January 25, 2012

There's a difference between defeated and daunted. 

Through four SEC games, the Gamecocks were unquestionably the former.  Wednesday night showed they were far from the latter.  After plenty of flashes and stretches, South Carolina pieced together enough of both to capture its first SEC win, a 56-54 victory over RPI #29 Alabama. 

"We came out and worked like we were undefeated," Darrin Horn said of his team's practices leading up to the Alabama game. 

Now comes the tricky part:  making that win stick on the road.  The Gamecocks face an Ole Miss team Saturday (13-7, 3-3 SEC) that led Florida by as many as 16 points before falling 64-60 Thursday night. 

The Rebels come in defeated. 

Will they be daunted? 

Pre-tip reads before the Gamecocks and Rebels tee it up at Tad Smith Coliseum:

"They have a few more guys who can just go create offensively for them," he said on "Carolina Calls."  "That's going to be a challenge for us, especially on the road.  They create pretty well off the dribble, even from the '3' and the '4' spot.  We're going to need to do a good job defensively of keeping the ball in front."

Horn said his team did its best job all year of denying driving lanes from Alabama's guards.   Against superior slashers like the Rebels' Jarvis Summers, Nick Williams, and Jelan Kendrick, the Gamecocks will need an even better effort.  Ole Miss' biggest strength comes on the boards:

-          1st SEC rebounding margin, SEC games (+9.8)

-          2^nd SEC rebounding offense (40.0)

-          2^nd SEC offensive rebounds (13.6)

If Carolina can't contain Ole Miss' dribble penetration, it'll result in more rotations off the ball - which could leave the Gamecocks out of position for rebounds.

...And On the Other Side:  As the Alabama game illustrated, South Carolina is a different team when R.J. Slawson and Anthony Gill are active on the boards.  After combining for just 3 rebounds against Auburn, "Slaw" and "AG" had 9 rebounds apiece against the Crimson Tide.  Most importantly, the Gamecocks lost very few "chase-down" rebounds, where a shot caroms away and a player must beat his opponent to the ball. 

Ole Miss ranks 23^rd in the nation in 2pt. FG% defense (33.7%).  Alabama ranks 12th.  To be successful, the Gamecocks must follow the same blueprint from Wednesday:  rebound their misses and not waste possessions on turnovers. 

Man To Stop:  Reigning SEC Player of the Week, forward Terrance Henry (right).  The Rebels no longer have dynamic point guard Chris Warren - and his rabbinical beard - as their instant-offense alpha dog.  In addition, leading scorer Dundrecous Nelson (11.2 ppg) was dismissed from the team in January for a violation of team rules.  The Rebels have instead turned to Henry, a 6'9," 210-pound forward with a soft touch around the perimeter.  Darrin Horn describes Henry as "long and versatile," and he has the ability to open the floor for his teammates.  He's also nimble enough to be a defensive headache - head coach Andy Kennedy matched him on Mississippi State point guard Dee Bost, and placed him at the top of a 2-3 zone against Georgia. 

Horn on Holloway:  Paired alongside Henry in the frontcourt will be Rebel-turned-Gamecock-turned-Rebel-again Murphy Holloway.  The Irmo native played his first two seasons in Oxford before transferring to South Carolina.  After sitting out the 2010-11 season, Holloway opted to return to Ole Miss.  

Darrin Horn gave his first comments about facing Holloway on "Carolina Calls":

"I'm actually looking forward to seeing him just personally.  [He's a] terrific kid.  I really enjoyed having him in our program.  He's doing what we all know he does well - rebound the basketball, and finish at the rim, and use his great athleticism for the Rebels."

The Gamecocks won't need a lengthy scouting report on Holloway.  He's athletic, active, and a powerful offensive rebounder.  He also has a dominant left hand and a nifty spin move off the dribble.  But Horn shrugged off the notion that their familiarity with "Big Murf" gives them an edge.

"The thing is, what he's good at, he's good at every night.  He's hard to key on.  He's just a terrific athlete that's very active around the basket.  I don't know if there will be much to our advantage on that," he said.

One For The Road?  The home team has won 18 of the last 20 games in this series.  Former SEC West teams are a combined 61-8 at home this year (.884).

Lakeem Jackson will try to deliver a rare win for the road team in this series.

State of Rebellion:  Ole Miss played a sagging 2-3 zone against Georgia, daring the Bulldogs to shoot 3's and choking down driving lanes for Georgia guard Gerald Robinson.  South Carolina, as we've seen all year, plays its best when it makes a concerted effort to play inside-out.  After an abysmal 5-31 three-point performance against Alabama - even Darrin Horn called it "horrific" - will Ole Miss use the same tactic against the Gamecocks?

Force The Forcing:  Ole Miss has six guards on its roster.  Five of them are freshmen.  That lack of seasoning shows up most in Ole Miss' turnovers and three-point shooting.  Like Alabama, Ole Miss shoots an alarmingly low 28.3% from three-point range, good for 328^th in the nation.  The Rebels also commit an SEC-high 15.6 turnovers per game, more than one turnover worse than the next biggest offender.  Can the Gamecocks force the Rebel guards into forcing action in the halfcourt, and disrupt the flow of Ole Miss' offense?

And Finally... Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy played his freshman season at North Carolina State, where he played on the Wolfpack's 1987 ACC Tournament championship team.  One Gamecock had a front-row seat for Kennedy's only year in Raleigh:  head baseball coach Ray Tanner served as N.C. State's 45-second shot clock operator at the time.

Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy as a freshman at N.C. State (#21).  You might know the Wolfpack's shot clock operator that season.

