News Nuggets, 03.21.05
NOTES FROM ECU AND BEYOND...
Previous Day Nuggets...
Next Day Nuggets...
Compiled from staff reports
and electronic dispatches
Spurrier straps on visor, gets down to business
PREVIOUS NUGGETS |
03.20.05: Kentucky
proves it still has Bearcats' number ... Memphis zaps
Hokies, starts thinking NIT title ... Davidson tames Bears,
turns focus to Terps ... Preview: (4) Louisville vs. (5)
Georgia Tech ...
More... |
03.19.05: Hodge
leads Wolfpack to comeback win over 49ers ... Louisville
escapes upset bid by Ragin' Cajuns ... Preview: (7)
Cincinnati vs. (2) Kentucky ... Preview: (11) UAB vs. (3)
Arizona ...
More... |
03.18.05: UAB
smothers 6th- seeded LSU in Round 1 shocker ... Bearcats dump
Iowa, set sights on Kentucky ... Preview: (7) Charlotte vs.
(10) N.C. State ... Preview: (4) Louisville vs. (13)
UL-Lafayette ...
More... |
03.17.05: Timeline
on ECU hoops coach Ricky Stokes ... Nothing heals like an
NIT win for Tigers' Washington ... Horned Frogs halt
RedHawks' home streak ... Davidson rips VCU for first-ever
NIT victory ...
More... |
03.16.05: It's
not the Big Dance, but it's a win for DePaul ... NCAA
preview: UAB vs. LSU ... NCAA preview: Cincinnati vs. Iowa
... CORRECTED Final AP college basketball poll ...
More... |
03.15.05: Handicapped
Marquette makes quit exit from NIT ... New arena a factor in
Virginia's firing of Gillen ... Heart attack hospitalizes
Tech football coach ... Final 2004-05 college basketball
poll ...
More... |
03.14.05: 12
current, future C- USA teams earn NCAA or NIT bids ...
Finney dismissed by Tulane ...
More... |
03.13.05: Missed
free throws cost Memphis league title ... Marquette to host
Western Michigan in NIT ... Pac-10 jumps on instant replay
bandwagon ...
More... |
03.12.05: Cards
stand between Memphis and NCAA bid ... Pirates' head trainer
wins statewide award ... N.C. college baseball coach reaches
milestone ...
More... |
03.11.05: Upsets
spawn unexpected C-USA semifinal pairings ... Updated
Conference USA Tournament brackets ... Fla. Intl. baseball
coach gets win No. 1000 ...
More... |
03.10.05: ECU
boosters anoint new leaders ... Tournament shocker: USF
ambushes Houston ... Basden, Pitino cop league's highest
honors ... Marshall football coach hangs up whistle ...
More... |
03.09.05: 49ers'
Basden, Pirates' Hammonds honored by C-USA ... Gamecocks'
Thompson surrenders to police ... Holiday Bowl doles out
highest all-time payout ...
More... |
03.08.05: ECU
QB derby a focus as spring drills kick off ... Pirate
pitcher recognized for taming Dogs ... 2004-05
All-Conference USA basketball team ... Cards top trio of
C-USA teams in hoops poll ...
More... |
03.07.05: ACC
membership no boon for Miami baseball ... C- USA Tournament
brackets and TV lineup ... C-USA Final Regular Season
Standings ...
More... |
03.06.05: C-USA
Roundup: Cards buck trend on day of upsets ... C-USA Final
Regular Season Standings ...
More... |
03.05.05: Last
chance for Cardinals to earn an outright title ... C-USA
basketball standings, scores, schedule & TV ... SEC football
to use instant replay next season ...
More... |
03.04.05: ECU
sprint sensation speeds to the big bucks ... Cards thump
49ers to nail down top seed ... C-USA basketball standings,
scores, schedule & TV ... Spurrier lays down law on behavior
at USC ...
