South-Carolina
South Carolina women's basketball: Are the Gamecocks on a collision course with UCLA?
South Carolina Women’s Basketball: News • Recruiting • Schedule • Roster • Stats • SEC Standings • NCAA Polls • Scholarship Chart
After the basketball season’s unofficial halftime, South Carolina and UCLA have established themselves as the top teams in the nation. Despite being separated by the entire country their destiny seems intertwined.
South Carolina and UCLA aren’t the last two unbeaten teams – in fact, there are currently ten unbeaten teams. But the general consensus is that there is a big drop between those two and the next-best teams.
In both the AP and Coaches’ polls, South Carolina ascended to number one with the first poll of the season. A week later the Gamecocks became the unanimous top team, the same week in which UCLA moved up to the second spot. They’ve been there ever since, oblivious to all the chaos below.
The computers disagree only slightly. South Carolina sits atop the NET rankings and UCLA comes in sixth.
It is mildly surprising that both teams have been so good, but they quickly gelled after offseason makeovers. UCLA pushed South Carolina to the wire when the teams met in Columbia last season, a 73-64 Gamecock win on November 29.
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Almost everyone came away from that game thinking the Bruins and Gamecocks might meet again in the Final Four. They did meet in the tournament, but only in the Sweet 16 for another Gamecock win.
Both teams had their weaknesses exposed in the tournament. UCLA lacked interior size or the three-point shooting to spread the court. South Carolina’s three-point shooting was also suspect, unable to punish teams for packing the paint.
Each team turned to the transfer portal after the season. South Carolina brought in Te-Hina Paopao, an All-Pac 12 guard, to shore up the three-point shooting. UCLA brought in 6-7 Lauren Betts, the former top overall recruit, to anchor the post. Both moves have been home runs.
Paopao is shooting 52.8% from three and has been one of the Gamecocks’ most consistent players. Betts is averaging 16.9 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 77.1% from the floor and giving the Bruins an elite post presence on both ends of the court.
In fact, Betts has transformed UCLA into a team that looks an awful lot like South Carolina. They have lots of depth, an elite post player (Betts, Kamilla Cardoso), a playmaking guard (Charisma Osborne, MiLaysia Fulwiley), a reliable wing (Gabriela Jaquez, Bree Hall), a shooter (Londynn Jones, Paopao), and a talented young point guard (Kiki Rice, Raven Johnson).
Statistically, the teams are similar. South Carolina ranks fifth in points per game (92.5) and UCLA is seventh (90.5). South Carolina is second in field goal percentage and UCLA is fourth. UCLA is second in assists, while South Carolina is seventh. UCLA leads the nation in rebound margin, and South Carolina is third.
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Both teams even have the same weakness: turnovers. South Carolina averages 13.7 per game, 46th in the country. UCLA turns it over 15.6 times, 146th in the country.
There are also the intangibles. The Gamecocks are both motivated by coming up short last season and free from the weight of expectations.
The Bruins seem to have learned from last season as well. Rice made a critical mistake at the end of the regular season game when she picked up a technical foul that gave the Gamecocks the free throws to seal the win. I spent about five minutes with Rice before the Sweet 16. We talked about the first game, her mistake, and her drive for the future. I was blown away by her temperament and am a firm believer in Rice.
In early December, UCLA played in the first game of a triple-header in Uncasville, CT. South Carolina played in the second game. Unless – or until – they meet in the NCAA Tournament, that is as close as the Bruins and Gamecocks will come to each other this season.
South Carolina owes UCLA a return trip for last season’s game in Columbia, but that won’t happen until next season. Fortunately, that should be an elite matchup since neither program shows signs of dropping off, but time will tell.
Of course, league play has a way of knocking teams down a peg. UCLA’s Pac-12 schedule is particularly daunting, as the Bruins face Southern Cal, Utah, and Colorado twice plus a road game at Stanford.
South Carolina has one more non-conference tune-up this weekend, but UCLA dives headfirst into conference play with a rivalry game against Southern Cal. Would it really surprise anyone if UCLA’s undefeated season comes to an abrupt end Saturday?
Regardless, the Bruins and Gamecocks seem stuck on a collision course that will end in Cleveland.