 "Andy Kennedy, sharpshooter," Tanner replied when I asked him about Kennedy.

Tanner also served as official scorer during the Jim Valvano era.  But when it came to operating the shot clock, he wasn't above giving his alma mater a slight home-court advantage.

"I liked watching the game better than keeping the score.  You could also start [the clock] a little later when the Wolfpack had the ball," Tanner said slyly.

The clock for the Gamecocks starts at 7:00 p.m. Saturday.

Now that we're prepared, we hope you are as well.  Our coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. EST on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.  We'll see you in Oxford.

January 25, 2012

Pre-tip reads before South Carolina and Alabama collide under the CLA roof:

Pressure Points:  At the end of the day, scouting reports only offer clues, not facts.  Heading into their contest against South Carolina, Auburn had played mostly a 2-3 zone defense.  Outside of the Gamecocks, no SEC team had trotted out more zone than the Tigers.  When the ball tipped, though, Auburn abandoned it for a pressuring man-to-man, crowding Carolina's ball-handlers and making it difficult for them to "catch and create." 

Twenty-three turnovers later, the Gamecocks trudged out of Auburn Arena with a 63-52 loss.  However, the Tigers may have unwittingly prepared the Gamecocks for the defense they'll face Wednesday.  Alabama (13-6, 2-3 SEC), under the steel-melting gaze of head coach Anthony Grant, plays a withering man-to-man which puts the Tide near the top of the NCAA defensive charts:

-          12^th NCAA in scoring defense (57.5 ppg)

-          7^th NCAA in field goal percentage defense (37.3%)

-          8^th NCAA in 3-point percentage defense (27.6%)

-          3^rd NCAA in effective field goal percentage (41.5%)

(as of Jan. 24)

Alabama doesn't trap excessively, overload, or full-court press at every opportunity.   Rather, they pride themselves on "staying in front" and not allowing easy shots.  Darrin Horn mentioned the need to get "easy ones" against Alabama - namely stickbacks and fast-break baskets, before Alabama's defense can set. 

Also important: don't be timid.  In the last two games, Alabama's opponents have 69 free throw attempts to their 35.  Can South Carolina play hard-nosed, fearless basketball, and get easy points at the foul line?  Can Bruce Ellington shrug off the pressure that he knows will come, and still be an effective penetrator?  If he has to play facilitator, can Damien Leonard, Brian Richardson, or Malik Cooke keep the floor stretched with catch-and-shoot jumpers?  Cooke, in particular, may need to take charge - he's only hit 1-9 three-pointers in conference play.

Can South Carolina drive hard like Malik Cooke (right), and get to the free throw line against Alabama?

Last 2 games

Team                      FTA

Alabama                35

Opponents            69

Man to Stop:  Alabama small forward Tony Mitchell (left).  His frontcourt running mate, preseason 1^st Team All-SEC pick JaMychal Green, may drip more newspaper ink, but nobody drips more athleticism on the Tide than the 6'6," 210-pound junior from Swainsboro, Ga.  Mitchell earns "Man To Stop" status because he averages close to a double-double for his career against the Gamecocks (12.3 ppg, 9.7 rpg in 3 games). 

Mitchell is a skyscraping leaper who primarily scores off cuts, offensive rebounds, and transition opportunities.  His ballhandling has tightened, and his ability to score off the dribble has improved, but it still isn't a featured part of his game.  Mitchell will also have the motivation of shaking off a terrible shooting slump - in his last two games against Vanderbilt and Kentucky, he has averaged 3.0 ppg on 2-17 FG. 

Rele-vant Information:  Looking to curb your 2^nd-half defensive struggles?  South Carolina should look no further than Alabama point guard Trevor Releford.  Check out Releford's scoring splits over the last 2 games:

Opponent                             1st Half Pts.                          2^nd Half Pts.

Vanderbilt                             0                                              14

Kentucky                                0                                              17

TOTAL                                    0                                              31

I don't think I've seen anything like that before.  Releford, by the way, rated as Scout.com's 10^th-best point guard in the Class of 2010.  Bruce Ellington ranked 12^th.

Jack-ed Up?  In three career games, junior Lakeem Jackson has averaged 10.7 rebounds/game against Alabama.  He set his career high with 14 boards against the Crimson Tide in the 2010 SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Three pointers?  They don't happen often with Alabama (Right:  freshman Trevor Lacey).

Conversely, the Gamecocks rank 332^nd in the nation in 3pt. defense, permitting 40.1% shooting from three.  Will Wednesday's game offer relief to the rained-upon Carolina defense?  Here's the quirk:  the next highest major-conference teams in 2pt. FG distribution have all faced the Gamecocks.  And all three knocked down more three-pointers than they were accustomed to: 

Opponent                             2pt. Distribution (NCAA Rank)                          vs. USC

Alabama                                62.9% (2^nd)                                                            ??

Southern Cal                         62.3%  (8^th)                                                            53.9%

North Carolina                     61.9%  (12^th)                                                         52.9%

Ohio State                             61.6%  (13^th)                                                         59.4%

South Carolina allowed too many easy drives against Auburn, where the help-side defender stood motionless.  Alabama will want to attack inside.  Can the Gamecocks be more aggressive in their help-side defense, and dare Alabama to beat them from three?  Or will the Crimson Tide defy their three-point percentages like Carolina's other opponents?   

No Trespassers:  Damontre Harris broke his previous career high with 6 blocks against Auburn, most of them of the malevolent, highlight-reel quality.  After rejecting Kenny Gabriel on a baseline dunk in the 1^st half, Harris shook his head wistfully, as if to say, "What were you thinking?"

