coach Rick Barnes said at SEC Media Day. “And that’s what I saw from [Bryant].” Bryant first appeared on South Carolina’s radar as a junior at Huntington Prep (W.Va.) — the school that produced first-round picks Andrew Wiggins, Miles Bridges and Gorgui Dieng — at the 2016 Bojangles’ Bash prep tournament in Columbia. Though Bryant scored 26 points in a game, Martin didn’t pay too much attention. “I think the most overrated thing in recruiting is athleticism,” the coach said. “You know, you’re either a good enough athlete to play in the SEC or you’re not. Who you want to be and if you want to grow and get better, those are the things that matter to me. “When you have somebody who has natural athletic ability like Keyshawn, and he wants to grow and he wants you to coach him, he doesn’t run away from you, then his room for growth is exponential.”

KEYSHAWN BRYANT • BASKETBALL 17

2019-20 MEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE DATE OPP

TIME TV

Nov. 6

North Alabama

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 10

Wyoming

12 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 15

Cleveland State

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 19

Boston U. (Cancun Challenge)

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 22

Gardner-Webb (Cancun Challenge)

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 26

Wichita State (Cancun, Mexico)

6 p.m.

CBS Sports Network

Nov. 27

West Va./UNI (Cancun, Mexico)

6/8:30 p.m.

CBS Sports Network

Dec. 1

George Washington

2 p.m.

SEC Network+

Dec. 4

at UMass

7 p.m.

CBS Sports Network

Dec. 8

Houston

12 p.m.

ESPNU

Dec. 15

at Clemson

5 p.m.

ESPN2

Dec. 22

at Virginia

3 p.m.

ABC

Dec. 30

Stetson

3 p.m.

SEC Network+

Jan. 7

Florida

7 p.m.

ESPN/2/U

Jan. 11

at Tennessee

1 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 15

Kentucky

6:30 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 18

at Texas A&M

1 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 22

at Auburn

7 p.m.

ESPN2/U

Jan. 25

Vanderbilt

8 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 29

at Arkansas

8:30 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 1

Missouri

3:30 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 5

at Ole Miss

7 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 8

Texas A&M

1 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 12

at Georgia

6:30 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 15

Tennessee

6 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 19

at Miss State

9 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 22

LSU

8 p.m.

ESPN/2/U

Feb. 26

Georgia

6:30 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 29

at Alabama

8:30 p.m.

SEC Network

March 3

Miss State

6:30 p.m.

SEC Network

March 7

at Vanderbilt

12:30 p.m.

SEC Network

TBA

March 11-15 SEC Tournament, Nashville

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Show Time Boosted by nation’s top recruiting class, Staley’s Gamecocks have lofty goals By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Jenny Dilworth

t’s almost impossible to decipher what South Carolina’s 2019-20 season hinges on. It could be seniors Ty Harris and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan becoming one of the best one-two punches in the SEC. It could be the improvement of returners LeLe Grissett, Destanni Henderson and Victaria Saxton. It could be how quickly the team’s star-studded freshmen adapt to college basketball. It could be scheduling or potential injuries or even something that happens at another school. Most likely it will be all the above. South Carolina enters this season without three of the top five scorers from last year’s Sweet 16 squad. It returns just one player who averaged more than 23 minutes per game (Harris, 31.5), and only two players (Harris and Herbert Harrigan) who started more than nine games. Outside the two 20 BASKETBALL • SEASON PREVIEW

seniors, other Gamecocks have combined for just 12 career starts. On Halloween Dawn Staley wore a Mardi Gras themed outfit, a nod to New Orleans, the host city for this season’s Final Four. “What I’ve liked is that they come to work every day,” the head coach said about her team that day. “Every single day we get better. We don’t take a step back, and that’s real encouraging. They are extremely competitive. They work well together. That doesn’t mean it’s perfect basketball, but it’s an attempt to play perfect basketball, to find the right shots, to stay connected defensively.” A couple of weeks earlier, at SEC Media Day in Alabama, Staley noted the Gamecocks have “10 legitimate starters” on its 12-player roster. “Depth is an incredible thing. Our bench is going to be incredible,” she said. “And

they may be even more productive than our starters, depending on how we strategize on who starts and who comes off the bench. … Ten people could start for our team at this point.” In the team’s exhibition game win over North Georgia, Harris and Herbert HarriZia Cooke

