Recruiting and early signees taking the stage at USC

The LOHD staff almost missed it but don't worry we gotcha. As many of you know the recruiting saga is getting deep right now with signing day around the corner. USC has 19 verbal's going into the final stretch with Spurrier saying he is looking to get 24. Scout.com ranks the Gamecocks class so far as No. 41. While a competitor, rivals.com, has them No. 28. But we all no that it is how you finish and I think USC will finish strong on the recruiting trail. More on that here, but we did want to point out that USC has its' own crop of over-achievers and eager beavers that started their college careers a wee bit early.

Seven USC football recruits started classes this week as mid-year enrollees, the Univ of South Carolina announced this week. The group includes three Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy players who signed with USC last year but did not qualify academically - tailback Eric Baker and defensive backs Antonio Allen and Akeem Auguste.

The other newcomers are December high school graduates - quarterback Reid McCollum of Summerville, athlete C.C. Whitlock of Chester, linebacker Shaq Wilson of Jacksonville, Fla., and athlete Jay Spearman of Greenwood.

Spurrier said spring practice would start March 19 -- a change from the original date. But the spring game remains April 19 at Williams-Brice Stadium.

Welcome boys - now get to work on that 8+ win season we are all praying for!

not so fast MR. Davis

Looks like James Davis doesn't want to leave Clemson after all, saying today that he wanted to return for his senior season.

Will Clemson let him back in? How will this affect recruiting?

Odom expected to announce he'll retire at end of season

According to ESPN, South Carolina men's basketball coach Dave Odom is expected to announce on Friday his retirement from college basketball, multiple sources told ESPN's Andy Katz on Thursday.

But according to WIS --- "Dave Odom's not going anywhere. Internet rumors surfaced at around 7:00pm Thursday saying the University of South Carolina men's basketball coach would retire in the near future. But apparently Odom hadn't heard the rumor. WIS Sports talked to the coach, in his seventh year at USC, after his post-game show. Odom just laughed at the question, and told WIS the rumors are false."

-Charleston news article HERE about the saga.

The LOHD staff had no love for him...heck we wanted him gone after Baylor & UNC-A....just read here (also here and here and here).

Seems he will bail out at the end of the season...I mean announce that he retiring at the end of the year rather than getting the pink slip.

Rumor is Odom will meet with his staff at about 10 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at his home, where he will inform them he will announce his retirement friday at an 11 a.m. news conference. Should make for a good press conference on Friday! Seems he saw the writing on the wall from Hyman and the fans.

Crazy - The decision comes two days after the Gamecocks (9-8, 1-2 in the Southeastern Conference) surprised Arkansas 70-66 Wednesday night at Bud Walton Arena in Fayetteville, Ark.

Let the coaching replacement rumors start and we have already provided a list to start from - here.

Hate is a strong word.

We haven’t had a trivia or poll post in a while so I figured I would throw this one out there. What do you hate?

Who do you have more- Ohio State or Michigan

Which basketball program do you hate more- Duke or UNC

What coach just pisses you off?

What professional athletic do you despise the most?

What TV show do you just hate in general? (american Idol)

Hell has frozen over....Gamecocks win

Talk about a strange night as the snow comes down in the Upstate (hoping for no work on Thursday) and to accumulate to the already oddness of this January night the Gamecocks went down to Fayetteville, AR in the Bud Walton Arena and won!

I know it is hard to believe for us too and I am not talking about the snow we have but that the Gamecocks actually beat a 13-3 team...I mean 13-4 team now...haha. Because going into the game all we thought about was how Arkansas has one of the biggest and most experienced front lines in the Southeastern Conference. Take that with our weak interior offense/defense and you see why we were a little scared. Heck, their starting frontline features three seniors: 7-0, 245-pound Steven Hill, 6-8, 231-pound Charles Thomas and 6-6, 203-pound senior forward Sonny Weems. But the Gamecocks won by the score of 70 to 66 (for once we win a close game rather than choke like Jad Dean) . Our losing streak has ended but still think the coaching chair is still very hot for Odom. More HERE on the game!

For tonight though - way to go Gamecocks!