I asked Harris what he learned most in his freshman season as the backup to Sam Muldrow, Carolina's all-time blocked shots leader.

"He taught me about timing," Harris told me before practice Tuesday.  "You have to anticipate, stay low, and always be ready."

Equally impressive, Harris logged a career-high 37 minutes against Auburn while only committing one foul.  He'll need to bring that same floor presence against Alabama's imposing front line.

And Finally... Brian Richardson's first scholarship offer came from Anthony Grant.  He offered him while still head coach of VCU.

Now that we're prepared, we hope you are as well.  Our pregame coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. EST on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.  We'll see you at Colonial Life Arena.

"I thought the most impressive group was the South's defensive line. Melvin Ingram, Courtney Upshaw and Quinton Coples, to me, are all first-round picks, and they've all played like first-round picks. I'm particularly interested in Ingram, because he's got an atypical body type at 6-foot-2 and 276 pounds. You've got to figure out how to use him, but he's played really well so far."

January 20, 2012

Anyone who saw the schedule knew it would be tough.

Few knew how historically tough it would be.

As the Gamecocks return to SEC play against Auburn (11-7, 1-3 SEC), they do so with an unforgiving gauntlet behind them.  South Carolina opened conference play by facing three teams ranked in the Associated Press' preseason Top 10 poll (#3 Kentucky, #7 Vanderbilt, #8 Florida).  The Gamecocks battled hardily, but dropped all three, the latest a 79-65 setback to Florida.

After some research, I discovered an astonishing stat.  In the last 15 years of the AP poll, only two other schools have opened their conference schedule by facing three straight preseason Top 10-ranked opponents. 

·         In 2008-09, Georgetown - itself a preseason top-25 team - faced Connecticut (AP preseason #2), Pittsburgh (#5), and Notre Dame (#9) in succession.  The Hoyas beat the Huskies, but lost the next two.

·         In 2002-2003, Iowa State hosted Kansas (AP preseason #2), played at Texas (#4), and then hosted Oklahoma (#3).  True to their nickname, the Cyclones must have felt sucked in by an uncontrollable centrifugal force; ISU lost all three.

(Thanks to Chuck Sullivan of the Big East, Rob Carolla of the Big XII, and Heather Hirschman of the ACC for assisting me in the research).

South Carolina's SEC schedule has been literally once-every-five-years arduous.  That said, the Gamecocks offer no excuses for their 0-3 start.  Winning is the expectation, without exception.  The Gamecocks can't let their opening schedule, however brutal, affect their resolve.  Pre-tip reads before the Gamecocks and Tigers lock claws and paws on the Plains:

(By the way, Auburn did not begin the season ranked in the Top 10.)

You Don't Know The Half of It:  If a team struggles with shooting, coaches have shooting drills.  If a team falters on the boards, coaches have rebounding drills.  So how does a coach practice more consistent efforts from one half to the next?  Untimely, up-and-down halves have submarined the Gamecocks in their three SEC games (they currently have a 25.7 point differential between halves). 

I asked Darrin Horn on how he addressed those swings.  While it's important to understand why the drop-offs occur, he says it's more important to maintain the right mentality.

"We've seen this from the last two teams that we've played. You learn to come out and just keep grinding and keep chipping away and keep doing the things you need to do with experience.  Sometimes when it doesn't go well, we let it get to us," Horn told me on "Carolina Calls."

How The Other Half Lives:  Despite matching its win total from last season, Auburn has had its own problems with dry spells.  In a 65-58 overtime loss to LSU, the Tigers managed one field goal in overtime.  They mustered just one field goal in a nine-minute span against Kentucky.  Indeed, Horn may have a kindred spirit in Auburn head coach Tony Barbee, who said this week:  "We're still looking for that catalyst.  One or two guys that can step up and make plays when the game matters."

Carolina and Auburn are separated by a mere .001% in field goal percentage (Auburn  .427, South Carolina .426).  Kentucky, Florida, and Vandy rank 1-2-3 in the SEC in FG%; Auburn sits in 8^th.  Both teams also use a 2-3 zone as the centerpiece of their defensive efforts.  If a drought occurs, which team can weather it better?  Who can knock down a tough shot, or bust a zone with a three-pointer, to snap their team out of an offensive funk?  Look for that subplot Saturday. 

Man to Stop:  Auburn guard Kenny Gabriel.  The 6'8," 209-pound senior leads the Tigers with 8.1 rebounds per game, and grabbed a career-high 13 against the Gamecocks in 2011.  Perhaps he owes his rebounding prowess to his head coach at United Faith Christian Academy in Charlotte, N.C.: former Gamecock forward Tony Kitchings. 

Gabriel drew headlines when he recorded the first triple-double in Auburn history, a 24-point, 13-rebound, 10-block performance against Bethune-Cookman January 2.  He's a rangy, athletic power forward who can back his opponent in the post, but also step out and shoot the three  (he went 0-8 3pt. vs. LSU).  His inside-out game presents a tricky matchup for Carolina.

And Another Thing:  Today marks the 11-year anniversary that Kitchings set the South Carolina school record for rebounds in an SEC game.  Kitchings corralled 18 rebounds against - you guessed it - Auburn.

I Feel You, Bruce:  When Bruce Ellington returned from football, he admitted his basketball "feel" would take the longest to regain.  In fewer reps, Ellington's "feel" feels stronger than ever.

"He's not trying to do too much, and we're not asking him to do too much.  When he didn't play well down the streth last year, that was probably more my fault, because we were asking him to do too much," Darrin Horn said on "Carolina Calls."

