We're undersized, and that obviously hurt us at times, but we had multiple possessions where we shot three or more times. The ladies crash the boards hard, and they play a very tough man defense - every player gets a wide base and displays good lateral movement, and they constantly have a hand in the face of any offensive player with possession away from the basket.

LSU played much better in the second half, and they did a good job of forcing their tempo. We held them to 20 points in the first half, and they scored 19 in the first nine minutes or so of the second half.

We went through an extensive slump for most of the second half. Our shooters went ice cold from the perimeter, and LSU finally began to use their height advantage to alter our shots on the interior.

However, LSU also made it to the bonus in about 6 to 8 minutes of play, while we struggled to get a single 50-50 (or even 60-40) call our way. I don't know if the LSU booster club took over officiating at halftime or what, but our season high in turnovers was partially the result of an extremely one-sided second 20 minutes from the crew. Not only did the style of play obviously tilt to LSU as a result, but our best players soon found themselves in foul trouble and on the bench.

The officials twice fell for Laimbeer-esque flops from LSU Lady Tigers. The second flop negated a Carolina basket and led to the 5th foul on our leading scorer. It also finally set Coach Staley off. She picked up the quickest double T I've seen in some time, and LSU shot six FT's to ice the game. The hostile game environment did not intimidate our girls, but it obviously overwhelmed the officials.

I was the only South Carolina fan in my group, but everyone in our party was impressed with the Lady Gamecocks. Several of the young players with us ended up studying the technique of the Carolina players while cheering for the LSU team.

This team is very impressive in person. Defense doesn't slump, and the squad has a great chance of winning multiple games in the NCAA tournament. More importantly, it is a group built around disciplined team play rather than a single player or recruiting class. The program is obviously on the verge of becoming a consistent national force, and should be for as long as we can keep Coach Staley in Columbia.

It is never too late to laugh at Dabo. We missed the first sixty three points, but can still catch the next twenty unsportsmanlike penalties.

PS - West Virginia only scored 55 points against Norfolk State.

PPS - Norfolk isn't really a state.

After South Carolina defeated Georgia in Athens and compiled a better MOV over the rest of the East only to see the Dawgs back into a division championship thanks to an easier West schedule, many Carolina fans have been paying almost as much attention to the Dawgs' new schedule as our own. Details have begun to leak out that are apparently favorable for the Athenians.

There are rumors that, despite protest out of Columbia, the SEC has complied with Georgia's request to move the Carolina game back towards the middle of the SEC schedule. Gentry Estes of Dawgs247 is now reporting that Georgia will likely lose their previously scheduled 2012 trip to Alabama (premium content), while keeping their return trip from Ole Miss. In contrast, there are rumors floating around that Carolina will lose our scheduled return trip from Mississippi State, while picking up a game in Baton Rouge at LSU.

South Carolina fans are understandably incensed that the Dawgs, fresh off the easiest SEC schedule in modern memory, somehow managed to twist the expansion process to produce an even easier schedule in 2012.

However, it is important to remember that 2012 represents merely a stopgap schedule. Everyone involved in expansion concedes that the SEC is likely to further alter the schedules to a more permanent solution in 2013. What has not been widely reported is that this process is further along than anyone at the SEC office has previously acknowledged. While the conference tries to accommodate the concerns of all schools, there have been inevitable conflicts. Understandably, the founding members often have a bit more pull and favors to call upon in those situations. Though this is subject to minor tweaks as circumstances warrant*, Garnet & Black Attack is pleased to offer an exclusive sneak peak at the University of Georgia's 2013 schedule.

Continue reading this post »

Why I'm ok with OK State

SEC fans should hope that Oklahoma State leapfrogs Alabama into the national title game, while SEC haters should cross their fingers and hope for an LSU-Alabama championship. Though this seems counter-intuitive, it is pretty simple when you think about it.

