Basketball at a football stadium? Gamecocks settle in with new confines
South Carolina guard Rakym Felder never has been shy about shooting the basketball, and that approach won’t change despite playing a large venue this weekend in the Final Four.
Felder and the rest of the Gamecocks got their first looks Thursday at the 76,000-seat University of Phoenix Stadium as they held a closed practice.
“I’m still going to shoot my 30-footers,” Felder joked. “I know I didn’t feel any different. I was out there shooting and practicing.”
Guard Justin McKie said the new surroundings will take a little getting used to. All the teams will have another practice on the court Friday.
“It was interesting, seeing the guys out there today shooting balls, listening to them,” USC coach Frank Martin said. “But it will be fine. Kids are players, man. We go out to a park right now and play on 8-foot rims – the first couple of seconds it takes a while and eventually everyone adapts and shoots the ball in the basket.”
Don’t call us underdogs
South Carolina is the lowest remaining seed (7) to make it to the Final Four but the Gamecocks don’t want that underdog label.
With wins over powerhouse programs such as Duke and Florida in the NCAA Tournament, USC players feel like they belong on college basketball’s biggest stage.
“We consider ourselves a great team,” South Carolina guard P.J. Dozier said. “We are amongst the greatest teams here at the Final Four, and anyone that is playing now has the right to deserve to be called a great team.”
Another No. 1 for USC
South Carolina’s matchup against Gonzaga will be the third time in the NCAA Tournament it has played a team ranked No. 1 at some point this season.
The Gamecocks defeated Duke, 88-81, on March 19 in the second round and knocked off Baylor, 70-50, in the Sweet 16.
Surprise visitor
Gonzaga coach Mark Few had a special visitor for his players at their hotel Wednesday night.
Former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant spoke to the Gonzaga players, gave them his new shoes and took pictures with the Bulldog players.
“He walked in, my heart dropped and I started sweating,” Gonzaga guard Silas Melson said. “I never have been so starstruck in my life. It was great listening to him talk basketball. I could listen to him talk basketball all day. He is so intelligent about the game.”
Tip-ins
The South Carolina-Gonzaga contest is the first Final Four matchup with both teams making their first Final Four appearance since 1973, when Providence played Memphis. … Gonzaga is 12-7 all-time against the SEC. … Kansas guard Frank Mason III was named The Associated Press Men’s Basketball Player of the Year and Gonzaga’s Mark Few the Coach of the Year. It was the first time a Kansas player has won the AP Player of Year award.
This story was originally published March 30, 2017 at 9:15 PM with the headline "Basketball at a football stadium? Gamecocks settle in with new confines."