Ellington's improved feel may be best reflected in his Assist/Turnover Ratio.  Like any scoring point guard, Ellington must be wary of forcing action that could result in turnovers.  Instead, Bruce has enjoyed his best nights protecting the ball against the top teams in the SEC. 

Opponent                                                             A/TO                                      Ratio

UK, Florida, Vanderbilt  (9 games)                           30A, 10 TO                              3.0

Rest of SEC (11 games):                                        22A,  33 TO                             0.6

Playing Possessed:  For a John Calipari protege, the apple falls far from the tree.  Backed by a 2-3 zone, Auburn's Tony Barbee plays a methodical, slowdown style (10^th SEC possessions per game), with the intent to "grind down" opponents.  The slower tempo shouldn't bother Carolina, which itself favors a low-possession game (12^th SEC possessions per game).  Could the ability to score easy baskets in transition - Carolina poured in 12 fast-break points against Florida, compared to 2 in its first two SEC games - become an X factor?

And Another Thing, Pt. II:  Auburn is led in scoring by redshirt junior Frankie Sullivan (11.2 ppg).  That's not to be confused with this Frankie Sullivan, who co-founded the band "Survivor."

Survivor, of course, is most famous for - you guessed it - "Eye of the Tiger."

And Finally...  6'10" junior Rob Chubb (10.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) has developed into a serviceable big man for Tony Barbee.  Chubb uses his body well, and has good vision for a post player (he has as many assists as blocked shots this season).  Barbee says his team struggles to "manufacture points" when Chubb gets into foul trouble.  Can an aggressive attitude and swarm-to-the-boards style make Chubb a spectator? 

Oddly, Chubb almost played spectator last year in Columbia:  he forgot to pack his game shoes for the trip.  The Gamecocks graciously loaned him an extra pair, sparing the Tigers from scrambling to a sporting goods store Saturday morning in search of size-17 sneakers.

How did Chubb return the favor?  He scored a career-high 18 points.

Now that we're prepared, we hope you are as well.  Our coverage starts at 1:00 p.m. EST Saturday on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.  We'll see you then.

*Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney*

January 13, 2012

Here's the good news:  Vanderbilt, with its 13-of-22 three-point shooting, has left the building. 

Here's the bad news:  an even more prolific three-point shooting team enters the building Saturday.

When it comes to long-range gunning, Vanderbilt plays second fiddle in the SEC to the Florida Gators.  Florida already returned a pair of threats in guards Kenny Boynton (45.3%) and Erving Walker (40.2%).  Throw in Rutgers transfer Mike Rosario (39.3%), 6'10" Erik Murphy (47.1%), and freshman Bradley Beal -- hailed by CBSSports.com as the best three point-shooting freshman in the nation -- and head coach Billy Donovan has five players capable of stroking it from deep.  Florida leads the nation with 11.3 3-pointers per game, and ranks 7^th in the nation in three-point distribution percentage (39.5% of its points come from three's).

NCAA Statistics

Category                Florida                    Vanderbilt

3PM                        1.  (183)                 10.  (151)

3pt. Distribution  8.  (39.0%)             13.  (37.9%)

(as of Jan. 13)

A team that shoots a high volume of three-pointers doesn't figure to have the most efficient offense.  Yet when you combine Florida's strong offensive rebounding, limited turnovers, and ability to get to the foul line, the 13-4 Gators rank #1 in the nation in offensive efficiency.  Over 100 possessions, no team scores more points (121.6) than Florida.  

Like the Commodores, the Gators also come in fresh off their best defensive performance of the season, a 70-48 demolition of Georgia.  Under near-identical circumstances, can the Gamecocks reverse their result from Tuesday?

More pre-tip reads before the Gamecocks and Gators tangle at Colonial Life Arena:

Silencing the Three:  On "Carolina Calls," I asked Coach Horn what broke down in the 2^nd half against Vanderbilt.

"In the first half, we weren't thinking a lot.  Defensively, we were focused on just a few things, and being very active.  Then in the 2nd half, we start thinking about, 'Am I supposed to be doing this?' 'What if that happens?'  Instead of keeping that same mindset," he said. 

That could prove poisonous against a Florida team that won't hesitate to stroke the open three.  Fast-twitch guard Kenny Boynton (left - 18.9 ppg, 2nd SEC) has become exceptionally efficient in his junior season.  Last year, he and Walker were Florida's only legitimate three-point threats.  Now, Florida can stretch the floor with as many as four knockdown shooters, which limits an opponent's ability to bring a help-side defender.  

Tennessee succeeded by contesting shots early, limiting runouts, and affecting Florida's shooting rhythm.  The Gamecocks will need an aggressive, fly-to-the-ball mentality, rather than let their athleticism be bogged down by over-thinking. 

Lessons From Last Year:  The Vanderbilt game also turned when John Jenkins buried a pair of transition three-pointers early in the 2nd half.  Erving Walker, in particular, is fond of the stop-and-pop three.  In its first two SEC games, South Carolina has been outscored 20-2 in fast-break points. 

"Florida is outstanding in transition.  When you jack bad shots or don't take care of the ball, it lends itself to better shots on the other end for your opponent," Horn said.

The Gamecocks did neither in a 72-69 win at Florida last year.  Most important to that victory: 

·         The Gators made 2 of their first 9 three-point attempts, with Carolina flashing a hand on every catch. 

·         The Gamecocks committed 4 turnovers over the final 32 minutes. 

Ball protection and defending the three-pointer.  Can the Gamecocks heed that game plan again?