Come on Dave you are killing me softly...

Well, it seems Dave-y Odom has had a interesting week as it was reported by WSPA that USC lost out on a great recruit for basketball. Odom lost the recruiting battle for 6-7 Dutch Fork High forward Murphy Holloway. Holloway has committed to Ole Miss....yes you are reading it right - Ole Miss. According to the news (WSPA), he had several other offers on the table including ones from USC and Clemson. Why does this matter well he is leading the state in scoring this season with an average of 34 points per game.....Way to go Dave!

Well in other news...I find it interesting that Dave-y is going to go with a smaller line-up in the upcoming game against Ark-kansas. I think this is a good move (b/c the big boys are not producing on the offense side nor the defensive side) but it will not solve some of the larger issues that USC has and needs to correct in a hurry before the season is "a wash." Oh, those issues I speak of, well in my opinion there are: lack of a inside presence, team not responding to coach's, points/shot taking is not spread out (too much reliant on 2 people for points) and lack of confidence. I like what The State wrote today - here - about the need to go back to a "run-n-gun offense" and it stresses the need to spread the scoring load. I agree that since Baylor and especially UNC-A the Gamecocks have regressed as a team.

Side note - Interesting article for your reading pleasure today - What Could Have Been: Metro Conference

Davis to miss a couple games

Mike Davis will miss the first two games of the season next year due to missing classes last semester. Come on Mike, go to class. This is your year to step up and be the big name back in Steve's offense.

So my question is, who will be the featured back to start the season. Maddox, Wallace, or even Eric Baker? Should the athletic department tell the player they are suspended, or should they leave it up to the coach of that sport?

LOHD List of Possible Basketball Coach's to Replace Odom

Here is a list of possible coach's that Eric Hyman, AD of South Carolina, could go after. LOHD is assuming a "all star" coach would not quit his day job to come to Carolina to re-build the program (like a Rick Pitno, Billy Donovan, etc nor a NBA coach would come).

So with that in mind the LOHD staff has compiled a list of possilbe targets that could take over and do a better job that Dave-y Odom.

Here goes:

• Brian Gregory (Dayton)
• Bob McKillop (Davidson)
• Dave Rose (BYU)
• Travis Ford (UMass)
• Scott Drew (Baylor)
• Jim Baron (Rhode Island)
• Randy Bennett (St. Mary's)
• Stan Heath (USF)
• Scott Sutton (Oral Roberts)
• Bobby Lutz (UNC-C)
• Darrin Horn (WKU)
• Dave Wojcik (Tulsa)
• Sean Miller (Xavier)
• Alex English (Toronto Asst)
• Anthony Grant (VCU)
• Greg Marshall (Wichita St.)
• Chris Lowery (Southern Illinois)
• Donnie Jones (UF assistant)
• Kevin Stallings (Vandy)
• Andy Kennedy (Ole Miss)
• Tubby Smith (Minn)
• Jeff Capel (Okl)
• Dave Dickerson (Tulane)
• Frank Haith (Miami)
• Johnny Dawkins (DUKE Asst)
• Steve Robinson (UNC Asst)

Are we missing anyone that could be a good fit at USC?

Any of the above names you like or anyone in the above list a "no way jose" for USC?

Dave gets a 'boo' as the Gamecocks lose

Seems the fans grew a little restless on Saturday night, they gave Dave-y Odom a ear full. There was a smattering of boos during pre-game introductions. As USC fell further behind one fan yelled, “Dinosaur” while another shouted, “Nice game plan, Odom.” And as the game drew to an end a brief chant of “Go, Dave, Go!” sprang up.

It was the worst loss of the year for USC, which had a season low in points as well as field goals (19) while shooting just 37.3 percent, the second lowest of the year. USC also had 17 turnovers, which led to 22 points for the Volunteers.

So much for Odom’s goal of improving USC’s record in the SEC, especially at home, as USC (8-8) started the SEC 0-2 for the third straight year. Oh...the score...well it was 80-56 and UT left the building with a easy win.

More on the game - HERE - but you are probably getting like us and looking more and more forward to the start of USC baseball.