Jan. 9, 2007

South Carolina, 10-3, travels to Athens, Georgia for its first road game in more than a month when the Gamecocks open their 2007 SEC slate against the Bulldogs on Wed., Jan. 10 at 7:30 pm. Georgia enters the contest with an 8-5 record and has dropped its last four games, including its own SEC opener at Florida on Sat., Jan. 6 (51-67). Georgia won both games last year with the Gamecocks picking up four straight wins prior to last season. The series is tied up at 43 a piece.

The Gamecocks are opening their 16th season in the SEC with their play at Georgia. USC is 5-10 in SEC openers – including 4-5 at home and 1-5 on the road. USC has never opened against Georgia during its 15 years in the SEC.

USC has won its last six of seven games this season, but dropped its last game on Sun., Jan. 7 to No. 9 Kansas in Columbia 70-57. It was USC’s first loss to a top 10 team in four tries. This year USC opened the season with three of the first five on the road and has tallied a 3-1 record on the road. Carolina is 7-2 at home.

The Carolina-Georgia game can be heard on the Gamecock Radio Network with Mike Morgan (play-by-play) and Casey Manning (color analyst). It can be picked up via the internet at www.uscsports.com.

Common

USC and UGA have played three common opponents with both defeating S.C. State and Jacksonville and both also falling at the hands of Clemson.

SEC

USC is beginning its 16th season of play in the SEC. The Gamecocks are 163-224 against SEC foes, including a 43-43 tie with Georgia.

The Gamecocks have won seven or more SEC games in two of Coach Odom’s five seasons at USC (2003-04, 2004-05). Before Odom’s arrival, USC won seven or more SEC games in only three seasons (1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98).

Coach seasons with 7 or more SEC wins Fogler 3 (8 seasons)

Odom 2 (5 seasons)

Newton 0 (2 seasons)

SC vs. UGA

Last season UGA got its first series sweep over USC since the 2002-03 season (2003 – 66-79 in Athens, 65-60 in Columbia). The 60-55 overtime Bulldog win in Columbia on March 9, 2003 was televised nationally on CBS and it Jim Harrick’s final game at Georgia.

Since joining the SEC, the two teams have racked up seven series sweeps: UGA in 1994, 2003 and 2006 and USC in 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2005. USC has won eight of the last 13 against UGA. USC has played more games against the Bulldogs than any other SEC opponent.

Counting?

Including the regular season finale last season at Auburn, USC has won 19 of its last 23 games. This streak includes last season’s wins at Florida State, at Cincinnati, against Michigan and Louisville at Madison Square Garden and this season victories at Southern California, at Baylor in Waco, and at home against College of Charleston. The four losses came against NCAA Champion Florida in the 2006 SEC title game and losses this season at UC-Irvine, vs. Clemson, now ranked No. 14 at 16-0 and then-No. 9 Kansas on Sunday.

Road warriors?

USC has won six of its last seven road games dating back to last season. Those six wins: at Baylor (64-59), at The Citadel (74-59), at Southern California (80-74 OT), at Cincinnati (65-62), at Florida State (69-68 OT) and at Auburn (67-63), but Carolina dropped this season’s road opener 67-52 game at UC-Irvine.

The last time USC laced together six wins in seven games on the road: in 1997 USC won 9-10 road games on its way to the SEC title, posting a 15-1 SEC record with the only blemish being a 77-64 loss at Georgia.

USC has won five of its last six games played on neutral courts dating back to last season, dropping only a 49-47 game to eventual NCAA champion Florida in the SEC final prior to winning its second straight NIT title in New York City with wins over Louisville and Michigan.

Up on the RPI

USC’s RPI is No. 60 on the collegerpi.com. USC’s strength of schedule is ranked No. 86. Georgia’s RPI is No. 88 and its SOS is No. 54.

A little more on them

Tre’ Kelley and Brandon Wallace are working on a number of career milestones this year. The following are some of the categories the two are working on:

Tre’ Kelley

• He has 425 career assists and is No. 7 on the career list. He needs 4 assists to move past No. 6 (Chuck Eidson; 428 assists from 2000-2003). The school record is 543 set by Melvin Watson from 1995-98.

• He is tied at No. 5 with 129 career three-pointers (Mike Boynton, Jr. and Tarence Kinsey). He needs 11 to move to No. 4, passing Jo Jo English (139, 1989-92). The school record is 264 set by Jamel Bradley fro 1999-2002.

• He is No. 4 with 404 career three-point attempts. He needs 12 to move up to No. 3 (415, Larry Davis, 1996-1997). Bradley is the record holder and attempted 686 during his career (1999-2002).

• With a successful season, he could enter the top 10 career lists for most games played (played in 117 games played; No. 10 is 121 by 3), most games started (85 games started; No. 10 is 101 by 2) and most minutes played (3313 minutes played; No. 10 is 3476 by 1).

Brandon Wallace

• He is currently No. 4 in career blocks with 199 He needs 28 blocks to move past No. 3 (Jeff Roulston, 226, 1989-92). The school record is 235 blocks by Danny Traylor (1971-73).

• With a successful season, he could enter the top 10 career lists for most games played (118 games played; No. 10 is 121 by 3).

Welcome Gray, Then Turf Toe Gets Him

Dave Odom announced Dec. 18 the USC Admissions Office had reviewed the application of freshman forward Chad Gray and he had been admitted to USC. He began practice with the team on Tues., Dec. 19 and played two seconds of the Princeton win, grabbing his first career rebound.

Gray then went down with turf toe at practice on Dec. 26 and has been sidelined in a boot since. The boot came off last week, he began conditioning and he could be available for the Georgia game.