Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] On this episode of Cox Talking Gamecocks, Asia Wilson's number. Retirement, more of the same from men's basketball, and a fun Shrine bowl update. Okay, here we go.
[00:00:54] Okay.
[00:00:56] Welcome to episode 295 of Cox Talking Gamecocks. I am your host, Tim Cox, where I will keep every episode from 1801 to 2001. Hope y'all had a great weekend. Gamecocks. Happy Groundhog's Day to those who celebrate. Think I saw that. Punks Tony Phil said six more weeks a winter. That guy only. I also only saw that his predictions are right about 35% of the time, going back like a hundred years. So hopefully he's wrong. Cause let me tell you, I am over the cold. I am tropical by blood. I want to be in warm weather. So screw Punxsutawney Phil. Good movie, though. Groundhog Day, if you haven't watched. But nonetheless, hope y'all had a great weekend out there. For anyone who is done with dry January, congratulations. Hope y'all had a drink to celebrate. Watching sports. No football at all this week. Feels weird. Feels really weird. You know, like, what the heck am I doing just watching Netflix on the couch after the women's game on Sunday? So, yeah, I don't know. Definitely an interesting weekend between the holiday dry January ending and no football. But nonetheless, here there was some Gamecock action to catch y'all up on. This episode might be on the quicker side. Wasn't a ton going on, but let's bring y'all up to speed here before I jump into the basketball games here. Fun note it was this past weekend. I talked about it a little bit last episode, but you had the Senior Bowl. You had the Shrine Bowl. So it was that time of year where collegiate guys are getting a chance to showcase their skills. We've talked about that. You've seen it online and whatnot. But if you missed it, O'Donnell Fortune, our guy, was named defensive MVP of the Shrine Bowl. He had a pick six, another pass breakup, great coverage numbers. So shout out to OD Fortune. Hopefully he got even more eyes on him. And I think it was even Kyle Canard who said they don't call him Fortune for no reason.
[00:03:07] Really cool to see. I mean, all the guys, they put in so much work. They deserve to be shouted out. They deserve to be rewarded at the next level. But you talk about OD Fortune for a minute here. I mean, that's a guy who really paid his dues. Like, that's what college basketball. Excuse me, college football. And, you know, I mean, Basketball, too. But college football, you know, used to really be all about that. And I think when you find someone in a program that allows you to stay in, earn your stripes, develop and get better, you have your moment, you know, he had to earn his way to the field, earn that playing time, was playing behind guys who ultimately went to the league and who had that number one spot he had. He would have plays here and there. And then the more he got asked to play, the more he grew into it. And then finally was the CB one for this team. Showed out, was great this past year and probably has a future in the NFL because of it. So really, really cool. Shout out OD fortune and shout out to all of our Gamecocks who were in the Shrine Bowl. Kai Kroger was there and the Senior bowl as well. But okay, moving to purely University of South Carolina games and action here. Both teams were in action on the hardwood hoops bonanza this weekend here. We'll start things off in chronological order, probably the correct way to do it here, talking men's basketball as they were in action at home Saturday night. You know, this game tipped off late, went kind of late. Was really that sort of way to end your day there. And if you got home from dinner or something, you're still able to really catch most of it. But the Gamecocks hosted Texas A and M, and stop me if you've heard this one before, but the Gamecocks dropped a close game yet again to an SEC opponent. Gamecocks lost to A&M, 76 to 72. And, you know, at this point, it's just almost laughable. I mean, really, like, not our team. You just have to throw your hands up and laugh at just how many close games this team is in. And yet you're just still. Like, one's gotta happen, right? Like, you gotta win eventually. You know, you're playing in these close games, you'd think that you'd get the bounce to go your way in one of them.
[00:05:50] It's just. You have to just throw your hands up and say, you know, some point. It's just, what the heck? It's not for lack of trying, you know, it's not like this team is getting absolutely blown out game after game after game. This team is right there. How many times now?
[00:06:10] I mean, at least four or five.
