GAMECOCKS

Usually I refrain from talking about the South Carolina Gamecocks on this blog. I love all the teams wearing the garnet and black. My boys would tell you how irritated I can get watching them play, especially football. But last night I enjoyed what I think was the greatest game (not in terms of close endings or such) the basketball team has played here (that I have watched). . . beating Kentucky in a display of concentrated effort. Yes, there have been other big games and exciting last-second wins, but in this one they played like I can't remember seeing them do before (against a quality opponent); the defensive effort of our frontcourt was awesome. They seemed to block, or at least challenge, almost every shot. And Devon Downey was a whirling dervish. . .exciting even in a couple of plays that he didn't finish with a basket. They all seemed to be juiced. I just can't imagine what Darrin Horn said to those guys before the game and during the halftime, because they were all blazing. You had to give some credit to that Patterson kid for Kentucky. . .he played hard all the way to the end, but he also had to be mightily frustrated by our big men. For once, there just didn't seem to be any letdown, rare for a Gamecock squad. I hope they play with that level of intensity for the rest of the season. Even more, I hope someone bottles it and sneaks it into the water during the football season.