November 2019

gan were joined in the starting lineup by Henderson, a sophomore, and freshmen Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke. The starting unit combined for 56 points. So did the bench. But the Gamecocks, albeit talented, are young. The team welcomes the nation’s top recruiting class, which includes four of the top 11 freshmen (Laeticia Amihere, Brea Beal, Boston and Cooke), according to ESPN, and the South Carolina Player of the Year (Olivia Thompson). It also includes highly-touted transfer Destiny Littleton, who will sit out the season after her NCAA waiver was not approved. In mid-October Boston was named one of 20 nominees for the Lisa Leslie Award, an award given to the nation’s top center. In the team’s season opener she had 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks, just the seventh triple-double in program history and the first ever by a freshman. “Every year we want to go to the Final Four,” Cooke, who led the Gamecocks with 18 points in its exhibition game, said when the class was introduced. “This year and every year that I’m here, that’s my goal. … I just want to keep repeating and getting rings on my fingers. “… And winning a national championship. That’s what you come to college for.” When asked what she wants to accomplish in her four years, Amihere listed several goals. “I’m setting goals really high,” she said. “Championships. I want to go to the Final Four every year. Getting better with my team and proving we really are the number one recruiting class.” “The young ones are very eager to learn, and they listen,” Herbert Harrigan said. It will be Harris and Herbert Harrigan, the final two holdovers from the program’s 2016-17 national championship team, who lead the young group. Harris, a nominee for the Nancy Lieberman Award for the country’s best point guard, was named preseason first-team AllSEC. A two-time All-SEC and honorable mention All-American, she’s the team’s top returning performer in points (10.9 per game) and assists (5.3 per game) and ranks fourth in program history in career assists, just 102 away from the record. She’s on track to hit the 1,000-point threshold and become just the fourth Gamecock to hit that mark while also handing out at least 500 assists. Herbert Harrigan (see page 22), who averaged 10.4 points and a team-high 5.1 rebounds last season, was named to the preseason All-SEC second team. “They have been incredible leaders,” Staley said. “They have been the ones that have had the biggest voice in the locker room, the biggest voice on the floor. And they’re the chiefs, so we’re going to follow as they lead us. I’m proud of where they are as well. They’ve held our young team to a high standard.” Grissett is the team’s third-most experienced player, at least in terms of class. The team’s only junior, she averaged 3.4 points in 11.9 minutes per game last season. “LeLe is doing a great job just leading by example,” Staley said. “… LeLe, by far, works harder than anyone in our practices.” Sophomores Henderson and Saxton are the only two other players on the roster who have gotten considerable playing time. “We have incredible balance and we have incredible unselfishness, which is something that we talked about very early on,” Staley said at SEC Media Day. “… I like what we’re bringing to the table. I like the fact that we are open to pretty much anything the coaches are asking our players. “We’ve got great leadership.” Said Herbert Harrigan, “We’re going to put on a show, so come see what we have in store.”

November 2019

2019-20 ROSTER NO. NAME

POS HT/WT CLASS HOMETOWN

0 Olivia Thompson

5-8

Lexington, SC

1 Zia Cooke

5-9

Toledo, OH

3 Destanni Henderson

5-7

Fort Myers, FL

4 Aliyah Boston

6-5

St. Thomas, VI

5 Victaria Saxton

6-2

Rome, GA

11 Destiny Littleton

5-9

12 Brea Beal

6-1

15 Laeticia Amihere

6-4

21 Mikiah Herbert Harrigan F

6-2

Pembroke Pines, FL

24 LeLe Grissett

G/F 6-2

Durham, NC

32 Elysa Wesolek

6-1

Charleston, SC

52 Ty Harris

5-10

Noblesville, IN

Dawn Staley — Head Coach Lisa Boyer — Associate Head Coach

RS/SO La Jolla, CA FR

Rock Island, IL

RS/FR Ontario, Canada

Fred Chmiel — Assistant Coach Jolette Law — Assistant Coach

SEASON PREVIEW • BASKETBALL 21

Questions Answered Herbert Harrigan is back, determined to finish strong for Staley’s Gamecocks By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Jenny Dilworth

ikiah Herbert Harrigan knew the questions were about to come and did not hesitate when they did. The normally-reserved South Carolina senior even broached the topic herself. “I know questions about transferring are coming up,” she said midway through an interview at SEC Media Day in Birmingham, Ala. in early October. So for the next five minutes Herbert Harrigan sat there and answered them all. Yes, the talented forward entered her name into the NCAA transfer portal after South Carolina ended its 2018-19 season on March 30. Yes, she was frustrated. Yes, she contemplated her future and yes there was miscommunication — or lack thereof — between her and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley. “I was talking with my family, people that are close to me in the basketball world, just trying to figure out what was best for my future,” Herbert Harrigan said. “I put myself in the portal. But me and coach Staley had a conversation about it and cleared up some stuff. “And I decided to come back.” It was an emotional time for Herbert Harrigan, who has been a key player for Staley the past three years, including playing in every game on the 2016-17 national championship team as a freshman. “I knew in the back of my mind I didn’t really want to leave,” she told Spurs & Feathers. “But there were certain things in the back of my mind I needed to be clarified. “When I told [Dawn] I broke down crying. When I was in the office with the coaches and I told them, I broke down, just knowing in the back of my mind that this is really where I want to be.” Because of it, South Carolina will feature one of the SEC’s premier all-around talents and a player with WNBA aspirations. The versatile forward averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 33 appearances (21 starts) last season. She also had 72 blocks, which moved her into fifth on the school’s all-time blocks list. If she swats at least 59 this season, she will move into second behind A’ja Wilson, who had 363. “I anticipate Kiki having an incredible season. I think she’s one of the best players in our conference on both sides of the ball,” Staley said in April. 22 BASKETBALL • MIKIAH HERBERT HARRIGAN

In mid-October Herbert Harrigan was named preseason second-team All-SEC. “But it’s preseason. You’ve still got to go out there and prove yourself,” she said. “I’m looking forward to going into the season and showing what I have.” Her skillset includes one of the best mid-range jump shots in the conference and an ability to be an elite defender and shot blocker. “There’s room for her to grow. Obviously, her handle has to get better going both ways,” Staley said. “She’s very strong going right. We’ve got to work that left hand in order for her to balance out what she’s doing.”

