THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, November 28, 1994 TAG: 9411280144
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 46 lines
Old Dominion goes from playing a team from the Big South conference in its home opener Saturday to a team from a big-time conference tonight.
The Monarchs (1-1) figure a game like the 7:35 meeting with South Carolina at Scope is the best way to inch toward the notoriety they seek for their program.
You beat a Big South team such as Towson State on Saturday, big deal? You beat a Southeastern Conference team - even if it is one of the weaker of the league's 12 teams - and people begin to take note.
Regardless of the outcome, coach Jeff Capel believes games like tonight's and future non-conference foes Tulane, Washington, North Carolina, St. Joseph's and Arizona State will help ODU prepare for Colonial Athletic Association play.
The Gamecocks are anything but a top team in the SEC, but their league may be the country's best. Any victory for a mid-major program over an SEC team is noteworthy.
The Monarchs got one last season on the Gamecocks' home floor in what probably ranked as ODU's second-biggest non-conference win besides its victory over Virginia.
``They were very athletic and had some talented but young big men,'' ODU's Mike Jones said. ``A year's experience goes a long way.''
Not all of South Carolina's experienced players have made it back for coach Eddie Fogler's second season as the head coach. About a month ago junior forward Norm Greene abruptly quit the team and sophomore guard Donnie Mathews broke his leg.
``They both were back and experienced,'' Fogler said. ``It hurt our depth. They were both guys who could contribute.''
With two players on scholarship who are transfers and ineligible this season, the Gamecocks have just eight scholarship players available. Guard/forward Andy Bostick is the leading returning scorer, although guard Carey Rich led the Gamecocks with 21 points in their season-opening 68-66 victory Friday over UNC Asheville, which is picked to finish at or near the bottom in the Big South. by CNB