Nov. 21, 2005
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THE BASICS South Carolina (2-0; 0-0 Southeastern Conference) faces Texas (1-1; 0-0 Big 12) at 3:30 p.m. EST on Fri., Nov. 25 in first-round action at the Junkanoo Jam played at St. George HS in Freeport, Bahamas.
ON THE AIR The game will be broadcast live on WISW 1320 AM Columbia, with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis. For listeners outside of Columbia, the live broadcast will also be aired worldwide via the internet on the official web site of South Carolina athletics, www.uscsports.com.
ACCESSING THE WEB BROADCAST To access the internet broadcast, go to www.uscsports.com, then click the “Audio/Video” link at the top of the screen. Follow the prompts from there to select the game you want to listen to.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION The Junkanoo Jam is hosted by the Bahamas Basketball Federation and features games played on Nov. 25 and 26. The four teams in the field are South Carolina, Texas, Purdue and George Washington, with the Boilermakers and Colonials facing off at 1 p.m. EST on Friday and the Gamecocks and Longhorns doing battle immediately after. The consolation and championship games will both be played on Saturday, with the consolation set for 1 p.m. EST and the championship played immediately after.
SPOILED ROTTEN Each of the four teams competing will stay at the beachfront Our Lucaya Beach and Golf Resort, considered to be Grand Bahama’s most spectacular resort and have boating and snorkeling trips included as part of their itinerary for the week.
TOUGH COMPANY The Junkanoo Jam field is loaded with very good teams. Texas is ranked No. 12 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, while Purdue is ranked as the No. 19 team in the nation by the Associated Press and No. 24 by the coaches. George Washington is receiving votes in the Associated Press poll. South Carolina returns its entire roster from a year ago and has a total of nine upperclassmen that are accustomed to facing the nation’s best week in and week out in the Southeastern Conference.
THE COACHES Susan Walvius is in her ninth year at the helm of the South Carolina women’s basketball program and her 16th year overall as a head coach. Prior to USC, she coached at Virginia Commonwealth and West Virginia. The 2002 SEC Coach of the Year led the Gamecocks to consecutive top-20 national finishes and NCAA tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003. Her 2002 squad advanced to the Elite Eight. Texas head coach Jody Conradt is one of the top coaches in the history of the sport. A four-time selection as the National Coach of the Year, she has led the Longhorns to 11 conference championships and one National Championship (1986). She is one of only five coaches in the history of college basketball (men or women) to win more than 850 games during her career. The other four are Pat Summitt, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp and Bob Knight. Purdue is led by seventh-year head coach Kristy Curry, whose time in West Lafayette has been marked by success. Curry has taken the Boilers to the NCAA Tournament every year and has yet to lose in the first round. Included on her resume are an NCAA runner-up finish in 2000-01 and a trip to the Elite Eight in 2002-03. She led Purdue to a pair of Big Ten titles in 2001 and 2002 and Big Ten Tournament titles in 2000, 2003 and 2004. George Washington mentor Joe McKeown is in his 17th season at the helm of the Colonial women’s basketball program. During his tenure, he has led GW to 10 Atlantic 10 Championships and four Atlantic 10 tournament championships.
COACHING QUICK HITSSouth CarolinaSusan WalviusAlma Mater Virginia Tech, 1986USC Record 116-117/9th yearOverall Record 214-218/16th year
TexasJody ConradtAlma Mater Baylor, 1963Texas Record 752-216/30th yearOverall Record 869-278/37th year
PurdueKristy CurryAlma Mater La. Monroe, 1988Purdue Record 153-44/7th yearOverall Record 332-115/15th year
George WashingtonJoe McKeownAlma Mater Kent State, 1979G. Washington Record 363-134/17th yearOverall Record 431-154/20th year
WALVIUS IN NON-CONFERENCE GAMES Entering the Junkanoo Jam, the Gamecocks have compiled an 82-39 record in regular-season non-conference games under Susan Walvius, including a 51-8 mark in non-conference games played in Columbia.
A CAROLINA WIN OVER TEXAS WOULD: • Move the Gamecocks to 3-0 on the year, marking the first such start for Carolina since the 2002-03 season. • Mark USC’s first win over a ranked opponent since an 83-59 triumph over No. 13 Arkansas on Feb. 16, 2003. • Snap a 15-game losing streak against ranked opponents. • Even the all-time series against Texas at one win apiece. • Mark the Gamecocks’ second consecutive win over a team from the Big 12 Conference. Carolina handed Missouri a 72-60 defeat in 2001 in its last meeting against a Big 12 foe. • Improve Carolina’s record to 4-3 all-time against teams from the Big 12.
A CAROLINA WIN OVER PURDUE WOULD: • Even the all-time series between the two schools at one win apiece. The Boilermakers claimed a 68-53 win over the Gamecocks in the only previous meeting between the two schools played in 2000. Purdue went on to play in the national championship game that season. • Improve Carolina’s record to 16-7 all-time in games played against teams from the Big Ten Conference.