More... |
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COLUMBIA Wearing a new white
Gamecocks visor, Steve Spurrier returned to the college game Saturday,
hitting the practice field for the first time as South Carolina coach.
Spurrier hadn't done this since his
final spring with Florida in 2001, missing the next two years as coach of
the Washington Redskins and sitting out last season after his dismissal.
Afterward, Spurrier was happy to
finally begin the program's revival.
``Guys were excited. Threw the ball
around a little bit. Threw some interceptions, but threw a few completions
here and there,'' Spurrier said. ``It was an OK start.''
About 2,500 people showed up at
Williams-Brice Stadium more than five months before South Carolina takes
to the field for real to greet their newest hero and cheer even the most
routine practice moments.
They clapped when Spurrier dressed in
khaki shorts, a white shirt and black wind vest ran into the stadium and
began working with the quarterbacks. They cheered each time the Gamecocks
hit a long pass something people hadn't witnessed much under the more
conservative attack of former coach Lou Holtz.
For Spurrier, there was no extra kick
at returning to the game where he succeeded at Duke, then won six
Southeastern Conference titles and the 1996 national championship with
the Gators.
``It hadn't been that long. Been
calling the same plays you've called for 20 years,'' Spurrier said.
Not everything went smoothly. During
one stretch, quarterback Antonio Heffner had two fumbled snaps and Michael
Rathe one. When practice ended, Gamecocks assistant David Reaves had the
passers out practicing center exchanges.
And Cory Boyd, elevated to starter with
the dismissal of leading rusher Demetris Summers, pulled his left hamstring
during an individual drill and remained on the sidelines much of the
practice.
Spurrier's first practice moved South
Carolina's focus back to the football field and away from the police
blotter. Since the end of last season, nine players have been arrested and
Summers was kicked off the team.
While no one's happy with the problems,
University of South Carolina President Andrew Sorensen says he's been
pleased with Spurrier's strong response.
``I'm very supportive of how he's
handled all this,'' said Sorensen, who spoke with the players at Spurrier's
behest on Friday.
NCAA Tourney Sweet 16 pairings
& schedule
THURSDAY, MARCH 24
Chicago Region, Allstate Arena (Rosemont,
IL)
(12) UW-Milwaukee (26-5) vs. (1) Illinois
(34-1) 7:25 pm
(3) Arizona (29-6) vs. (2) Oklahoma State (25-6) 9:55 pm
Albuquerque Region, University Arena
(Albuquerque, NM)
(4) Louisville (30-4) vs. (1) Washington
(29-5) 7:10 pm
(7) West Virginia (23-10) vs. (6) Texas Tech (22-10) 9:40 pm
FRIDAY, MARCH 25
Syracuse Region, Carrier Dome (Syracuse,
NY)
(10) N.C. State (20-13) vs. (6) Wisconsin
(23-8) 7:25 pm
(5) Villanova (23-7) vs. (1) North Carolina (28-4) 9:55 pm
Austin Region, Frank Erwin Center
(Austin, TX)
(5) Michigan State (23-6) vs. (1) Duke
(26-5) 7:10 pm
(6) Utah (29-5) vs. (2) Kentucky (27-5) 9:40 pm
Tournament's television
ratings up over 2004
NEW YORK The first two days
of the NCAA tournament were the highest-rated since 1991, the same year CBS
began full-day coverage of the games.
The network's coverage
averaged an overnight rating of 5.0 with an 11 share. That's the best since
1991's 5.0 with a 12 share.
The average through days one
and two were up 4 percent from last year's 4.8 with a 10 share.
The rating is the percentage
of all homes with TVs, whether or not they are in use. The share is the
percentage of homes with sets in use.
Overnight ratings measure the
55 largest TV markets in the United States, covering nearly 70 percent of
the country.
News Nuggets are
compiled periodically based on material supplied by staff members; data
published by ECU, Conference USA and its member
schools; and reports from Associated Press and
other sources. Copyright 2005
Bonesville.net and other publishers. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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