morgan n' 7
12-15-2007, 04:13 AM
Odom seeks hot start after break
Published: Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 2:00 am
By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
COLUMBIA -- Coach Dave Odom hoped the University of South Carolina would be better than one game over .500 heading into its break for final exams.
But the Gamecocks are what they are: 5-4, including a two-point loss to North Carolina State and a one-point loss to George Mason in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla.
"Win-loss-wise, we're a couple behind where I would have liked to have been," Odom said. "But given the strength of our schedule we're not in bad shape."
In other words, USC doesn't have what the NCAA tournament committee would consider bad losses. Arguably all four teams the Gamecocks have lost to -- Southern Cal and Clemson being the other two -- could all wind up in the NCAA tournament.
And while Odom has said it's "too early to throw up your hands and say, 'We're not going to make the NCAA tournament,"' he also knows it's time USC put together a string of wins with five straight home games coming out of the exam break.
"We've got make some hay. We do," Odom said. "We've got a chance playing five home games if we can get the crowd going, we can play well. Not that we've got easy games. We certainly don't with Baylor. Baylor is terrific."
USC comes off its exam break Wednesday night against Baylor, which is 6-1 heading into tonight's game against Wayland Baptist and returns all five starters.
With four players in double figures, plus a pair of 7-footers, the Bears won't be an easy post-exam assignment for USC, which beat Baylor 64-59 last year in Waco, Texas.
"It's going to be a difficult game, but boy I tell you it's a great game to have coming off the break because it gets your attention," Odom said. "It's already got mine. So I look forward to that.
"You say, 'Well, you'd like to have a warm-up game.' No, I want to play them. Let's get them because that gets our attention.
"Then you've go another tough game coming in with Bobby (Cremins) and the Charleston group right before Christmas. And then let's see what happens."
After Baylor, the Gamecocks take on the College of Charleston (4-3) on Dec. 22. Following the Christmas break, USC plays UC-Irvine (3-5), Radford (4-6) and UNC-Asheville (7-2) before opening Southeastern Conference play at No. 20 Vanderbilt (9-0) on Jan. 9.
"We've got to challenge ourselves right now," Odom said. "We're not in bad shape. Our young guys are improving. Our older guys that we're depending on ... • are becoming more comfortable with each other and our system.
"Our defense is better. ... • and it will be better next week. It has to be. Our rebounding is better. So I think we're getting better."
http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/SPORTS0102/712150323/1026
Published: Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 2:00 am
By Rick Scoppe
COLUMBIA BUREAU
COLUMBIA -- Coach Dave Odom hoped the University of South Carolina would be better than one game over .500 heading into its break for final exams.
But the Gamecocks are what they are: 5-4, including a two-point loss to North Carolina State and a one-point loss to George Mason in the Old Spice Classic in Orlando, Fla.
"Win-loss-wise, we're a couple behind where I would have liked to have been," Odom said. "But given the strength of our schedule we're not in bad shape."
In other words, USC doesn't have what the NCAA tournament committee would consider bad losses. Arguably all four teams the Gamecocks have lost to -- Southern Cal and Clemson being the other two -- could all wind up in the NCAA tournament.
And while Odom has said it's "too early to throw up your hands and say, 'We're not going to make the NCAA tournament,"' he also knows it's time USC put together a string of wins with five straight home games coming out of the exam break.
"We've got make some hay. We do," Odom said. "We've got a chance playing five home games if we can get the crowd going, we can play well. Not that we've got easy games. We certainly don't with Baylor. Baylor is terrific."
USC comes off its exam break Wednesday night against Baylor, which is 6-1 heading into tonight's game against Wayland Baptist and returns all five starters.
With four players in double figures, plus a pair of 7-footers, the Bears won't be an easy post-exam assignment for USC, which beat Baylor 64-59 last year in Waco, Texas.
"It's going to be a difficult game, but boy I tell you it's a great game to have coming off the break because it gets your attention," Odom said. "It's already got mine. So I look forward to that.
"You say, 'Well, you'd like to have a warm-up game.' No, I want to play them. Let's get them because that gets our attention.
"Then you've go another tough game coming in with Bobby (Cremins) and the Charleston group right before Christmas. And then let's see what happens."
After Baylor, the Gamecocks take on the College of Charleston (4-3) on Dec. 22. Following the Christmas break, USC plays UC-Irvine (3-5), Radford (4-6) and UNC-Asheville (7-2) before opening Southeastern Conference play at No. 20 Vanderbilt (9-0) on Jan. 9.
"We've got to challenge ourselves right now," Odom said. "We're not in bad shape. Our young guys are improving. Our older guys that we're depending on ... • are becoming more comfortable with each other and our system.
"Our defense is better. ... • and it will be better next week. It has to be. Our rebounding is better. So I think we're getting better."
http://greenvilleonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071215/SPORTS0102/712150323/1026