Let Bruce Loose:  As first announced on "Carolina Calls," Bruce Ellington will make his debut in the starting lineup Saturday.  He's picked an ideal entry point:  of the six SEC opponents Ellington faced multiple times last year, he had his most productive games against Florida.  Take a look at this chart:

Former Gamecock men's basketball video coordinator Brian Edelstein was profiled Thursday by CBSSports.com national basketball columnist Gary Parrish.  You can read the article here. 

We first told you Brian's incredible story on the December 2 edition of our blog, "Inside The Chart."  With Brian's story gaining national attention, we wanted to give you an additional chance to read it.  It's long, but we hope you find it worthwhile.

--Andy Demetra, "Voice of the Gamecocks"

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Originally published Dec. 2, 2011

Unimaginable circumstances led former Gamecock video coordinator Brian Edelstein to his first college head coaching position.  What he has done since is even more remarkable.

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Watch.  Rewind.  Stop.  Click.

The life of a video coordinator follows a tedious, painstaking rhythm.  Life isn't measured by hands on a clock.  It's measured by clips, and edits, and copies-and-pastes.  Players move silently across computer screens, every detail charted and catalogued, until the game is broken down to its most basic, molecular parts.  It's grunt work at its bleary-eyed essence.  

Watch.  Rewind.  Stop.  Click.  For a video coordinator, that routine is repeated tens of thousands of times over the course of a season.  But every now and then, something will interrupt that sequence.  An image will stand out, catch the eye, arrest one's attention, until the person watching can't shake it from his memory.

A year ago, Brian Edelstein was breaking down film as South Carolina's Video Coordinator for Men's Basketball.

This year, he's the interim head coach at the College of Eastern Utah, a respected junior college in Price, Utah.

How he arrived there is marked by an image he won't forget.

The Grind Begins

The coaching bug had burrowed in Edelstein early.  As a freshman at Foothill College in California, he moonlighted as a high school assistant.  By age 20, the San Carlos, Calif., native filled in as interim head coach for a pair of games.  He arrived at South Carolina in 2010 from Kent State, where he served as a graduate assistant. 

Like any video coordinator, Edelstein's job had the holy trinity:  long hours, low pay, and thankless work.  His duties included shooting practice, logging plays, and editing film of opponents - "breakdowns," in basketball lingo.  The job was tiresome, but it came with its share of stress.  No detail could be overlooked.  Video coordinators live in constant fear that a missed clip here, or a wrong edit there, could sabotage their team's preparation -- and thus, their chance of winning.  

Edelstein's white, 1972 Chevelle became an all-hours fixture in the Gamecocks' practice facility parking lot.  Coca-Cola never far from his side, he grinded away at a job that often gives the young and ambitious their first break into college coaching.

"Brian was a really hard worker.  He was very conscientious with everything that he did.  He really picked up on things quickly, very intelligent, and was a guy that took great pride in doing his job well," Horn said.

In July, an assistant at Kent State phoned Edelstein with a tip.  His friend, Brad Barton, the newly appointed head coach at the College of Eastern Utah, was looking for an assistant.

"I wanted to get back on the west coast.  It's in the premier junior college conference in the country.  I knew we had a chance to compete for an NJCAA title, and recruit at the highest junior-college level.  Being able to be a first assistant was a big part of it, too," Edelstein said of his interest.

Edelstein interviewed over the phone.  Three days shy of his 25^th birthday, Barton offered him the job.  Edelstein headed to Eastern Utah, sight unseen. 

At an elevation of 5,957 feet, Price, Utah (population 8,400) sits in a picturesque swath of mining country an hour south of Provo.  Clay colored mountains dotted by vegetation surround the town.  Its centerpiece, the College of Eastern Utah, has enjoyed a decorated basketball tradition.  NCAA Tournament legend Harold "The Show" Arceneaux starred for the Golden Eagles.  So did NBA players Eddie Gill and Ime Udoka, and 2011 NBA Draft pick Darington Hobson. 

When Edelstein arrived at CEU, he immediately clicked with his new boss.  A 31 year-old former Weber State guard, Brad Barton led Eastern Utah to a 23-7 record as interim head coach in 2010-11, then was promoted to the job permanently.

"The thing I liked most about him was his competitiveness," Edelstein said. "He told me his college coaches had to change the rules to every drill, because he'd always find a loophole to win.  He'd do whatever he had to do to win."

In the sedate days of August, where time drips by slowly with recruiting and administrative tasks, Edelstein and Barton licked their chops at their team's potential.

"When I got here, we had a ton of talent.  Truthfully, there was more than both of us realized.  I was definitely excited for how good we could be," Edelstein said.

Both circled the same date:  October 1.  The first official day of practice for junior colleges.

"A Pretty Standard Day."

Edelstein knew about Brad Barton's health challenges.  The College of Eastern Utah head coach had Type 1 Diabetes.  Edelstein figures he suffered seizures about once a month.  It also gave Barton trouble sleeping.  Overcome by restlessness, he'd sometimes return to the office late at night, clock a few hours, and return later in the morning. 

So when Barton didn't arrive for work the morning of Tuesday, October 4, Edelstein thought nothing of it.

"Then it got close to lunchtime, and I shot him a text and didn't hear from him.  He might have been on a different schedule; I wasn't worried.  Then we hit close to practice time [3:00 p.m.], and I started thinking, 'I'm a little worried he had a seizure.'"

Edelstein left his office and headed to Barton's basement apartment a few blocks away.  He banged on the door.  No answer.  Edelstein broke a part of the door and forced his way in.

"Then I saw him."

Barton lay in the bathroom, unresponsive.  Edelstein pulled out his phone and called 911. 