“I put pressure on myself just knowing I have to get better,” Herbert Harrigan said. “I’ve been working on my ballhandling. I’ve just been working on my game and trying to make it so I can go to the next level.” She has also worked on staying consistent. Last season Herbert Harrigan posted higher scoring (11.1) and rebounding (5.3) averages in 12 games against ranked opponents than in 21 games against non-ranked opponents (10 and 5). “I think Kiki wants to complete the task of putting an entire season together,” Staley said. “It’s good to see players rise up to the

November 2019

challenge of playing ranked teams, but really good players play that way their entire seasons, and not just take it up another notch. “You’ll see Kiki play with a lot more consistency this year.” For Herbert Harrigan, improved consistency will be the result of better mental preparedness. “I’ve been working at keeping my emotions under control,” she said. “Just going out there every night and performing.” On that front, Staley has seen improvement as well. “She’s breaking a record as far as not having any issues,” Staley said at SEC Media Day. “She’s communicating a lot more. I think Kiki’s just maturing at the right time for her, where it’s not too late. She’s not going to look back at her South Carolina career and think ‘I should have done this’ or that. “She’s actually acting on the things she needs to get better at.” That began once last season ended. “Our season obviously didn’t end the way we wanted it to finish,” she said. “So there was a lot going through my mind at the time. “… There just wasn’t enough communication as I would have liked toward the end of the season, and that was on my part too. After me and coach Staley sat down and talked about it, we were both in a much better place. And we are right now.”

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It took a teleconference with Herbert Harrigan, her mom, her travel ball coach and Staley to smooth the rough patches and get back on the same page. “It was nothing major,” Herbert Harrigan reassured. “It was about me personally trying to accomplish my goals and go forward. “We got to talking and we decided that this is the best place for me to finish out my career.” Herbert Harrigan called her offseason “great.” She’s ready to be a focal point of the team and be a leader for the team’s uber talented freshmen class. “You know, it’s my final season. I have a lot of goals set for myself,” she said. “Just staying focused. I’m in a lot better place than I was previous years.” Herbert Harrigan also used the word great when describing this season’s team. “Once we all fit into our roles and we all come together, I think we’ll be pretty good,” she said. The 6-2 forward will be at the center of it all. Said South Carolina senior point guard Ty Harris, “It’s great to have her back. I love my sister and I was going to hate to see her leave. She stayed and we’re looking to have a great year.”

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MIKIAH HERBERT HARRIGAN • BASKETBALL 23

2019-20 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE DATE OPP

TIME TV

Nov. 5

Alabama State

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 10

at Maryland

3 p.m.

ESPN

Nov. 13

at Dayton

7 p.m.

Nov. 17

App State

2 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 21

USC Upstate

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Nov. 24

at Clemson

2 p.m.

ACC Network

Nov. 28

Indiana (Paradise Jam, St. Thomas)

8 p.m.

Nov. 29

Wash State (Paradise Jam, St. Thomas)

8 p.m.

Nov. 30

Baylor (Paradise Jam, St. Thomas)

8 p.m.

Dec. 7

at Temple

3 p.m.

Dec. 15

Purdue

2 p.m.

SEC Network+

Dec. 19

Duke

7 p.m.

SEC Network

Dec. 22

South Dakota

12 p.m.

SEC Network+

Jan. 2

Kentucky

7:40 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 5

at Alabama

6 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 9

Arkansas

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Jan. 12

at Vanderbilt

5 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 16

at Missouri

8:30 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 20

Miss State

7 p.m.

ESPN2

Jan. 26

at Georgia

3 p.m.

SEC Network

Jan. 30

at Ole Miss

8 p.m.

SEC Network+

Feb. 2

Tennessee

1 p.m.

ESPN2

Feb. 6

at Arkansas

8:30 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 10

UConn

7 p.m.

ESPN2

Feb. 13

Auburn

7 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 17

Vanderbilt

7 p.m.

SEC Network

Feb. 20

LSU

7 p.m.

SEC Network+

Feb. 23

at Kentucky

2 p.m.

ESPN2/SEC Network

Feb. 27

at Florida

6 p.m.

SEC Network+

March 1

Texas A&M

12 p.m.

ESPN2

March 4-8

SEC Tournament, Greenville, S.C.

TBA

FOR TICKETS, GO TO gamecocksonline.com/sports/2019/1/9/mbbtix OR call 1-800-472-3267

24 BASKETBALL • WOMEN'S SCHEDULE

November 2019

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FLORIDA 38, SOUTH CAROLINA 27

(No) Flag Football Controversial calls all the rage after loss to Florida By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Allen Sharpe & Jenny Dilworth

ill Muschamp is not one to blame officials for a loss. He takes responsibility for his team’s failures and prefers to focus on addressing mistakes instead of placing blame. That was his approach after South Carolina’s frustrating and controversial 38-27 loss to Florida. “In the fourth quarter, we have got to make some plays. We’ve got to put our guys in better positions to be successful, and we didn’t do that,” he said. “They made the plays at the end and we didn’t, and that’s on me.” But it was hard for his team and Gamecock Nation not to focus on officiating after SEC officials made at least two highly questionable calls that were reviewed by the league following the game. The Gamecocks were victims of two calls in particular that were widely panned and caused the SEC to reach out to Muschamp and Athletics Director Ray Tanner. With South Carolina leading 17-10, Florida committed what appeared to be a false start on offense that was not called. On the same play, running back Dameon Pierce broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run, but replays showed that Florida receiver Tyrie Cleveland grabbed and held South Carolina defensive back Israel Mukuamu, preventing him from catching 26 FOOTBALL • FLORIDA RECAP

