USC Basketball

[SeaCocky]

Ok guys and girls i have always been a Odum fan and i will continue to pull for Dave, But at some point we have to look at this program and wonder where is it heading. I thought that it was heading in the right direction but after starting 5-5 i dont think there is anyway we make post season again this year. I know its early and anything can happen but just upset and would like to know what everyone else thinks.

[Kendalls Daddy]

Ok guys and girls i have always been a Odum fan and i will continue to pull for Dave, But at some point we have to look at this program and wonder where is it heading. I thought that it was heading in the right direction but after starting 5-5 i dont think there is anyway we make post season again this year. I know its early and anything can happen but just upset and would like to know what everyone else thinks.
this will be the most entertaining team in years...
We may win 12 games...

[KadCock]

Odom is a good man and a terrific ambassador for USC. He is well respected throughout the country. But, we have a basketball team at the university because we want to compete and win games. Unfortunately, we've been losing as much as we've been winning. We're stuck in a rut right now and I personally think we need a fresh change. Does anyone see the direction of the program improving in the next few years regarding wins?

[Section5Gamecock]

I am really po after last nite.Btw Brandon Wallace was at the game showed him on the big screen

[Kendalls Daddy]

There is no doubt thi steam has talent...3 Mr Basketballs, 1 runner up for Mr Basketball, and Raley-Ross is shooting 68% from behind the arc...Whats the problem? Chemistry, experience, coaching? These are questions I have been asking for the last 10 yrs...
There are teams out there that win with freshmen and new players every year...

[bgallup]

We have 3 mr. basketballs this year, 2 years ago we had 3 NBA players, Throw in Powell and Kelly we have never lacked talent!

It will be awful hard to make the tournament this year with 5 losses. Basically we would have to win 11 conference games to make it!

[SNEEZ]

which will NOT happen

[LegalCock]

where's Tubby?

[behindenemylines]

Seems like I remember a team in 1997 that was in just about the same postition and then went 15-1 against a much tougher SEC than we have this year. This team reminds me a lot of that team in that they are new faces that are trying to become a team. NO ONE would have predicted the 97 team would go 15-1 in the SEC in December of 96 so lets get some conference games under our belt and see what happens.

[ColaCock]

Seems like I remember a team in 1997 that was in just about the same postition and then went 15-1 against a much tougher SEC than we have this year. This team reminds me a lot of that team in that they are new faces that are trying to become a team. NO ONE would have predicted the 97 team would go 15-1 in the SEC in December of 96 so lets get some conference games under our belt and see what happens.

i think that is what people are afraid to see happen.

[ertman420]

I don't think the problem is the coaching. Dave is doing a good job of coaching the players we have. Here's the real problem: we STILL don't have a true center! I don't know if we just can't recruit a big man or what, but we've been playing a 3 guard lineup for years now because we never have a dominant post player. There's a lot of indicators of this problem, getting out rebounded on both sides of the floor is probably the biggest. Have we out-rebounded ANY team we've played this year?

Playing a small lineup limits what we can do offensively AND defensively. We're forced to play a lot of zone on D, and you have to have GREAT perimiter shooting on O. While Brandis has been shooting great from outside, he needs to get more looks, or we've got to get more consistent across the board.

Without a big man, we'll always be forced to play these small, fast 3 guard lineups, and teams will always know how to beat us. Plain and simple.

Lay off Dave... other than failing to recruit a big post player YET AGAIN, he's doing well with what he's got IMO.

[IBleedGarnetandBlack]

I don't think the problem is the coaching. Dave is doing a good job of coaching the players we have. Here's the real problem: we STILL don't have a true center! I don't know if we just can't recruit a big man or what, but we've been playing a 3 guard lineup for years now because we never have a dominant post player. There's a lot of indicators of this problem, getting out rebounded on both sides of the floor is probably the biggest. Have we out-rebounded ANY team we've played this year?

Playing a small lineup limits what we can do offensively AND defensively. We're forced to play a lot of zone on D, and you have to have GREAT perimiter shooting on O. While Brandis has been shooting great from outside, he needs to get more looks, or we've got to get more consistent across the board.

Without a big man, we'll always be forced to play these small, fast 3 guard lineups, and teams will always know how to beat us. Plain and simple.

Lay off Dave... other than failing to recruit a big post player YET AGAIN, he's doing well with what he's got IMO.

So what do you think about the 3 guard, 1sf and archie lineup?

[bgallup]

who fault is it we dont have a true Center?

[usc90grad]

Some changes need to be made to the basketball program. Medicore can only cut it for so long (say 20 years).

[usc89]

Well, then it's recruiting. I do agree with others on this site that good teams go .500 while GREAT teams find a way to get it done. It doesn't matter if they lack size, for a GREAT team will find a way.

Last night, we were beaten by a team that went to a ZONE, which should make a 3-guard lineup salivate! We should have shot them out of the game before they could adjust.

Sometimes, change for the sake of change is needed. I'm not a can the coach person, but we need something to happen to get these guys playing!