It was too late.  Brad Barton, 31 years old, was dead.  Medical examiners have not released an official cause of death, though most believe it was brought on by a diabetic seizure. 

Edelstein - the video coordinator so hawkish on details - doesn't remember much about the following minutes.  Paramedics shuffled in and out of Barton's apartment.  A police officer asked him to write a statement.  Calls were made to Barton's friends and coaching colleagues.

Then Edelstein realized he had to do something else. 

"Truthfully, what I was dreading most was telling our team," he said.

A mile away, Golden Eagles players were still in the gym, waiting for their coach to start practice.  Edelstein had to go directly from Barton's apartment to break the news. 

He still can't remember how he delivered the message, or what reaction his players had.  That part is buried under a fog of grief.  But the scene that greeted Edelstein when he arrived at the gym remains burned in his mind.  

"I was thinking, 'Maybe they'll be shooting around.'  But they had started practicing on their own, doing drills.  That was unreal to me.  That's a testament to [Barton], and the discipline he instilled in some of them.  That was pretty incredible," Edelstein said.

Rising From Grief

Darrin Horn endured a tragedy of his own while head coach at Western Kentucky.  In May of 2005, his junior guard, Danny Rumph, collapsed and died after playing a pickup game in his native Philadelphia. 

"You're dealing with it yourself personally -  which is hard enough because of your care and concern for people - but you also have to help 10 or 11 guys, and staff members, and everybody else, get through it as well.  

"It's really a life-changing event," Horn said.

But how do you handle a life-altering event when it occurs three months into your first college coaching job?  Brad Barton had trained some of Eastern Utah's players since they were in high school.  He was a second father to many who had come from tough backgrounds.  How does a 25 year-old pull together 18 emotionally-shaken young men - some of whom were only two years younger than Edelstein -- just three days into preseason practice?

When he learned of Barton's death from assistant coach Mike Boynton, Horn called his former video coordinator.

"He was very positive, as I expected him to be," Horn said.  "I told him to stay strong and keep doing the right things.  You're a high-character guy.  You're a hard worker.  Your job is just to be there for your players as best you can."

The next few days were a blur.  Edelstein still struggles to recall the details.  A crisis counselor helped mourning players.  Students and faculty waited in lines at the Eastern Utah student center, writing farewell messages on blue and gold blankets.  Barton's funeral was held inside the Weber State gymnasium.  Through it all, Eastern Utah administrators faced a delicate decision:  finding a successor to Barton. 

A day before the funeral, Edelstein interviewed for the position of interim head coach.

"I would have been fine otherwise, but I was 25 years old," Edelstein said. "They were concerned about a couple of things.  And I didn't want to campaign for the job."

Edelstein didn't want to, but his players did.  They lobbied to CEU administration to make him interim head coach.  They'd already suffered the loss of their coach.  They didn't need the added stress of learning a new playbook from an outside candidate.

A week later, Edelstein was summoned to the Athletic Director's office.  The job was his.

 "[My players] were happy," Edelstein said after telling his team at practice three hours later.  " I told them, this is what we all wanted.  Now we have to prove to everybody that they made the right decision."

They wouldn't wait long.  The next day, Eastern Utah was scheduled to play in a preseason jamboree in Salt Lake City.

Continuing the Legacy

On the night of November 4 -- one month to the day after he found head coach Brad Barton dead in his apartment -- CEU opened its season under interim head coach, and former Gamecock video coordinator, Brian Edelstein.  If he had butterflies, they disappeared long ago when he had stepped in as a high school head coach.  Besides, he had more pressing issues:  two projected starters, 6'6" Max Zhakarov and 6'2" Troran Brown, had been ruled ineligible.

CEU's opening-night opponent, Impact Academy, a prep school out of Las Vegas, began the game by sinking nine of its first 10 shots.  Eastern Utah drilled them by 30.

The Golden Eagles haven't looked back.  Edelstein led CEU to victories in its next eight games, averaging 85 points per contest.  A loss last Saturday to Western Wyoming finally snapped the Golden Eagles' 9-0 start.  Athletic Director Dave Paur, who also serves as the women's coach, has stepped in as Edelstein's assistant.  Another coach, Dave Hammer, works part-time, commuting from Salt Lake City and travelling with the team for their weekend games.  And Barton's parents, Noel and Pam, have come to several of the Golden Eagles' games to show their support.  "That's been really special, just continuing what their son valued in a team and doing his family proud," Edelstein said.     

 While he still uses Barton's playbook, Edelstein acknowledges he has borrowed some of Darrin Horn's teaching concepts.

"We're guard-oriented.  We want to trap.  We want to fly around.  There's no out of bounds in our practices, like at South Carolina.  There's no quitting," Edelstein says.

Halfway across the country, as his team prepares to face Clemson, Edelstein has found an admirer in his former boss.

"It's hard enough to make that jump, period.  But to make that jump in the circumstances he made it in, it's an unbelievable challenge. To see him do it well, I think it speaks volumes about him and his work ethic and his ability to stay the course," Darrin Horn said.

"The bottom line is whatever's thrown in front of you, you've got to keep going," Edelstein said, reflecting after a recent CEU practice.  "You can't live life with what-ifs."

His current circumstances wouldn't permit it.  Besides, if Brian Edelstein did, he might miss the incredible images unfolding in front of him.

Steve Spurrier: "This is another "first" that we're proud of - another goal reached. There's still some room higher than that, and we'll shoot for that next year."

January 10, 2012

Fouls have a cruel irony.  The cheapest often end up being the costliest. 