[00:06:13] And it's just crazy because, like, if you think about it, like, even if we're. We're on the right side of half of these close games, you have a halfway decent season, you know, like, we Might not be tournament bound, but you might be talking about maybe you can make some noise in the SEC tournament, maybe there's a chance you get the nit bid and it's just you end up on the wrong side of these. You know, some of them are one possession games, you know, or a game that was in like in hand late or in that one possession range, like this one here ends up being a little bit more than that. But just these close games are just brutal to watch. And because we haven't gotten over the hump in it, you're just watching it and having that hope as a sports fan and believing that we can get it done because you know we have some good players.
[00:07:16] But at the same time you're just like, I feel like I've seen this play before and I feel like I've said that watching these games so many times this season.
[00:07:26] I mean, in this one Carolina was down eight at the half, but in the second, you know, in the second half they battled, you know, and once again getting right there, you know, having it really late, be a one possession game and then yet again having things slip through your fingers and being just out of reach.
[00:07:51] You know, we've talked a lot about turnovers this season. The turnovers really weren't necessarily outrageous number wise in this game. But it was, at least from my perspective it felt like the timing of them and the manner of when Carolina and how they would turn it over just was brutal. And in these late game situations, just mental mistakes or just silly mistakes, just killing the team once more.
[00:08:21] You know, I mean, before the game I put out my crow to the game in this one And I said CMB and Nick Pringle need to combine for 35 points. I felt that if you can dominate down low with the play you're getting from Jamari Thomas of late, you can get some contributions from guys like a Zach Davis, Morris Ugasuk, Arden Conyers. Right.
[00:08:44] You could piece it together.
[00:08:47] And cmb, you know, he held up his, you know, he'll, he had to held up his end of the bargain. Third time's the charm on that one. He went for 22.
[00:08:58] But Pringle, you know, he's just inconsistent and he continued to be inconsistent offensively and he delivered just five points. You know, he's a guy that's a bit of an enigma from the standpoint of that, where he'll have some games where he flashes double, double like that's what we brought him here for. And then there are some games where he just Struggles and he really like would have been and should be a key piece to this offense here. You know, CMB is really good. He can only do so much, you know, and if Colin can operate more of a four and then you get Nick in there as that five, I think that's where he would thrive. Can, you know, even more so. But nonetheless, you weren't able to get that. He also, in this game didn't necessarily get the bench contributions like we tended to have. Ugasuk had a nice game, you know, credit where credit's due, of course, but outside of that, there really wasn't much help.
[00:10:04] So, yes, I know I'm asking for a lot here, but that's what this team needs right now. It needs a team effort.
[00:10:12] So when those things don't come together, that's the result, you know, And I think that that's just what it's been since the SEC play started, where you're missing one or two key things to fall into place and this team doesn't have the depth or whatever it is to make up for that. And so you're here now.
[00:10:37] Tough game and I don't know, it's been a tough, tough season and. And it's just one of those ones where again, you kind of got to throw your hands up and say, you know, sometimes it doesn't bounce your way, but there's these little things that make the big difference. And when you're in a league that is as competitive of the SEC right now, you can't make those small mistakes. And I think that's what we've seen. And sometimes it's not always easy to put your finger on it, but they're just these couple of moments where teams that we're facing don't make those mistakes or they hit the free throws, you know, they don't turn it over in the trap and things like that. So that right now is, you know, seemingly the difference. But close game here. Again, you fought to the end, which you have to admire. You know, this team could have rolled over, but Coach Paris and these guys are still coming out swinging day in and day out, game in and game out. And you gotta believe we're gonna win one eventually, but boy, it is a tricky going. Player highlights from this game. CMB went for 22, said that already. Jamari Thomas back in the starting lineup, went for 15, and Zach Davis had 12. Up next, the men do not have a midweek game this week. I'm going to say that's probably for the best. You know, I don't know what their practice schedule would look like with that off, but I think having that time to take a little bit of a breath and to maybe take a step back, maybe get a day off, whatever that Lamont Parish decides to do with that opening, I think is probably good for the team. And then you talk about guys like Jamari Thomas who coming back from injury, like maybe lecture, rest, maybe extra treatment, whatever that may be. But I will preview their next game next episode. I believe the boys are heading up to Kentucky, so should be an interesting one there. But then moving over to the other side of things, much more pleasant conversation as women's basketball was in action Sunday afternoon. And very fitting that on 2-2-22, it was Asia Wilson day in Columbia. Her number was retired. Her jersey is up in the rafters forever. And I think it's a very important call out that this is not her jersey retirement. Sometimes you see that in college. This is, her number was retired. Nobody and University of South Carolina women's basketball will wear the number 22 ever again.