Pierce and possibly making a tackle. Replays showed that Cleveland held onto Mukuamu’s jersey for at least 40 yards as the three players — and an official — raced down the sideline. “I was getting held the whole way down the field, but the ref didn’t see it, I guess,” Mukuamu said. With Florida leading 24-20 in the fourth quarter, SEC officials appeared to make another egregious non-call on another Gator touchdown. On first-and-goal with 7:53 remaining in the game, Florida wide receiver Josh Hammond used an illegal pick block on South Carolina safety R.J. Roderick, allowing quarterback Kyle Trask to throw a touchdown pass to wide-open tight end Kyle Pitts. Muschamp was irate over the play, drawing an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after berating the officials. A day later, SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey texted Muschamp to tell him the league was reviewing the plays. Three days later, the league issued a broad, lengthy statement saying officials make mistakes and are held accountable but offering no specific response to the South Carolina-Florida game. Tanner, who spoke with Sankey and the league’s director of officials, ackowledged his frustration over the calls and the outcome.

“No matter what anybody said I was not going to be satisfied,” Tanner said on Columbia’s 107.5 The Game. “I don’t want to sit here and blame everyone in the world for everything. … But I’m frustrated. I’m a competitor. I don’t like what happened. I don’t like it. … It’s still very frustrating.” Prior to the two controversial plays, South Carolina was in position to upset a top-10 team for the second straight week. The Gamecocks rushed for 217 yards and took a 17-10 lead on Tavien Feaster’s 21-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. The Gamecocks held Florida to 154 yards rushing — 75 on Pierce’s controversial run — and shut down the Gators for three quarters. But the defense broke down in the fourth quarter, giving up 21 straight points. Though the game turned on those controversial plays, Muschamp also emphasized his team did not make enough plays in crucial situations. “There are some critical plays in every game, and they made the ones they needed to make, so credit them,” Muschamp. “Control what you can control,” defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw said. “We left a lot of plays out there.”

November 2019

NUMBERS THAT MATTER WR OrTre Smith had his first touchdown catch of the season on a 4-yard pass from Ryan Hilinski. DB Jammie Robinson had his first career interception. RB Tavien Feaster scored his fourth touchdown of the season and 19th of his career. He had 15 in three seasons at Clemson. Parker White tied his career high with a 49-yard field goal. White had two field goals and three PATs to move into fifth on the all-time scoring list with 203 points.

P L AY E R O F T H E G A M E Tavien Feaster

After starter Rico Dowdle went down with an injury on the first play of the game, Feaster had his best day as a Gamecock, rushing for 175 yards on 25 carries. It was the most rushing yards of his career for the Clemson transfer. Feaster had runs of 37 and 33 yards and scored on a 21-yard touchdown run.

Mon Denson scored his sixth career touchdown. Three of them have come against Florida.

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FLORIDA RECAP • FOOTBALL 27

TENNESSEE 41, SOUTH CAROLINA 21

Catch and Release Edwards’ spectacular play stands out on disappointing day for Gamecocks By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Harrison McClary/Sideline Carolina

NOXVILLE, Tenn. — Gamecock fans are accustomed to watching Bryan Edwards make spectacular plays, but they likely had never seen one better than his one-handed grab at Neyland Stadium on Oct. 26. With 20 seconds left in the first half, Edwards leaped over a Tennessee defender and snatched a pass out of the air, cradling it in his arm as he landed on the pylon at the goal line. The play was initially ruled a touchdown, but was overturned. It set up Tavien Feaster’s 1-yard touchdown run to give South Carolina a 21-17 halftime lead. On a day when Edwards also broke the school record for career receptions, the catch was compared to the spectacular grabs by NFL star Odell Beckham Jr. and reminiscent of former Gamecock star 28 FOOTBALL • TENNESSEE RECAP

Alshon Jeffery. Edwards called it “one of the more exciting” catches he’s had. “That’s as good of a catch as I’ve seen,” head coach Will Muschamp said. “Bryan made a great play.” “The catches I’ve seen, that’s probably number one,” Feaster said. “That’s a guy who is desperate to make a play for his team.” Unfortunatley, that was one of only two highlights on the day — Shi Smith started the game with a 75-yard touchdown reception — for South Carolina, which was shut out in the second half of the 41-21 loss. The Gamecocks’ normally solid defense struggled against Tennessee, giving up 485 yards of total offense, including 351 passing. The Volunteers, who scored 24 straight points in the second half, had seven explo-

sive plays, including touchdown passes of 48, 19 and 55 yards. They also returned a punt for a touchdown and blocked a punt that was recovered in the end zone. South Carolina also struggled on offense, rushing for only 78 yards and going 6-for-23 on third and fourth down. “We just struggled overall. To give up explosive plays, it’s a killer,” Muschamp said. “We’ve got to be more productive offensively, but the explosive plays on defense killed us, and when you give up 14 points on special teams, it’s hard to win.” It marked the second straight game that South Carolina blew a lead. It led No. 9 Florida 17-10 before giving up 21 straight fourth-quarter points. “We weren’t desperate to make plays,” Feaster said. “We kind of relaxed a little bit when we had the lead, but we have to be desperate to make plays.” “We had the lead going into halftime and felt good about where [we were],” Muschamp said. “We just have to do a better job as coaches to put our guys in better situations to be successful in those situations.”