At the 13:50 mark of the 1^st half Saturday, Damontre Harris forlornly folded his 6'9" frame into a blue Rupp Arena folding chair.  The Gamecocks' sophomore center took the repose of a reluctant spectator.  After a strong start against the #2 Wildcats - he blocked a shot, dunked a miss, and forced a turnover on the first three possessions -- Harris picked up his second foul challenging a Doron Lamb drive.  He didn't return again in the 1^st half. 

Carolina only trailed Kentucky 10-7 at the time.  But with the Gamecocks' top post player out of commission, the Wildcats smartly went on the attack.  Nineteen of Kentucky's final 25 points of the half were scored in the paint or at the free-throw line (14 in the paint, 5 FT).   Even Darrin Horn wondered in our post-game interview what impact Harris might have had, had fouls not consigned him to the bench.

As South Carolina prepares to face 11-4 Vanderbilt (9:00 p.m. EST, Gamecock IMG Sports Network), Harris' importance cannot be understated.  Though not a featured scorer, he has all of the indispensables for a Gamecock victory:  game-changing length; a team-high 32 blocks; and the ability to score on stickbacks.

After going through the play-by-play charts, it's obvious the effect an early second foul has on Harris - and the rest of the Gamecocks:

Damontre Harris 2^nd Foul

Opponent             Time of P2            Score                      Halftime Score                     Differential

WCU                       14:57                     WCU 5-3                35-25 USC                             (+12)

Tennessee St.       9:53                       TSU 12-7                33-19 TSU                             (-9)

MVSU                     8:48                       USC 21-8               30-26 USC                             (-9)

North Carolina     8:22                       UNC 27-16            45-32 UNC                            (-2)

S.C. St.                    10:38                     USC 23-6                45-23 USC                             (+5)

Kentucky               13:50                     UK 9-7                    34-18 UK                               (-14)

Vanderbilt has a pair of muscular big men in 6'9," 245-pound Steve Tchiengang (4.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and 6'11," 255-pound Festus Ezeli (6.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg).  A preseason 2^nd Team All-SEC pick, Ezeli has returned slowly from a sprained right knee, but remains a power presence in the paint.  Especially critical to Harris:  Ezeli led the SEC in fouls drawn per 40 minutes last year (7.4 FD/40). 

Coach Horn said of Vanderbilt: "offensively, they're as good, if not the best team in our league in terms of versatility."  In addition to Ezeli and Tchiengang, guard John Jenkins (20.3 ppg) and ultra-athletic slasher Jeffery Taylor (17.4 ppg) rank 1^st and 3^rd in the SEC in scoring.  Point guard Brad Tinsley binds the offense with a team-leading 4.1 assists/game.  After a #7 preseason ranking, the Commodores have slowly started to play like an experienced, late-March threat again.  With so many diverse scorers, the Gamecocks can't afford one of their key cogs handcuffed by foul trouble.  Can "Big Tre" avoid the early second-foul blues, and be the presence the Gamecocks need?

More pre-tip reads before the Commodores and Gamecocks lock horns at Colonial Life Arena:

Damontre Harris Free Throws

Year                        FTM-FTM                               FT%

2010-11                 13-22                                     59.1%

2011-12                 18-23                                     78.3%  (+19.2%)

Man to Stop:  Vanderbilt three-point threat John Jenkins.  Few shooters in the country inspire more hold-your-breath moments than the Commodores' 6'4" shooting guard, who uses his hair-trigger release to pour in an SEC-leading 20.3 ppg.   Not only can Jenkins score (45.9% 3pt.), but he opens the floor for his teammates.

Of all the players I've watched, few top Jenkins' ability to read screens, slow his defender down, and create space for his jump shot.  Vanderbilt runs lots of "five-out motion" against zone defenses, with Jenkins sprinting along the baseline or cutting through the middle (usually with a screen).   Darrin Horn did not like his team's consistency "flying around" defensively against Kentucky.  Jenkins will get his shots; the Gamecocks need to make sure the majority of them are well-challenged like Cleveland State did in a win this year.  The Gamecocks' 2-3 matchup zone will call for a collective effort, with no lapses in communication. 

Grand Dame:  While Jenkins is undeniably a three-point threat, the Gamecocks have had someone with Jenkins-line accuracy lately:

Last 6 games                         3pt. FGM-FGA                      3pt.%

John Jenkins (VU)                 24-44                                     54.5%

Damien Leonard (SC)           12-23                                     52.1%

And to think Leonard is only shooting 33.3% from the floor.

Pick and Rolled Over:  Vanderbilt head coach Kevin Stallings questioned his team's defensive consistency heading into SEC play.  His team more than received the message.  Vanderbilt throttled Auburn 65-35 Saturday, allowing the fewest points in school history to an opponent in the shot-clock era.

In their overtime win at Colonial Life Arena, Vanderbilt matched 6'7" Jeffery Taylor on Bruce Ellington, hoping Taylor's 10-inch height advantage and not-of-this-Earth athleticism would bother Bruce.  Instead, Ellington and Sam Muldrow flummoxed Vanderbilt with a succession of screen-and-rolls, leading to 7-15 3pt. in the 2nd half. 

Horn told me this pre-season that one of his team's keys would be the ability for his forwards - namely Malik Cooke and R.J. Slawson - to knock down three-pointers.  Can they succeed in making the screen-and-roll an effective triple-threat against the Vanderbilt defense (Ellington shoots, Ellington drives, screener shoots)?

Wait A Second... "Home team rims" apparently don't exist against Vanderbilt.  The Commodores are allowing 23.1% from three-point range away from Memorial Gymnasium (19-of-82).