South-Carolina
Shane Beamer updates injuries going into Clemson game
For the first time really all year, South Carolina football is facing some injury questions. Wide reciever Jared Brown, tight ends Joshua Simon and Michael Smith all missed the Wofford game last week, forcing the Gamecocks to change up their approach offensively and play with one or no tight ends all day.
On Tuesday afternoon at his weekly press conference, Shane Beamer updated the injury sitution going into Saturday’s game at Clemson.
Regarding Brown, Beamer said “he’ll be fine” and confirmed the Coastal Carolina transfer will play in his first rivalry game this weekend. Wide reciever Vandrevius Jacobs on the other hand is out this weekend with a hamstring injury he suffered against Wofford.
Beamer did not have a further update on either of the tight ends, simply saying “we’ll see” with regards to Simon and Smith.
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South-Carolina
Keys to Success for Clemson Tigers Against South Carolina Gamecocks
The Clemson Tigers are getting ready for what will be a crucial game in Week 14 against the South Carolina Gamecocks.
This rivalry matchup is not going to disappoint, as both teams are coming into the game as Top-25 schools. For the Tigers, there is a lot on the line in this matchup.
Due to Clemson not holding the tie-breaker against the Miami Hurricanes in the ACC and the SMU Mustangs already clinching a spot, the Tigers are going to have to hope for a Hurricanes’ loss to the Syracuse Orange if they are going to make the title game.
However, due to recent upsets in the SEC, another path might have emerged for Clemson to make the College Football Playoffs. If they can beat a Top-25 team in the Gamecocks on Saturday, it could be the type of statement win that propels them into an at-large bid.
While making the CFP still might be realistic, they first and foremost have to handle South Carolina, which will be no easy task.
The Gamecocks have also had a great season, and they could present some matchup problems for Clemson.
On offense, South Carolina is a run first team. Stopping the run has been an issue at times for the Tigers, as they just recently got torched on the ground against The Citadel Bulldogs. If Clemson is unable to stop or at least slow down the rushing attack for the Gamecocks, it will allow them to control the pace of the game. That obviously wouldn’t be ideal for the Tigers.
Furthermore, on the defensive side of things, the Tigers’ offense is going to have their work cut out for them against a very strong Gamecocks defense. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik has had a very strong season and this could end up being a defining game of his college career.
Going back to the win against the Pittsburgh Panthers, the Tigers’ offense really struggled on the ground trying to run the football. If that’s the case once again in Week 14, it will fall on the shoulders of Klubnik to get the job done.
This matchup could very well go down as one of the games of the week and potentially the year, with both teams being fairly even talent-wise on paper. For Clemson, this is a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive, as a win this late in the season against a Top-25 team would be a nice last thing to put on their resume.
Overall, the Tigers are going to need to have a balanced attack and prepare to stop the run if they are going to come away with the win against their rival.
South-Carolina
South Carolina community left without police after entire P.D. resigns
The entire police department of a small South Carolina town resigned en masse, leaving the area without its own dedicated police force.
Chief Bob Hale of the McColl Police Department announced his resignation on November 21 in a social media post, citing a “hostile work environment perpetuated by a specific Councilman.”
“For months, I have endured unwarranted and malicious behavior aimed at undermining my integrity and leadership,” Hale wrote. “These actions have not only affected me personally but have also created a toxic atmosphere that has hindered the department’s ability to function effectively.”
The chief also said his department’s resources had been severely cut. The four officers under his command quickly resigned as well.
“At the end of the day, I have a family. And when my job is constantly getting threatened and certain things are getting said I’m not going to stay somewhere and tolerate that,” former McColl investigator Courtney Bulusan told WRAL.
“I’m not going to stay where I’m tolerated,” Bulusan said. “I’m going to go where I’m celebrated.”
As the town seeks new officers, the Marlboro County Sheriff’s Office will fill in for the department police force, according to South Carolina Public Radio.
The town has gone through six chiefs in the past four years. Hale’s tenure in the position lasted little over a year.
“I feel unsafe. Very unsafe,” resident Lisa Bowen told local outlet WPDE. “Because anytime anybody could do anything.”
“They jump ship back and forth all the time,” Mayor George Garner told the Post and Courier newspaper. “This is nothing new.”
The paper reported that the councilman in question denied he had harassed any of the officers and told the paper the allegations were “hearsay.”
Such mass resignations, while uncommon, are not unprecedented.
The entire police force of Geary, Oklahoma, resigned earlier this month, Fox News reports.
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