The current BCS system is very good to the SEC. The conference has won the last five championships, and most expect that streak to soon reach six. It has reached a point where it is difficult to envision a BCS championship game without the SEC champ. Though South Carolina has yet to win the title, the national acclaim and exposure for the conference has certainly been a factor in our improved recruiting and ability to surpass Clemson.

Continue reading this post »

Remember when they had that head coach who seemed to have little on his resume but nice hair?  The one who was clearly over his head and scraping by on his daddy's name?  Remember, he used to make head-scratching decisions, say outrageous things and lose games? 

I bet they'll never make a mistake like that again.

For that matter, Dooley said he also wasn’t concerned that [quarterback Justin] Worley no longer will be able to redshirt.

"I’ve never worried about redshirts," Dooley said. "I don’t care. These guys, they don’t worry about staying for four years anymore, so why should we worry about redshirts? They come out in three (years). When they stop coming out in three, we’ll start redshirting them."

I do not care for Tennessee.

Did you ever have one of those college relationships that just became so exhausting to put up with that even thinking of the other person was tiring? That's how I feel about Stephen Garcia as the South Carolina quarterback.

For the second year in a row, we lost to a vastly inferior team due largely to poor play from the quarterback position. I'm just sick of dealing with this. Given enough time away, I can talk myself into trusting Garcia's ability, but it is not long til I remember the many times he has let us down on and off the field, and I feel foolish for briefly believing again.

Don't go away mad, Stephen. Just go away.

Stop me if you've heard this one before. 

South Carolina and Georgia are set to play a football game many observers expect to define each team's season.  One group of fans expect to win, but are wary of their neighbor's hostile crowd.  The other hopes to win, but recognizes a loss is likely.  The underdogs get several opportunities early, though they fail to convert them to touchdowns.  The home crowd gets excited over thoughts of a big upset of a top-ranked foe, while announcers caution their team may later lament the failure to capitalize.  Sure enough, the favorite's star players make a couple of big plays to take the lead going into the half, and the crowd quickly becomes nervous.  Though the underdogs fight valiantly and arguably play a better game, they are ultimately undone by key mistakes and big (or fluke) plays from an opponent whose roster is filled with superstars capable of creating a victory even when the team is not firing on all cylinders.  Afterwards, the losers take consolation in a moral victory and signs of progress, while the victors worry if the narrow win proves their team isn't ready for the bigger hurdles down the road.

Continue reading this post »

In the last few days, I have seen fans of multiple "football schools" say things like the West Virginia fan who admits:

I want no part of an expanded SEC gauntlet. ACC or B10 is fine. (emphasis added)

I've read similar confessions from fans of Texas A&M, Oklahoma, FSU (besides Bobby Bowden), and Clemson.  These same fans will construct elaborate arguments attempting to disprove SEC superiority as soon as the season rolls around, but it still warms my hear to be reminded that deep down, "Even the demons believe, and tremble with fear.

Baseball America has a well-earned reputation for loving the ACC, but they are giving South Carolina a lot of respect in their CWS coverage.  There have been a couple of quotes from Baseball America that I have absolutely loved.  While previewing the Cal-Texas A&M elimination game, Editor and MLB draft expert John Manuel says: 

I don't think [Cal starting pitcher] Kyle Porter is Michael Roth.  Who is?  Who among us is Michael Roth?... I don't even believe that Michael Roth is Michael Roth. (5:20 mark)

Manuel, a Chapel Hill alum and noted UNC-CH homer, clearly loves this Gamecock team.  He goes on to correctly predict a Carolina victory over UVa.  College writer Aaron Fit goes with the Cavs, but concedes that the Gamecock squad is "special".

I'm coming off a very hectic travel week and did not get to link this earlier, but their CWS scouting report included this gem from an anonymous SEC coach speaking of our All-American closer: 

When Price comes in the game, they know they're going to win, and they all just play that way.  He's got above average stuff and above average feel, and he is just a tough, competitive SOB.

The 2011 College World Series kicks off in Omaha tomorrow, and it has a distinctly Southern feel, with three SEC teams, one future SEC team, Texa$, and a couple of schools from that girls' soccer conference up in North Carolina.  The program that is probably most unfamiliar to South Carolina fans is Cal. 