[ColaCock]

who fault is it we dont have a true Center?

ding ding ding.

[Cocklover]

I totally agree that changes need to be made, but this season is not over, to me its still too early to judge how they will be. They may continue to build huge leads and blow them. I really think if that happens then odom HAS got to go. This team has talent on it this year, and its not being utilized the right way. We need a kick butt coach. GO COCKS!!

[Mecklenburg Cock]

Some changes need to be made to the basketball program. Medicore can only cut it for so long (say 20 years).

I agree. How many years are we going to play the wait and see game? We have probably some of the best talent a Carolina team has had in a while and we still look like we have in recent years. I really expected us to turn the corner this year and so far that's just not happening.

[ertman420]

ding ding ding.

Well, yeah, I'm pretty sure I made reference to Dave being responsible for not recruiting a big man... double check that post for me will ya?

Again, I'll say this: without a good post player, you are always forced to shoot from the perimiter. Sam and Mike are just not big enough to box out well and fill that void inside.

I love the energy the 'Nique brings, and his size is decent too (6'7" I think, right?) but it still leaves us vulnerable inside. We still don't have good ball movement, and it seems like we always send Downey in to penetrate and then kick it back out for a 3 attempt. This gets a little predictable IMO.

I won't pretend I know enough about basketball to discuss how a small, fast 3-guard lineup should do well against a zone. All I'm saying is if we had a true center, we'd have a lot more options on both sides of the ball.

I think we need to stress more aggressive D and rebounding more than anything else. This team has proven it can score, even against superior opponents. We need to shore up our defense and get Mitchell Carter or Austin Steed to a point where they can come in and play the post. Just my opinion. Any insights are welcome :)

[GBGamecock]

Everytime I hear his talk show, I just want to barf. I'm so tired of hearing the same excuses over and over from Odum. Excuses only go so far. I wish "the powers that be" at Carolina would give the talented team we have a chance and give them a coach that can guide them to win games like the one with Baylor. We can't even play with the smaller schools, so my question is, why would anyone look forward to our playing the conference schedule??? I like Odum as a person, but his coaching absolutely stinks!!! Did anyone see the Wofford-Purdue game last night?? Pretty impressive....wonder if their coach is available????

[CoverTwo]

Whoever said that our guards should be salivating when a team goes zone is right on the money..When you have a team that is guard oreinted you want teams to go zone because then you can rely on your quickness and shooting ability to tear it apart..Problem is that we dont have any pure shooters..Devan is streaky at best, Zam is a mid-range specialist, and Raley-Ross is probably the closest thing we have but he is such a liability on the defensive side of the ball that it cuts into his minutes.

Villanova had a 3 guard lineup a couple years ago that consisted of Randy Foye (NBA), Kyle Lowry (NBA), and Mike Nardi (3 point specialist)..They werent the biggest set of guards but they were quick and they could all shoot..Our group of guards remind me so much of them, but our coach doesnt force the issue like Nova's Jay Wright does..Nova also didnt have a true big man the year they went deep into the Tourney because he was hurt all season but yet they found a way to get into the NCAA and cause damage..There is no reason our team cant replicate the same especially with the SEC being down this year.

Judging from last night (I didnt watch or listen to it but I did read about it) it seems like Dave (like a certain football coach we know) decided to SIT ON THE LEAD and scale back..When that happened, Baylor got hot and the rest is history..With a small team like ours you cannot afford to sit on leads, you have to keep the pressure on for 40 mins..I am also miffed as to why Mike Holmes and Sam Muldrow are not on the court together..These guys are very productive when they are playing together and it gives us more options on both sides of the floor..Our starting 5 needs to be Downey, Fredrick, Archie, Holmes, and Muldrow.

And lastly the reason we dont have a big man is because Dave Odom doesnt have the desire to spend resources and time to go out and recruit one..All of the best big men in the country go to the premier schools (Duke, UNC, UCLA, Texas, Florida, Kansas, etc) and in order to get one of those big guys we have to actually go out and recruit one..But Dave has said time and time again that he isnt interested in getting this high profile recruits because they are only guaranteed to stay in school for 1 season..That mentality has to change..I can guarantee you if we get a new coach, lets say Anthony Grant, that he is going to bust his butt to get a legit big man in here, and isnt going to be afraid to go recruit against the big programs of College Basketball.

[usc89]

I agree with you totally defense will win more basketball games than what offense you run, but basketball is easier than you may think. When a defense runs a zone, they may match up in the zone, but a good team will move the balll around the outside, find the open shots that any zone will leave open and hit 'em.

On the other hand, if you have a team that shoots well, the defense should be a man-to-man. This defense allows players to close down on the shooters and prevent open shots; however, if someone can't cover his man, you give up a basket.

By going to a zone, the other team is basically daring you to shoot (and communicating to you that they don't believe you can shoot well). If you don't hit the shots that are available to you by moving the ball to the open areas, the zone will patiently wear at you.

The game begins and ends with defense, though. If you stop the other team from scoring, your offense doesn't even have to be all that great for you to win, IMO.