A CAROLINA WIN OVER GEORGE WASHINGTON WOULD: • Give the Gamecocks a victory in the first-ever meeting between the two teams. • Move the Gamecocks to 7-2 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10 Conference. • Mark Carolina’s third consecutive win over an Atlantic 10 opponent. The Gamecocks knocked off Temple in both 2001 and 2002.
DEFENSIVE MINDED South Carolina is off to a 2-0 start thanks in large part to its defense. The Gamecocks limited High Point and Winthrop to a combined .246 shooting percentage and forced an average of 24.5 turnovers per game in holding the two teams to an average of 38.5 points per game.
DEFENSE TURNS IN ONE FOR THE RECORD BOOKS When South Carolina defeated High Point, 71-35 to open the season, the Gamecocks established new Colonial Center facility records for least points allowed in a single game (35), lowest opponent field goal percentage (.200 pct.), and fewest field goals made in a game (12).
POINTS OFF TURNOVERS A KEY STAT Through the first two games of the season, Carolina owns a 55-20 advantage in points off turnovers.
CRASHING THE GLASS The Gamecocks have made a living on the offensive boards, grabbing 21 in both the season opener against High Point and in their win over Winthrop. Carolina has grabbed more offensive rebounds this year (42) than the opposition has grabbed defensive rebounds (33).
CASHING IN AT THE CHARITY STRIPE Through two games, South Carolina has gotten to the free throw line an average of 27.5 times per game and have converted on 69.1 percent To put those figures into perspective, the Gamecocks got to the line 17.4 times per game last season and converted on only 56.3 percent of their attempts.
ADAMS OFF TO FAST START South Carolina freshman Demetress Adams came to USC as one of the top post players in the state last year and has not disappointed early on. The Lee Central HS graduate recorded a double-double in her first game at the collegiate level, scoring 11 points and grabbing 12 boards against High Point. She came back to score a game-high 17 points and grab nine rebounds in Carolina’s next game against Winthrop.
MJ 23 = HER AIRNESS? Junior Melanie Johnson is without question one of the best athletes on the team and is a threat to record a double-double on any given night. After notching six double-doubles last season, it only took her two games to post her first of the 2005-06 campaign, as she scored 15 points and collected a game-high 13 rebounds in the Gamecocks’ win over Winthrop.
ASSISTS LEADER NOT A TYPO Through the first two games of the year, junior Iva Sliskovic leads the Gamecocks in assists with 3.5 per game. Sliskovic is a 6-5 power forward, but has done well distributing the ball and putting her teammates in a position to score.
NEEDING MORE FROM THE BACKCOURT In the Gamecocks’ wins over High Point and Winthrop, Carolina has been able to get by without much production from their guards. That will likely not be the case against teams that play at the caliber of Texas, Purdue and George Washington. Carolina’s three primary guards, Lauren Simms, Stacy Booker and Lea Fabbri, have combined to convert on 11 of 35 attempts from the field (.314 pct.), and three of 21 attempts from three-point range (.143 pct.).
PALMETTO STATE NATIVES DOT CAROLINA ROSTER A total of seven native South Carolinians are included on the 2005-06 Gamecock roster, including four players from Carolina’s backyard of Columbia. Lauren Simms (Spring Valley HS), Angela Hunter (Columbia HS), Lakesha Tolliver (Dreher HS) and Brionna Dickerson (Heathwood Hall) all hail from Columbia, with Melanie Johnson (Barnwell HS), Ebony Jones (Aiken HS) and Demetress Adams (Lee Central HS) also staying in-state for college.
TURNING THE CORNER After two years of fielding a roster comprised almost exclusively of freshmen and sophomores, Susan Walvius now has a roster loaded with game-tested players. Though forward Olga Gritsaeva is the only senior on the team, a total of eight juniors and one redshirt sophomore will take the court for Carolina in 2005-06. Experience is no longer an obstacle for the Gamecocks, rather, it is a strength.
CHARTING CAROLINA'S GAME EXPERIENCEPlayer Games Played Games StartedOlga Gritsaeva 79 38Iva Sliskovic 59 52Lauren Simms 56 55Larissa Kulcsar 56 7Lea Fabbri 50 19Stacy Booker 50 12Shannel Harris 47 11Angela Hunter 31 8Melanie Johnson 30 11Ilona Burgrova 31 19Lakesha Tolliver 27 3Demetress Adams 2 1Brionna Dickerson 2 0Ebony Jones 1 0Total 525 238
ABOVE THE REST When taking a look at the Carolina roster, it is not difficult to see that the Gamecocks have an extraordinary amount of tall players. A total of eight players are 6-0 or taller, with Carolina’s average height a robust 71.9 inches (just a shade under six feet). To put that height into a competitive perspective, the Gamecocks are the 15th-tallest team in the nation and the fifth-tallest team in the SEC behind national leader Tennessee, Auburn, Georgia and Alabama.
