LOHD NCAA Tourney Challenge - Update

Well Round 1 is now complete and there were a few surprises along the way (and couple of scares i.e Duke). After round 1, there are a possible 32 points; here is the updated leaderboard at the end of round 1:

1. flounder with 27 points
2. tmacballers with 25 points
3. Driggs Ballas with 23 points
3. 2manycocktails with 23 points
3. Cashmoney with 23 points
3. Man Hands with 23 points
7. General Malaise with 22 points
7. Dilligaf with 22 points
7. JR with 22 points
7. Long and Soft with 22 points
11. Oldman with 21 pts
11. Dukies33 with 21 pts
11. A-dubs with 21 pts
14. top dog with 20 pts
15. big angry with 19 pts

Nova blasts Klempson

The Wildcats, who have more wins as a lower-seeded team in the tournament than any program since 1979, overcame an 18-point deficit in this one to beat Clemson 75 to 69. That is right kids a plus 24 turn around.

Clemson, in its first tournament appearance in 10 years and ninth in school history, became the first ACC teams to be ousted (smile). Purnell keeps his streak alive of having never won a NCAA tourney game. What is it with Clemson sports and the whole FTJ thing this past year....you know "Finish the Job"....seems the football team nor the basketball team could do it this year.

Read More HERE or HERE or HERE.

USC coach talk

As the world turns for the coaching search at the University of South Carolina Men's Baseketball Program. Another day goes by and rumors still circulate about 'who' is next after Dave-y Odom.

I agree with our friend over at The Garnet and Black Attack about Capel being the frontrunner for the job. He may or may not take it but he has roots in the NC area and wants to come back to the area, so here is the chance. Hyman will make the offer sweet but let's see how it plays out b/c Okla will counter and going from OU to USC...well.....

I had hoped for Anthony Grant at VCU but as the Dead Guy pointed out he is probably going to land a little higher up the SEC food chain (no offense Carolina fans but let's be honest with ourselves here). If LSU does land him...look out!

Whomever, USC should land as the next coach let's make sure he is young and has something to prove. Give him the right money mix but really give him the keys to do want he needs to do in order to build a program. The fan base should rally around him and give him time....like we have with Spurrier.....it takes time to build a program and that is what we want. We, as fans, want a basketball program that is built for future success....every year not just one winning season.

Downey named to SEC AP first team

The steal machine....with the SEC single season record for steals with 103 in his bag, South Carolina sophomore Devan Downey was named this week to the SEC Associated Press first team.

Downey and Tennessee’s Tyler Smith were the only two sophomores on the first or second team. Downey finished the year with 3.2 steals per game and led the team with 18.4 points per game, 37.4 minutes per game and 5.4 assists per game.

USC Pre-Spring Depth Chart

With Spring Practice kicking off today here is the Spring Depth Chart going into Day 1

Offense

WR
11 Kenny McKinley (6-0, 182, Sr.***)
8 Larry Freeman (6-1, 223, Sr.*)
15 Matt Clements (6-0, 190, Fr.-RS)
81 Paul Haile (6-0, 204, So.)

WR
18 Dion Lecorn (5-11, 220, So.*)
82 Freddie Brown (6-3, 209, Jr.**)
17 Chris Culliver (6-0, 191, So.*)
27 C.C. Whitlock (5-10, 171, Fr.)

WR
9 Moe Brown (6-0, 186, Jr.**)
85 Joe Hills (6-4, 202, Fr.-RS)
4 Jason Barnes (6-4, 201, Fr.-RS)
13 Mark Barnes (6-2, 200, Fr.-RS)
83 Scott Spurrier (5-4, 168, Jr.)

LT
77 Jamon Meredith (6-5, 301, Sr.***)
or 66 Hutch Eckerson (6-6, 291, So.*)
72 Quintin Richardson (6-4, 289, Fr.-RS)
75 Gurminder Thind (6-4, 281, Sr.**)

LG
63 Seaver Brown (6-5, 307, So.*)
64 Kevin Young (6-5, 311, So.)
62 Pierre Andrews (6-3, 281, So.)