November 2019

NUMBERS THAT MATTER P Joseph Charlton had a season-high 66yard punt. Charlton averaged 50.7 yards on seven punts. QB Ryan Hilinski and WR Shi Smith both set career-highs with their 75-yard touchdown on the first play of the game. It matched the longest touchdown of the season â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Bryan Edwards also had a 75-yard TD catch from Hilinski at Missouri. Edwards broke the school record for career receptions, surpassing Kenny McKinleyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mark of 207. Edwards also had 83 yards receiving, moving into second on the all-time list for receiving yards. He also extended his school record by catching a pass in 46 consecutive games.

P L AY E R O F T H E G A M E Hilinski completed 28 of 50 passes for 319 yards, his second career 300yard game.

Shi Smith

Smith had 11 catches for 156 yards, both career-highs. He scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Ryan Hilinski on the first play from scrimmage and his 156 yards receiving was a season-high for South Carolina.

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SOUTH CAROLINA 24, VANDERBILT 7

Sticking It Out Freshmen shine as South Carolina bounces back against Vanderbilt By Josh Hyber and Jeff Owens | Staff writers • Photos by Allen Sharpe

eshaun Fenwick was at a crossroads. South Carolina’s talented running back had already proven he could play at the collegiate level, rushing for more than 100 yards in a game at Williams-Brice Stadium. In one half. But Fenwick was stuck in fourth, at best, on the depth chart entering the season. So he went to Will Muschamp and asked about transferring. “You need to stick this out,” the South Carolina head coach told him. “Good things are going to happen. You’re a talented guy, and you just need to stick it out. You know, life’s not fair all the time and things don’t always go your way. “And he stuck it out,” Muschamp said. “When his number was called, he played well.” With Rico Dowdle out with a knee injury and Tavien Feaster limited with a groin strain, Fenwick rushed for 102 yards on 18 carries to lead South Carolina to a 24-7 win over Vanderbilt. It was the first game action for Fenwick since last 30 FOOTBALL • VANDERBILT RECAP

season’s game against Akron, two weeks after he rushed for 112 yards against Chattanooga. “I was ecstatic to get a chance to run the ball,” Fenwick said. “I just made the most of my opportunities.” After the game, Muschamp brought Fenwick alongside him during the coach’s postgame locker-room speech and praised the running back’s perseverance and attitude. “It was a really powerful moment,” Fenwick said. “Just because of overcoming things. And it was a really powerful moment to be with my team. You know, they lifted me up through that.” “He’s a guy that’s been through some ups and downs and it looks like he’s finally finding his way and his role,” senior receiver Bryan Edwards said. “I’m extremely proud of him.” Behind Fenwick and Edwards, who tied a schoo record with 14 catches for 139 yards, the

Gamecock offense clicked against Vanderbilt, rolling up 440 yards of total offense. Quarterback Ryan Hilinski had one of his best games, throwing for 235 yards and two touchdowns. And Fenwick wasn’t the only young player to shine. Freshman running back Kevin Harris scored his fourth touchdown while freshman receiver Xavier Legette scored his first on a 20-yard pass from Hilinski. “It was very workman-like. Offensively we were very balanced,” Muschamp said. “We took a step forward, just got to keep it going,” Edwards said. The defense also had a strong performance, holding Vanderbilt to 189 yards of total offense and shutting out the Commodores in the second half as the Gamecocks snapped a two-game losing streak and kept their bowl hopes live.

November 2019

NUMBERS THAT MATTER QB Ryan Hilinski competed 24 of 31 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. After his eighth game of the season, he led the FBS with 167 straight passes without an interception. The school record is 177 by Connor Shaw. DE Aaron Sterling had a careerhigh two sacks, taking over the team lead with six and bringing his career total to nine.

South Carolina has won its last 11 games against Vanderbilt, increasing itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all-time series record against the Commodores to 25-4. The Gamecocks are 12-2 against Vanderbilt in Columbia, winning the last six games at Williams-Brice Stadium.

WR Bryan Edwards caught 14 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. His 14 catches tied a school record held by four other players. He also collected his eighth career 100yard game, tying Deebo Samuel and Zola Davis for most in school history.

P L AY E R O F T H E G A M E Deshaun Fenwick

In his first action of the season, redshirt freshman Deshaun Fenwick rushed for 102 yards on 18 carries. It was the second 100-yard rushing game of his career and the fifth 100-yard game this season for South Carolina.