THE SWAT TEAM Carolina’s height was a contributing factor to the Gamecocks shattering the single-season school record for blocked shots in 2004-05. Carolina swatted 176 shots on the season (6.1 per game), shattering the previous record of 115 blocks set in 2001-02.
JOHNSON LEADS THE SWAT TEAM With 54 blocked shots last season, forward Melanie Johnson took sole possession of second place on the South Carolina single-season blocks list. She came just four blocks shy of Teresa Geter’s school record of 58, set in 2000-01.
CAROLINA PLAYER SINGLE-SEASON BLOCKS RECORDS1) 58 Teresa Geter, 2000-012) 54 Melanie Johnson, 2004-053) 53 Michelle Murray, 1990-914) 49 Michelle Murray, 1991-925) 48 Petra Ujhelyi, 2002-036) 45 Petra Ujhelyi, 2001-02
GETTING IT DONE IN THE CLASSROOM The past two academic years have been marked with excellence for the South Carolina women’s basketball team in the classroom, evidenced by the fact that the Gamecocks set a team record with a combined 3.347 grade point average during the spring, 2005 semester. Juniors Larissa Kulcsar and Lauren Simms both earned spots on the University’s President’s List for posting perfect 4.0 grade-point averages. In addition, senior Olga Gritsaeva and juniors Lea Fabbri and Shannel Harris were recognized with spots on the Dean’s List for GPAs above 3.5. Another two players, Ilona Burgrova and Lakesha Tolliver, also had GPAs above 3.0. Larissa Kulcsar was one of 50 USC Business Majors selected for the International Undergraduate Business Program. She participated in a Study Abroad Program in Germany this past summer. Olga Gritsaeva did her sport and entertainment practicum overseas this past summer and worked with teams from several countries. Her responsibilities took her to Europe, Asia and Northern Africa. A total of seven players earned spots on the SEC Winter Sports Academic Honor Roll in 2004-05, with Lea Fabbri, Olga Gritsaeva, Shannel Harris, Larissa Kulcsar, Lauren Simms, Iva Sliskovic and Lakesha Tolliver all receiving conference recognition.
FRESHMEN STAR IN THE CLASSROOM AS WELL A pair of the top high school players in the state of South Carolina join the Gamecock women’s basketball program in 2005-06, as former Lee Central star Demetress Adams and former Heathwood Hall phenom Brionna Dickerson will suit up this season. Though their talents on the court have been well-documented (the duo was rated as the 13th-best recruiting class in the nation by Blue Star Index, Adams was selected as the No. 31 senior and No. 10 post player in the nation by All-Star Girls Report and Dickerson averaged an eye-popping 40 points per game in high school and scored more than 3,400 points in a career that was cut short due to an injury early in her senior year), these two student-athletes are more than just gifted basketball players. They are gifted students. With her choice of schools, Dickerson chose to stay home and enroll in the Honors College at South Carolina. “The Honors College at South Carolina is right on the level of the Ivy League schools,” Dickerson said. “That is really one of the main reasons why I am coming to USC. It gives me an Ivy League experience with the opportunity to stay at home. The business school within the Honors College is number one among all public universities and only about 50 people per year get admitted, so I am excited for the opportunity.” As for Adams, the first-team all-state performer plans on earning her degree from South Carolina, then enrolling in law school with aspirations of opening up her own law firm and eventually becoming a judge. “I am very excited to come down to USC because it is a great school in a great location and a great city,” Adams said. “Academically, South Carolina does a great job of keeping its players focused on grades and keeping them on the right track in the classroom.”
SLISKOVIC A KEY DIFFERENCE-MAKER Since arriving on campus, Iva Sliskovic has been a very important player for South Carolina, as the team’s winning percentage jumps drastically when she scores in double figures. Sliskovic has reached double-figures in 23 games during her career. In those 23 games, South Carolina has compiled a 13-10 record. When Sliskovic scores less than 10 points, the Gamecocks have compiled a 7-29 mark.
3FGM STREAK REMAINS INTACT AT 120 The Gamecocks have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 120 consecutive games during a streak that dates back to November of 2001 and is the longest such streak in school history.
NEW FACES ON COACHING STAFF Tammy Holder and Ken Griffin are the two newest additions to the Carolina coaching staff, as both were appointed to assistant coach spots this off-season. Holder came to Carolina from Cal State Northridge, where she was recognized as the Big West Coach of the Year in 2005 after leading the Matadors to an 18-win season as the head coach. Griffin is in his first year as a collegiate coach, but is a well-known figure on the AAU circuit as the director of scouting for Southeast Roundball Journal from September of 2004 until the time he joined the Carolina staff.
WHAT’S NEXT The Gamecocks are back in action when they host Georgia Southern at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 29 at the Colonial Center. Both of Carolina’s games at the Junkanoo Jam will be broadcast live on WISW 1320-AM with Andy Demetra handling play-by-play and Robin Muller providing analysis.