C
70 Garrett Anderson (6-4, 307, Jr.**)
63 Seaver Brown (6-5, 307, So.*)
65 Ryan Broadhead (6-5, 270, Fr.-RS)

RG
74 Heath Batchelor (6-7, 308, So.*)
57 Lemuel Jeanpierre (6-3, 293, Jr.**)
60 Terrence Campbell (6-3, 285, So.)

RT
78 Justin Sorensen (6-7, 327, Sr.**)
68 Kyle Nunn (6-6, 300, Fr.-RS)

TE
84 Jared Cook (6-5, 242, Jr.**)
88 Weslye Saunders (6-5, 273, So.*)
19 Nick Prochak (6-3, 230, So.*)
44 Clark Gaston (6-2, 244, So.)

QB
7 Chris Smelley (6-2, 216, So.*)
6 Tommy Beecher (6-2, 227, Jr.*)
5 Stephen Garcia (6-2, 221, Fr.-RS)

FB
47 Patrick DiMarco (6-1, 242, So.*)
46 Bryan Kingrey (6-1, 230, Sr.**)
30 Yvan Banag (5-10, 235, Sr.***)

TB
25 Mike Davis (5-9, 214, Sr.***)
or 10 Brian Maddox (5-10, 220, So.*)
20 Taylor Rank (6-0, 214, Jr.**)
22 Bobby Wallace (5-7, 202, Sr.**)
28 Eric Baker (5-11, 187, Fr.)


Defense

DE
40 Eric Norwood (6-1, 270, Jr.**)
96 Clifton Geathers (6-7, 290, So.*)
92 Byron McKnight (6-5, 236, Fr.-RS)

DT
79 Marque Hall (6-3, 314, Sr.***)
97 Kenrick Ellis (6-5, 353, So.*)
61 Donte’e Nicholls (6-1, 311, Fr.-RS)

DT
91 Ladi Ajiboye (6-1, 300, So.*)
99 Jonathan Williams (6-2, 290, Sr.*)
95 Nathan Pepper (6-1, 292, Jr.**)

DE
41 Jordin Lindsey (6-3, 261, Sr.***)
42 Travian Robertson (6-4, 270, So.*)

SLB
83 Cliff Matthews (6-4, 250, So.*)
31 Gerrod Sinclair (6-0, 234, Jr.**)
49 Damien Wright (6-0, 231, Jr.)

MLB
52 Jasper Brinkley (6-2, 275, Sr.*)
53 Marvin Sapp (5-11, 228, Sr.***)
6 Melvin Ingram (6-2, 269, So.*)
48 Vandaral Shackleford (6-0, 239, Jr.*)

WLB
45 Rodney Paulk (6-0, 226, Jr.**)
44 Dustin Lindsey (6-4, 242, Sr.**)
4 Alonzo Winfi eld (6-0, 218, Fr.-RS)
12 Shaq Wilson (5-11, 194, Fr.)

CB
5 Carlos Thomas (5-11, 197, Sr.***)
36 Stoney Woodson (5-11, 197, Sr.***)
3 Akeem Auguste (5-9, 179, Fr.)

FS
32 Darian Stewart (5-11, 218, Jr.**)
23 Jay Spearman (6-0, 190, Fr.)

SS
21 Emanuel Cook (5-10, 214, Jr.**)
28 Chris Hail (5-10, 199, Jr.**)
26 Antonio Allen (6-2, 190, Fr.)

CB
1 Captain Munnerlyn (5-9, 185, Jr.**)
7 Addison Williams (5-8, 181, So.*)
10 Jamire Williams (5-10, 186, Fr.-RS)

{* -Letters won}

Last Call for players....

Moose got us all set up at click -Yahoo - for a LOHD Tourney Challenge so go sign up ASAP!

Group ID#: 138744
Password: buns

This year we will try to give predictions and feedback on the tourney but we need more teams!

Sidenote---If you need a bracket sheet, just click here.

Clemson and Purnell

Purnell's services at CU will most likely be in tack until the 2013-2014 season. Clemson announced that Clemson's fifth-year coach had agreed to a two-year contract extension. The Greenville News writes in today article -

Purnell, who has made around $700,000 for most of his five years at Clemson, has guided the Tigers to a 94-67 record, including a 49-20 mark the past two seasons -- the best two-year record of any coach in school history.