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Blessing in Disguise Injury, strong summer help Mlodzinski become elite pitcher By Jeff Owens | Executive Editor • Photos by Allen Sharpe

hen a bone snapped in his foot against Clemson last March, South Carolina pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski was not surprised. His left foot had been bothering him all spring and the sophomore right-hander suspected he had a stress fracture. But instead of telling his coaches, the Gamecocks’ Friday night starter tried to pitch through it. It finally snapped in the third inning of his third start of the season, against South Carolina’s arch-rival. “That’s all on me. I wasn’t vocal enough with the coaches and training staff,” Mlodzinski said. “I thought I could go out there 32 BASEBALL • CARMEN MLODZINSKI

and just get it done, but obviously that wasn’t the case. That Clemson game was just a result of it all building up and crashing on me, mentally and physically.” At first, Mlodzinski was expected to miss only about a month. But as the season wore on, he and the coaching staff decided it would be better for him to sit out the rest of the season, take a redshirt and get ready for 2020. What at first looked like a devastating injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise. “Those things can go one of two ways,” head coach Mark Kingston said. “Either it becomes a blessing in disguise or it was the

beginning of the end. For him, it was a blessing in disguise. He got bigger and stronger and went out to the Cape [Cod League] and dominated and has built on that this fall.” After a solid freshman season, which included a win in the NCAA Regionals, Mlodzinski entered 2019 as South Carolina’s ace. But three starts into his sophomore season, it was over. His focus immediately turned to the future. “It sucked, but looking back on it about two weeks later, I said I wasn’t pitching healthy that whole season so I think it’s better to take time off and get healthy and come back strong instead of trying to

pitch hurt,” he said. “Right when I got hurt, I said I’m going to treat this as the best thing that ever happened to me. I’m going to get stronger in the weight room, I’m going to give my arm a little extra rest. “I took off the spring and had a pretty good summer and I felt like it was a little bit of a blessing.” While his pitching-thin team struggled through a 28-28 season, Mlodzinski hit the weight room, gaining about 20 pounds since last spring. He threw off his knees for two months, strengthening his right arm and shoulder. When the season ended, he headed to New England, where he pitched in the prestigious Cape Cod League. Facing some of the best hitters in college baseball, Mlodzinski was dominant, going 3-0 with a 1.83 ERA over seven starts for the Falmouth Commodores. He struck out 43 batters in 34.1 innings and went five innings in six of his seven starts. Throwing a four-seam fastball, sinker, slider and cutter, Cape Cod hitters batted just .136 against him. When he returned to campus for fall practice, Mlodzinski was a different pitcher. Now 230 pounds, he’s gained three to four mph on his fastball. With velocity that tops out at 97, he has shot up draft boards and is now projected as a first-round pick in next year’s MLB Draft, with some draft experts ranking him in the top 10. When he started a fall scrimmage against Georgia Tech on Oct. 17 there were about 30 major league scouts at Founders Park to watch him. “To think he is where he is now, I don’t think anybody predicted he would be at this spot,” Kingston said at the end of fall practice. Pitching coach Skylar Meade sees a more powerful, confident pitcher with a four-pitch repertoire that leaves big-league scouts drooling. “He just exudes a lot more power in his delivery and it’s a lot more efficient. He’s just got better stuff,” Meade said. “When he gets all four of his pitches working, he will be ready to roll through some lineups. That’s why his draft stock is so high. With the way he pitches, you could profile him as a real starter at the next level.

November 2019

“Hopefully he will do that for us in the spring.” With an electric fastball, a heavy sinker and a biting slider and cutter, Mlodzinski spent the fall working on his change-up, a pitch that could elevate his stock even more. He threw mostly fastballs and change-ups in fall scrimmages, working on widening the differential between the two pitches. As a sophomore, there was only about a six to eight mph difference between the two pitches. Now it’s closer to 10-12. “I think it has better movement on it now,” he said. “I think it’s going to be able to freeze guys and have enough of a velocity difference to where they will swing and miss at it.” “In the past his changeup didn’t really make hitters uncomfortable. Now it is,” Kingston said. “I think that’s a big part of his development, along with his other pitches just continuing to get polished.” Mlodzinski also has a different mindset. He entered last season as the ace expected to lead a young and inexperienced pitching staff. With an ailing foot bothering him, he put too much pressure on him-

self early in the season. Once the injury sidelined him, he worked not only on his strength and velocity but on his mental approach as well. “Last year I didn’t take it as fun. I think I got a little too stiff on everybody. I was trying to be too serious,” he said. “I thought that’s what it took, to be like a big-league guy, try to be as good as you can. Now I’m a goofball out there just trying to have fun, and I think this is a fun group.”

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Pitching in the Cape Cod League and seeing how he stacked up against other elite pitchers helped Mlodzinski relax and figure out what he needs to excel. “I had a lot of fun up there. It was good experience,” he said. Meade, who pitched Louisville to the 2007 College World Series, believes pitching against other elite pitchers helped Mlodzinski relax and improve his mental approach. “You could just see it from the first time he got back on campus,”

he said. “They get around other talented people … and their mindset changes in a positive way. I think for Carmen that was the big piece that will help him be at his best this year. I just see it every day in how he plays catch and how he goes about his business.” Andrew Eyster, who led the Gamecocks with a .309 average last year, faced Mlodzinski throughout the fall and saw a different pitcher. "He has a new air of confidence to him compared to last year," he said. He’s a different guy. He’s going to be a workhorse for us, for sure.” Now healthy and throwing harder than ever, Mlodzinski is finally ready to be the Friday night ace South Carolina needs at the top of its weekend rotation. “Everybody needs a Friday night ace,” Kingston said. “This league may have eight first-round picks this year, the majority of those Friday night pitchers. You need a guy like that that can go head to head and one on one on a Friday night to set the tone for you. I think he is well on his way to being that.”