We have enough talent on this team to do very well. There's no reason for us to have these problems.

[hardcock2]

Lay off Dave... other than failing to recruit a big post player YET AGAIN, he's doing well with what he's got IMO.

um...NO he's not! he's horrible with X's and O's...there's absolutely no offense being ran....just Downey running around throwing something up or hitting an open man, then they do it for the most part.

....and hell, he used to be a good defensive coach, but that's gone by the waste side too.

[Cocklover]

bottom line is this, there is no excuse, NONE AT ALL, for when a team is up by 20 points that they can't keep that lead all the way to the end of the game, i mean come on. Look at the nc state and george mason game, giving up those leads, even providence that we almost lost but thank god didn't. Dave Odom, i'm afraid your time is up here at USC. I'm still supporting the cocks and will listen to each and every game or try to attend, but this is getting crazy. We have too much talent for this to keep continuing.

[mjmiller]

I think its time for Odom and the university to go their seperate ways. Or at least I hope so. I think I could do a better job of coaching the talent that is on that team right now.

[ertman420]

um...NO he's not! he's horrible with X's and O's...there's absolutely no offense being ran....just Downey running around throwing something up or hitting an open man, then they do it for the most part.

....and hell, he used to be a good defensive coach, but that's gone by the waste side too.

Well, admittedly I see our team through garnet colored glasses. I probably should have clarified what I was talking about. There was an article our earlier this year about how simple our team strategy really is. Our players are (for the most part) new to this system, and I know that earlier in the year we weren't even at a point where we could run plays. I guess what I meant was, he's doing well for having a bunch of new players and two freshman on the floor most of the time. Remember, we COULD be 0-10.... so in that light, 5-5 looks pretty OK to me.

Of course I want to win every game like everyone else, but let's be realistic here. We're NOT a basketball school. We're primarily a FOOTBALL school. That's why we can't get more than a few thousand butts in the stands at the Colonial Center. Yes, I agree that we MUST be more competitive, I'm just saying, Dave is doing well with the young/new players at a school that isn't committed to competing in the SEC as far as basketball is concerned. To be 5-5 is unacceptable, but it's a lot better than it could be.

[sc455]

can anyone say "anthony grant"?...he is the absolute best choice if their is a successtion

[Cocklover]

i've heard many others mention anthony grant and thats exactly who we need.

[JM1984]

Dave is a nice guy that everyone likes, it's hard to hand a nice guy the pink slip. This ain't patty-cake, this is business, and I'm tired of being on the losing end. Sorry Dave, you gotta go. Say what you want, he's the coach, so he's responsible. That's why he gets paid $900,000 a year. It's his job to recruit the big man to play post, and in six years, he hasn't done it. He will never do it, give him 20 years, we'll still be under .500 in the SEC. I want to go to the NCAA, not the stupid NIT. If you want to continue to be a second class team and go to a second class tourny, stick with the nice guy. If you want to kick ass and see the sweet 16, get Bobby Knight.

[SeaCocky]

Well, admittedly I see our team through garnet colored glasses. I probably should have clarified what I was talking about. There was an article our earlier this year about how simple our team strategy really is. Our players are (for the most part) new to this system, and I know that earlier in the year we weren't even at a point where we could run plays. I guess what I meant was, he's doing well for having a bunch of new players and two freshman on the floor most of the time. Remember, we COULD be 0-10.... so in that light, 5-5 looks pretty OK to me.

Of course I want to win every game like everyone else, but let's be realistic here. We're NOT a basketball school. We're primarily a FOOTBALL school. That's why we can't get more than a few thousand butts in the stands at the Colonial Center. Yes, I agree that we MUST be more competitive, I'm just saying, Dave is doing well with the young/new players at a school that isn't committed to competing in the SEC as far as basketball is concerned. To be 5-5 is unacceptable, but it's a lot better than it could be.

Yea but we were never a baseball power either untill Tanner got here. The football team will be an 8-10 game winner every year by the time Spurrier is done. Odum is heading in the wrong direction with this team, there should be more talent to choose from because of the new nba rule and yet we still cant land a big man. Just upset with the team right now, i konw Dave tries hard and works hard but maybe it just time for a change.

[M.C.]

I think its time for Odom and the university to go their seperate ways. Or at least I hope so. I think I could do a better job of coaching the talent that is on that team right now.agree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[crow0328]

Everytime I hear his talk show, I just want to barf. I'm so tired of hearing the same excuses over and over from Odum. Excuses only go so far. I wish "the powers that be" at Carolina would give the talented team we have a chance and give them a coach that can guide them to win games like the one with Baylor. We can't even play with the smaller schools, so my question is, why would anyone look forward to our playing the conference schedule??? I like Odum as a person, but his coaching absolutely stinks!!! Did anyone see the Wofford-Purdue game last night?? Pretty impressive....wonder if their coach is available????

Maybe we can try to get Cremmons from the C of C. We had a chance before but we wouldn't forget what he did to us last time we offered.