[00:13:28] And you just really, you know, you can't say enough good things about Asia Wilson. And seeing the bond that her and Don Staley have to this day, it really is special. And I think it gives us a little bit of a peek behind the curtain into why players have flocked to play for Don. But just biggest of shout outs to Asia. It was really cool what the team did. All the coaches were wearing the shirts that were honoring her. People had the shirts, the bench was wearing them. It was just really, really cool. And then the excitement that she had to be back taking those pictures and whatnot pre game with the team to see them interact with her. It's just that bond is so, so special. So shout out to Asia Wilson. Really, really cool to see, but there was a game to be played. In all the festivities, there was a game to be played. And once the ball was tipped, the Gamecocks faced a scrappy Auburn team that came to play. You know, ultimately Carolina ended up with a comfortable win, 83 to 66. But in the third quarter, things were tight. You know, probably a little tighter than one would have expected, but, you know, the team stayed the course. They got some stops, some quick buckets, and before you knew it, this game was, this game was in hand in the fourth. But really that defense got some big stops there in the third to stop the bleeding, so to speak. Some player highlights. It was fitting to get good play from the post today. Joyce Edwards had 18 points, Khloe Kitts 13 and nine rebounds. And then Malaysia. Fu Wiley also went for 17 points. And you saw some really good complimentary basketball. You saw great stops late in the game by Raven. You saw, you know, great defensive efforts from Malaysia. You saw some heads up plays, getting it down in transition, Chloe making some nice plays. And again, I think you're seeing this team continue to settle in and finding the hot hand in a given game to get the W. Don Staley talked about after the game. Just still working with the team to take the appropriate shots, right? Like maybe working a little bit of, you know, she, she used the word or the, the term like, like try not to be, you know, selfish. Like, you know, distribute the ball a little bit more, but then knowing when it's your shot that maybe you won't get a ton of shots up. But if you're open and you get 8, 10 good looks, that's what you need to take and you'll take that all day. So I think it's this continuous improvement from the team.
[00:16:05] But again, you're seeing good efforts on both sides of the floor against a conference opponent in a big game at home, there's a lot of pressure. You know, there's the fanfare before, before the game. Asia's sitting courtside. A lot of pressure in this game. You know, it was nice that it wasn't LSU or, you know, one of these other teams, but nonetheless, the girls had to get up and they had to get ready for this game. So it was really, really cool to see them get a big W there.
[00:16:31] Up next, the ladies take on Georgia Thursday evening in Athens. Uga tough season. Overall, they are 9 and 14. My crote of the game is let's continue to see Joyce Edwards lead the way. You know, they were talking about it in this game, how she hasn't even peaked at her ceiling yet, right? That's peaked. Like, look, looking right, like you're talking about such a young player who is rapidly developing before our eyes and she has such, such potential to become the next face of not just South Carolina basketball, but I'd say women's college basketball in general. So let's continue to see her lead the way, continue to see that development because as we think about what's coming around the corner towards the end of the season and next month, that when you can bring in someone like Joyce off the bench who can do a lot of things for you, it just makes you that much more deadly. But with that, y'all, that wraps up this episode. Please follow me on social media, Twitter or X is Cox Gamecocks Instagram is just the name of the show. Cox Talking Gamecocks. And please like subscribe and review the podcast. I appreciate all y'all go Cox.