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SOCCER Clint Mathis enjoys special honor with jersey retirement By Josh Hyber | Staff writer • Photos by Allen Sharpe

lint Mathis has one of the best résumés among American-born soccer players. He’s tied for 18th in goals and 20th in assists in national team history and, in 2002, scored one of the prettiest World Cup goals ever. He was also a two-time college All-American and still holds the MLS record for goals in a game with five.

But the South Carolina alumnus (1994-97) ranks one post-career honor — getting his No. 8 jersey retired at Stone Stadium on Nov. 1 — among his greatest honors. “To be honored by my alma mater, with this honor, and being that first guy, hopefully with a lot more to come in behind, is really, really special,” Mathis said. “It’s definitely at the top of the list there for sure.” A two-time All-American, including a consensus first-team All-American in 1995, Mathis finished his career as the third all-time leading scorer in South

Carolina history with 121 points (53 goals, 15 assists). He’s still third in program history in career goals, game-winning goals and goals per match. Alongside his career records, he owns the school record for most points, goals and gamewinning goals in a season. “To have Clint go in with the very first class of inductees to have their jerseys retired at the university is a wonderful recognition of his achievement,” South Carolina head coach Mark Berson said. “… It’s really justly deserved.” Mathis said he was a bit choked up when he got the news from Berson — who coached him during his career — and South Carolina Athletics Director Ray Tanner. “This is where I really grew up and came from a boy to trying to become a man, living on my own,” he said. “It was also a situation where I had to learn responsibility and go between school and sports, which is not always the easiest. … So it was definitely a heart-felt moment.” On the morning of Nov. 1 the memories rushed back to Mathis as he stood on the Stone Stadium field. A win over Clemson. Fans standing five-deep on the sideline. Mathis was joined at the ceremony by his wife, oldest

daughter, son, mom, aunt and a brother and sister. “Clint Mathis had a great career at Carolina and deserves to be recognized by having his jersey retired,” Tanner said in a statement. “He later represented the Garnet and Black well during his professional and national team play. When athletes, coaches and fans come to our stadiums, we want them to recognize who set the stage for our success over the years. We want to honor and recognize our history here and Clint is a big part of that.”

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Thanks for the Memories Historic senior class relives fabulous four-year career As told to Josh Hyber | Photos by Allen Sharpe & Jenny Dilworth

Final Four appearance in 2017, SEC championships in 2016 and 2017 and the best career home win percentage of any South Carolina graduating class. Sixty-five overall wins and 31 SEC wins — second in each category among specific classes. An NCAA Tournament appearance every season and eight postseason wins. It was a storied career for South Carolina’s senior class of three-time SEC Defender of the Year Grace Fisk (2017, 2018, 2019), 2019 SEC Goalkeeper of the Year Mikayla Krzeczowski, Elexa Bahr, Tatumn Milazzo and Rebecca Koch. Before the No. 8 Gamecocks (13-1-3, 7-0-3 SEC) embarked on postseason play, the quintet reflected on their favorite career memories.

Grace Fisk “It’s got to be the Final Four. Going to Orlando, playing in that huge stadium, against Stanford, who were an amazing team, it was incredible. Even though we lost, it was an honor to be there in the atmosphere among other great players. “Honestly, I’d probably say Florida the game before the Final Four. At home. SEC rival. It was a really huge game and I love playing Florida.” 36 SOCCER • SENIORS

Mikayla Krzeczowski “Overall, the Final Four, but probably my freshman year beating Clemson. I always go back to that. It didn’t hit me, the rivalry, until I was on the field. Just seeing all the seniors in front of me, that sigh of relief, because I think they lost to them the year before, so that was really cool. That set the tempo for me the next three years. “The Final Four is right there. It’s a close second.”

Elexa Bahr “My favorite moment was winning the SEC my sophomore year against Florida. Florida and us were undefeated, I believe, and it was the for the regular-season title. We had to go to their place and win, which was going to be hard as ever because one, it was their Senior Night, and two, they had home-field advantage. But we did it. It was a night to remember.”

Rebecca Koch “One of my favorite moments was at the 2018 SEC Tournament when we went down to Texas A&M in the quarterfinals but quickly equalized the game a minute later and ended up winning the game 2-1 and sent the defending champions home!”

Tatumn Milazzo “I think my favorite memory of my career would be winning the SEC two years in a row. It was an amazing feeling of accomplishment the first time. The second time around I felt so proud of my team for doing something like that. It was one of the best feelings to win it twice.”

