Men's team picked to finish 12th - Women's team picked to finish 1st in the SEC

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Big disparity between the two teams.

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Honestly, there's a big disparity between the talent levels of the two teams as well.

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Honestly, there's a big disparity between the talent levels of the two teams as well.

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Huge disparity in talent ... goes without saying.

If Martin ever manages to recruit 13 Top 100 players, four of them Mickey D's All-Americans, on the same team ... he's probably win a national championship.

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I'm hoping we finish 7-9.

I'm optimistic heading into the season but that could get killed pretty quickly with our preseason schedule. If we go 0-4 against Baylor, Okie State, Clemson and Iowa State it could be another rough year. I'd like to win at least 2 of those

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2-2 outta those four would not be bad this season.

Iowa State is being played in Brooklyn, right? The other three are at home in the Colonial Center.

Every game after New Year's Day will be televised, at least I think that's what I heard earlier on the radio out of SEC Media Days in Charlotte.

I guess this is our final roster heading into the season ...

5 TeMarcus Blanton G 6-5 209 FR HS Locust Grove, Ga./Luella
24 Michael Carrera F 6-5 212 JR 2VL Anzoátegui, Venezuela/Montrose Christian School
14 Laimonas Chatkevicius F 6-11 251 JR 2VL Klaipeda, Lithuania/South Kent School
12 Austin Constable G 5-11 178 JR 2VL West Chester, Pa./Henderson
21 Demetrius Henry F/C 6-9 226 SO 1VL Miami, Fla./Faith Baptist Christian School
4 Tyrone Johnson G 6-3 195 SR 2VL Plainfield, N.J./Montrose Christian School/Villanova
25 Mindaugas Kacinas F 6-7 227 JR 2VL Klaipeda, Lithuania/Word of Life Fire Traditional School
20 Justin McKie G 6-4 195 SO 1VL Columbia, S.C./Irmo
10 Duane Notice G 6-2 212 SO 1VL Woodbridge, Canada/St. Michael's/St. Thomas More (Oakdale, Conn.)
Shamiek Sheppard G/F 6-6 225 FR HS Brooklyn, N.Y./South Shore/Fishburne Military School (Waynesboro City, Va.)
35 Brian Steele F 6-5 194 JR 2VL Greenville, S.C./Wade Hampton School
1 Marcus Stroman G 6-2 183 FR HS Columbia, S.C./Keenan
15 Reggie Theus Jr. F 6-6 221 SO 1VL Los Angeles, Calif./Fairfax
0 Sindarius Thornwell G 6-5 215 SO 1VL Lancaster, S.C./Oak Hill Academy

... and then, for the women, sheesh this is stronnnng:

0 India Farmer 6-0 SO F North Myrtle Beach, S.C./North Myrtle Beach
1 Bianca Cuevas 5-6 FR G Bronx, N.Y./Nazareth Regional ***
2 Olivia Gaines 5-7 SR G Chester, S.C./Louisburg College (N.C.)
3 Kaydra Duckett 5-8 FR G Columbia, S.C./Dreher
4 Doniyah Cliney 6-0 FR G Newark, N.J./Malcolm X Shabazz
5 Khadijah Sessions 5-8 JR G Myrtle Beach, S.C./Myrtle Beach
15 Tiffany Davis 5-7 SO G Houston, Texas/Westbury Christian
22 A'ja Wilson 6-5 FR G/F Hopkins, S.C./Heathwood Hall ***
23 Tina Roy 5-11 JR G Kaplan, La./Kaplan
24 Aleighsa Welch 6-0 SR F Goose Creek, S.C./Goose Creek (Preseason 1st Team All-SEC)
25 Tiffany Mitchell 5-9 JR G Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day (SEC PotY - Preseason 1st Team All-SEC)
31 Asia Dozier 6-0 JR G/F Columbia, S.C./Spring Valley
33 Elem Ibiam 6-4 SR C Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County
40 Jatarie White 6-4 FR F Charlotte, N.C./Providence Day ***
41 Alaina Coates 6-4 SO C Irmo, S.C./Dutch Fork ***

*** Denotes McDonald's All-American (x4)

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Iowa State is being played in Brooklyn, right? The other three are at home in the Colonial Center.

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Yup which is why I hope we win at least 2

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Martin should have his winningest South Carolina team, but it still might not be enough to take a big step forward into the middle pack of the league.

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... but, but ... but, if the SEC is a weak basketball conference then why are we trying to break out of the bottom of the conference into perhaps the middle of the conference?

We're that bad?

Here's my bet.

If we finish lower than 7th, (meaning 8th or worse), this year, the I will hold a party at the Cockaboose for the eight old-timer young piasanos of mine in late March, from this forum. You know who you are. With the caveat, and the agreement, that my privacy is honored and my identity never revealed. You can drink and eat all you want and we'll party at the Cockaboose and then move over to the Condo and drink and party, at my expense, until the sun comes up. ... and talk Gamecocks.

Confidentiality agreements enforced.

ETA: Most importantly, the # of my Cockaboose must never be, not ever, divulged. Trust is essential here ... and, within that close circle, I'll tell, face-to-face, the board wars story. But I'll absolutely hold you to your promises of confidentiality.

I'll also take you on a tour of the secret places you've never seen before.

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nd a strong finish to the season (winning four of six)

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This is what excites me the most. That was when the team had a full season under its built and the "freshman were no longer freshman" and really started putting some good outings together.

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This is what excites me the most. That was when the team had a full season under its built and the "freshman were no longer freshman" and really started putting some good outings together.

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Not sure why he called our team inexperienced though. I mean the only guy we lost was Brenton Williams.

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Not sure why he called our team inexperienced though. I mean the only guy we lost was Brenton Williams.

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Martin has called our team inexperienced this season? I guess as young as we were last year + the incoming Freshman we are still relatively inexperienced?

Yea I should have quoted to be clear.

Maybe its probably a typo and its supposed to say experienced instead. It seems to me that nobody gives a frick about editing if the article is going online because I spot an error in about a third of the articles I read online.

Guaranteed to be at least one in anything written by Edward Aschoff on ESPN.

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Not sure why he called our team inexperienced though. I mean the only guy we lost was Brenton Williams.

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Poor choice of words if you ask me. Y'all are still young, but a lot of those young players played last year. I think Martin will show well in those 4 key OOC games. He always seems to. The key will be avoiding the let down against the lesser opponents in OOC. If y'all can avoid that, I think you're looking at a fun year. I can't remember the freshman from last year (Thornwell maybe?), but he really impressed.

BTW - You don't get to finish 10th. That's where I have Mizzou finishing.

Best of luck this year guys.

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I think you're looking at a fun year. I can't remember the freshman from last year (Thornwell maybe?), but he really impressed.

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Yep, Sindarius Thornwell is who you're thinking of he was special last year hopefully he can continue to improve and be an even better player than last year. Especially by not having to play at the point, which he had never played before until last year. Kind of remarkable the year he had, especially after Ty went down last year he stepped up big for us that's for sure.

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Best of luck this year guys.

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Same to you.