What has set the 54-year-old coach apart from his predecessors at Clemson is that the Tigers have improved each year under his watch. His first team went 10-18, but improved to 16-16 and qualified for the National Invitation Tournament the following season. His third team went 19-13 and advanced to the second round of the NIT and last season's squad went 25-11 -- matching the school record for most victories in a season -- and advanced to the NIT Final in New York City.

This season Purnell's team is 24-9, placed third in the ACC with a school-best 10-6 league record, and advanced to the ACC Tournament's championship game before losing to top-ranked North Carolina on Sunday. The team received the program's first NCAA Tournament bid in 10 years on Sunday and will meet Villanova Friday night in the first round of the tournament in Tampa, Fla.

Purnell is the 31st coach in NCAA history to take three teams to the Big Dance, although he has yet to record a win. His No. 15 Old Dominion team fell 88-69 to No. 2 Kentucky in 1992, and Dayton went twice (2003, 2000), losing first-round games to Washington and Purdue, respectively.

So what do you think?

I feel this is the right move for Klempson and he has something 'brewing.' Granted their non-conference schedule could be a little tougher but that is ok and proves to be smart. Seems he is coaching the kids on the team well and getting the most out of each of them. Let's be honest some of their big men are not great b-ball players but they play tough and as a team. Good god was that something nice about Clemson...I gotta quit on that note.

Morrow is a class act

I always have respect for a kid that stands by his word; in this case he said he was a gamecock and he is sticking to it.

It was good to read today in the paper - here - about Darrius Morrow and that he is not backing off his pledge to play basketball at USC. At 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, he is a big body that USC needs down in the low post. Good that he is looking past the Odom departure and knowing that USC needs him. He could come in and get immediate 'p.t.' with the departure of Day and many others still trying to figure out their role on the team.

We need him, as we all know the low post was a sore spot for Carolina pretty much all season until Mike Holmes woke up the last handful of games and decided to play ball. I look forward to Holmes and Morrow banging around under the basket and trying to get some easy buckets for USC instead of living and dying by the 3 ball (or a off night for Downey).

USC Spring Practice Schedule

Well today is suppose to be the kick off of USC Spring Practice but it seems the weather is not being friendly and will delay the start.

Anyway here is the schedule as given by USC.

Practice No. 1: Wednesday
Practice No. 2: Friday
Practice No. 3: March 24
Practice No. 4: March 26
Practice No. 5: March 28 (Scrimmage No. 1)
Practice No. 6: March 31
Practice No. 7: April 2
Practice No. 8: April 4
Practice No. 9: April 5 (Scrimmage No. 2)
Practice No. 10: April 7
Practice No. 11: April 9
Practice No. 12: April 11
Practice No. 13: April 14
Practice No. 14: April 16
Practice No. 15: April 19, Garnet & Black Spring Game; 1 p.m.

Time to fill out your brackets

So I have crated a bracket for the blog, it is thru Yahoo.com

Group ID#: 138744
Password: buns

So fill them out and enjoy, I am not sure yet what the winner will get but I will think of something cool.

Another one? USC walk-on arrested

Is it just us here at the LOHD that thinks this is past being funny....

THE STATE reports ---

"A South Carolina football player was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct Saturday following an incident during the rain-shortened St. Pat’s in Five Points festival.

Mike Newton, a walk-on defensive back from Lexington, spent a night at the Richland County jail before being released Sunday on a personal recognizance bond of $275.50. Richland County sheriff’s deputies, who were assisting with alcohol enforcement at the festival, responded to a report of a fight in the 2200 block of Blossom Street around 5:45 p.m., according to sheriff’s department spokeswoman Kim Myers.

Instead, Myers said deputies found Newton and at least two other men throwing chairs and engaging in “horseplay.” Myers said the men “totally disregarded” deputies’ commands to stop, and used profanity toward the deputies.

Newton, 21, is the fourth USC player to be arrested since Dec. 31. He is automatically suspended under athletic department policy. Newton, a senior who sat out the 2006 season after transferring from Newberry, played five games on special teams last season."