And Finally...  Vanderbilt guard Dai-Jon Parker's name means "Gift of Hope."

The Gamecocks hope to give him very little of it in their SEC home opener.

Now that we're prepared, we hope you are as well.  The night shift starts with "Countdown to Tip-off" at 8:30 p.m. EST on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.  We'll see you at Colonial Life Arena.

January 6, 2012

If you're going to start... start at the top. 

South Carolina (8-6) opens SEC play Saturday with a visit to #2 Kentucky (14-1), the pre-season favorites for their 45^th conference title.  The profile for UK sounds familiar:  long, freshman-oriented, and highly-skilled.  But this year's iteration - called the most athletic team John Calipari has fielded by head coach Darrin Horn - is becoming known for something else:  unrepentant defense.  Using their telescopic length, the Wildcats rank 1st in the nation in blocks (9.2/game) and FG% defense (34.7%).

So what's the blueprint for the Bluegrass State?  Enjoy our "Pre-Tip Reads" before the Gamecocks head to Lexington. 

And we begin by examining another long-armed opponent that the Gamecocks chopped down to size.     

Well-Heeled:  On November 25, South Carolina lost to then-#1 North Carolina 87-62 at the Las Vegas Invitational.  Kentucky and North Carolina not only share lofty rankings, but similarities in a couple of key categories:

Category                                North Carolina (NCAA Rank)             Kentucky (NCAA Rank)

Average height                     79.1"  (1)                                               78.9"  (2)

Rebounding Margin            (+11.8)  (2)                                            (+8.3)  (12)

Both teams use oversized guards and long, nimble "bigs" to attack the glass.  Kentucky has outrebounded its last two opponents, Louisville and Arkansas-Little Rock, by a comical +53.  Yet in Las Vegas, South Carolina outrebounded North Carolina by +8 (43-35). 

How did the Gamecocks do it?

"Especially for us, because we're a low-possession team right now, we created more easy opportunities by getting to the offensive glass.  That's one of the things we did pretty well [against UNC].  It needs to be a collective team effort for us.  The guards have to get down and help," Coach Horn said.

Crashing the offensive glass will force Kentucky to match bodies.  As a result, the Wildcats may not be able to break out in transition as much.  Kentucky may have a more relentless rebounding attitude than North Carolina, but it shows the Gamecocks have had success staring down Sequoia-sized teams.

Man to Stop:  Kentucky has a solid nucleus of "veterans" in senior Darius Miller (10.9 ppg), sophomore Doron Lamb (team-high 14.9 ppg, 45.9% 3pt.), and sophomore Terrence Jones (11.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, SEC-leading 12 double-doubles last year).  Yet with any John Calipari-coached team, the difference maker inevitably traces back to a freshman. 

Enter forward Anthony Davis.  A 6'10," 220-pound native of Chicago, Davis has a strawman's physique and a #1 NBA Draft pick's game.  Davis leads the nation with 67 blocks (4.46/game), a figure that would tie him for 54^th nationally as a team.  Darrin Horn even compared his shot-blocking presence to that of Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing, and Alonzo Mourning in college. 

With tremendous instincts and a high motor, Davis has the mobility to contest shots on the perimeter or rotate for blocks in the paint.  His 7'4" wingspan equals Damontre Harris', and like the Gamecocks' big men, he runs the floor well.  Offensively, Kentucky doesn't run many structured plays for him, but his soft hands and high energy allow him to catch lobs and score off putbacks. 

South Carolina slowed North Carolina's John Henson - a similarly-built, explosive shot blocker - by pushing him off the block and initiating contact on their post moves.  Kentucky head coach John Calipari remarked that Davis "is way tougher than he was earlier [this season]."  Can the same tactic deliver results against Davis? 

Taking Charge:  How many 6'8," 235-pound power forwards lead their team in charges?  Through 13 non-conference games, freshman Anthony Gill has sacrificed his body for a team-leading 8 charges drawn. 

Ready to Step Up:  A pair of Gamecocks will try to redeem themselves from subpar performances:

·         Bruce Ellington, bothered by Kentucky's big guards, shot a combined 4-22 FG (18.2%) against UK last year.

·         Against #1 North Carolina and #2 Ohio State, Lakeem Jackson had a combined plus-minus of -27.

Ellington functions best when he has room to slash and use his first-step explosiveness.  Jackson is most effective when he's banging around the basket, pinballing for rebounds.  The Gamecocks need to keep the floor stretched, so those players can serve their roles.  Whether that means R.J. Slawson or Damien Leonard knocking down kickout three's, or Malik Cooke drawing double-teams, Ellington and Jackson need to be involved.

The Dark Arts of the Matchup Zone:  No matter how abundant their talent, the Wildcats' inexperience can still rear its head at inopportune times.  Case in point:  Kentucky has committed season highs in turnovers against zone teams.  The Wildcats had 21 turnovers against Old Dominion, which runs a disciplined zone scheme.  Kentucky coughed it up another 21 times against Louisville - which, as discussed on Wednesday's "Inside The Chart," runs a matchup zone similar to South Carolina. 

Kentucky  Most Turnovers 2011-12       Defensive Profile

T-1.  21 vs. Old Dominion 11/20/11       Zone

T-1.  21 vs. Louisville 12/31/11               FC Press/Zone

Not surprisingly, Gamecock coaches have studied tape of those games. 

"You would think a pressing, trapping, man-to-man, deny-everything, crawl-in-their-shorts defense would create the most turnovers.  But oddly enough, sometimes zone defenses do that." Horn told me on "Carolina Calls" Thursday.