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Anticipation, excitement surround men’s basketball season By Bill Gunter | Contributing writer

inally, it is here. The South Carolina men's basketball team tipped off its season Nov. 6 and it is one of the more highly anticipated years I can remember. Back in March, when the 2018-19 season wrapped up, I instantly started looking forward to this year, and that was before the additions of freshman forward Jalyn McCreary and grad transfer Micaiah Henry to help bolster a frontcourt I thought would be a weakness. Now that the season has arrived, I am excited to see how this team gels and handles the nonconference portion of the schedule. Based on feedback we received on the morning radio show, I believe the fan base has joined me in my excitement. We ran a poll asking fans their prediction for the season. Of 354 people who voted, 78 percent said the Gamecocks would make the NCAA Tournament, with 14 percent believing they would advance to the Sweet 16 or further. For a program with just two NCAA

Tournament bids this century, that is a pretty incredible percentage. One of the fascinating parts of this team is the depth. I cannot remember a time when a key player like Keyshawn Bryant was slated to miss significant time with injury, but his replacement, Justin Minaya, is a former starter considered the leader of the team a year ago. That shows the type of depth Martin has built. Now the tough part will be figuring out the identity of the offense and what roles each player will fill. “We have to create an identity on how we want to play offense,” Martin said prior to the season. “There are first-year guys that are going to play and there are older guys that I’ve changed some stuff that we are doing offensively that are trying to understand what we’re doing differently. It’s a matter of everyone understanding so that we can play fast.” There is no doubt who the main scoring option will be, as sophomore guard AJ Lawson returns for what likely will be his final year.

Lost in the early part of last season was just how well Lawson played. People did not really notice him until midway through conference play. But if Lawson had not been injured during the Alabama game, it is hard to know just how differently the season would have turned out. While the offense will revolve around Lawson, the second scoring option is a big question but one with plenty of potential answers. I believe either transfer guard Jair Bolden or redshirt freshman Jermaine Couisnard will end up being the guy that fills that role. Of those two, Couisnard is the most intriguing because of the publicity his recruitment brought along with his performance in last summer’s Pro-Am. “He is such a competitor and loves to play,” Martin said. “He’s a very intellectual basketball player. He comprehends what you want and comprehends where things are at.” With that type of attitude and basketball IQ, I expect Couisnard to be a player Gamecock fans enjoy

watching. There will be a learning curve, but with veterans like Lawson and Minaya, along with senior Maik Kotsar, he should be able to ease into his role. Once Bryant returns, this team will become even more intriguing and one with the ability to get up and down the court with anyone in the SEC. When that happens, it will create an interesting conference schedule. But the Gamecocks must build confidence early and show they are ready to live up to those expectations. Regardless of what happens, a basketball season I have been eagerly anticipating since the end of March is finally here.

Bill Gunter is the co-host of the Early Game on 107.5 The Game in Columbia. Follow him on Twitter @WillGunter.

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Cherishing the memories of those glorious rivalry wins By Ed Girardeau | Contributing writer

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Ga mec ock

November 2019

cocks jumped on them, mostly behind Dickie Harris. Harris returned a kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown and then a few minutes later intercepted a pass and returned it 96 yards for another TD. Carolina led 21-3 and in my young mind the route was on. In fact, my neighbors asked me if I wanted to go to the fair in Augusta with them. Would I? I did what every red-blooded, 10-year-old American boy would do. I donned my Gamecock clothing to proudly rub it in the face of those Dawgs in Disgusta. That wasn’t a good idea. The final score was Georgia 52-34. Carolina led 34-32 until the Dawgs scored 20 unanswered. The always classy silver-britches fans were nothing of the sort and took great glee in the ragging. Thus began my 50 years of hatred of Georgia. So, excuse me if I’m still reveling in the glory of the overtime win in Athens this year. There is

hardly anywhere more satisfying to win than at Sanford Stadium. It was sweet. And yes, I’m still smiling. Never mind the rain-soaked game the officials cost us against Florida, much less the wheels falling off against Tennessee, where we were still worrying about why the SEC wouldn’t apologize for the poor calls the week before. You could see that one coming. We still beat Georgia. There is nothing better. Well, not exactly. There’s still Clemson. Quite frankly, I was not too worried about Appalachian State or Texas A&M. Win or lose, we still had the big one left. Honestly, five wins, six wins, a bowl game, who cares? The last weekend in November, it’s let’s get ready to play Clemson. If Carolina can beat Georgia, they could certainly beat the Tigers in Columbia. Time to add to the memories, like the 1975 Jeff Grantz-led team that scored on every possession in the 56-20 rout. The 1979 hold-

on-by-the-skin-of-our teeth win over the No. 13 Tigers. The 1984 come-from-behind win. The 1987 Rodney game. The 1992 Taneyhill signing of the paw. The five in a row from 2009-2013. All are great memories. It was time to add another. Regardless of this year’s outcome, it’s these past memories that make South Carolina football and the rivalries worthwhile. Win or lose, the anticipation of winning another one keeps us coming back for more. With loyal devotion, remembering the days …

Ed Girardeau is a 1982 South Carolina graduate and has been a columnist for Spurs & Feathers since 2012. You can reach him at edgirardeau@spursandfeathers.com.

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he South Carolina-Georgia football rivalry has a special place in my heart. The memories of the match-up go back a long way. The Gamecocks had not beaten the Dawgs in my lifetime until 1978. The time before that was in 1959, when John Saunders and Ed Pitts were captains the year before I was born. In September of ‘78, Georgia came to Columbia ranked No. 19. I was a freshman at USC during George Rogers’ sophomore season. Carolina put it on them 27-10, with Rogers having a huge night and the team rushing for 323 yards. Animal House was the big movie at the time and the toga party that night was incredible. The campus was alive! My first memory of the rivalry was in 1970. The game was played in Athens on ABC, which was huge. In fact, it was the first time a South Carolina football game was broadcast on TV and the Game-

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ED GIRADEAU • COLUMN 39

November 2019