We earlier responded to questions posed by the phenomenal Cal Golden Blogs (check out the site - they have Q&A's with the other CWS programs and even cover Cal rugby).  Now, OhioBear and NorCalNick of Cal Golden Blogs stop in to introduce us to Cal baseball and tell us what they really think of the man who rode Terrell Davis from, "Hey, that guy kinda sucks in big games," to "OMG! He's the Farve of the Rockies!"

Continue reading this post »

A year after taking the 2010 College World Series to win the school's first men's team national title, South Carolina baseball returns to Omaha for the 2011 College World Series.  The Gamecocks will face one of the toughest fields in recent memories.  Six national seeds and top ten ranked, Big 12 champ Texas A&M advanced to Omaha.  So did the Cal Bears. 

Cal is the feel-good story in the field, and will likely be adopted by most non-affiliated and casual fans.  The Bears' program was threatened with extinction earlier this year due to budget cuts and Title IX issues, but a last minute alumni fundraising drive saved the program.  The Bears emerged from the loser's bracket to win the Rice Regional as a 3 seed, then hosted at Santa Clara to defeat fellow Cinderella Dallas Baptist in the Supers.  

After the jump, we answer questions from Cal Golden Blogs.  Look for their answers to our questions later today.   

Continue reading this post »

The Anteaters and #3 starter Johnny Wholestaff took a 2-1 lead over Virginia into the bottom of the 9th, where they recorded two outs before single, infield single to P (?!?), and a 4 pitch walk to load the bases with 2 outs.  The Anteaters then gave up a two run single up the middle to fall 3-2 and send the top seeded Cavaliers on to Omaha.

Since I am on record calling UConn a weak 3 seed, I have a little riding on the Super Regional match-up that appears to be a half hour or so from becoming reality*.  I decided to look at a couple of Husky stars projected to go in the first round of today's MLB draft.

NOTE: Please do not cut and paste ESPN insider content linked below the jump.  It will be deleted and you will have posting privileges temporarily suspended.

Continue reading this post »

There are none so blind as those who will not see.  

It is difficult to read George Dohrmann and David Epstein's expose of Ohio State without coming to the conclusion that Columbus has been awash in graft and corruption since the day Jim Tressel arrived on campus.  The most surprising part of this story is that for nearly a decade, Jim Tressel was able to lead one of the most high profile programs in the country without anyone noticing these systemic violations.     

As noted by MaconDawg at Dawgsports, SI's Andy Staples speaks for perplexed sportswriters everywhere when he asks:

If the three highest profile players of a big-time coach's career all got dinged by the NCAA, you would think that coach might be dirty. So why, after Maurice Clarett, Troy Smith and Terrelle Pryor all faced NCAA sanctions, did people still think Ohio State coach Jim Tressel was squeaky clean? Why, after Tressel admitted in March that he played ineligible players and lied to the NCAA about it, did people still rush to his defense, claiming him an otherwise perfect coach who made one little mistake?

Dohrmann and Epstein unwittingly explain why Tressel was able to get away with it for so long.  Tressel was able to reel in Florida recruits from 800 miles away and take a high profile but floundering program from the fringe of the top 25 to a national title in two years without anyone batting an eye for one reason:  He coached in the Big Ten.

Continue reading this post »

That is the only rational explanation I can come up with for the baseball regional assignments released this afternoon.

South Carolina was given the #4 national seed, which I really cannot argue with.  I figured our ceiling was 3, behind UVa and Florida or Vandy,  but 4 to 6 was much more likely.  However, that is where the good news ends for South Carolina in today's pairings.

Before I get into that, let's address the issue of the  Carolina and Clemson Super Regional pairing.  Like many Carolina fans, some of my favorite Gamecocks sports memories have been our victories over Clemson in Omaha.  Naturally, I hope to see us eliminate the Tigers again this year.  However, it should not be in the Super Regional round.

Continue reading this post »