NCAA Men's Basketball Scoreboard: Preview

Recap | Box Score | Today's Scoreboard

South Carolina at Virginia

Posted: Wednesday March 13, 2002 11:39 AM

South Carolina Related Info: Team Page Conference Page City Page: • Columbia Message Boards: • South Carolina • SEC

Virginia Related Info: Team Page Conference Page City Page: • Charlottesville Message Boards: • Virginia • ACC

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (Ticker) -- South Carolina makes its first appearance in Charlottesville since its days in the Atlantic Coast Conference on Wednesday when it squares off against Virginia in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament.

Although South Carolina and Virginia have met three times since South Carolina left the ACC in 1971, this will be the first contest on either school's homecourt since then. The Gamecocks were 8-16 in Charlottesville, with the most recent contest being an 50-49 setback on January 11, 1971 -- their ACC title season. They have lost three of their last four games here.

After 1971, the teams did not meet until a contest on November 24, 1990 in the semifinals of the Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage. Virginia posted a 65-59 victory in that game and downed South Carolina, 93-70, on November 25, 1996 in the opening round of the Maui Invitational.

In the last meeting, the Gamecocks came back from eight points down in the second half and held on for a 73-71 win on November 25, 1999 in the first round of the Puerto Rico Classic.

South Carolina coach Dave Odom returns to familiar surroundings. Odom spent seven seasons as an assistant coach to Terry Holland at Virginia. He left here after the 1989 season and returned annually each of the last 12 years as head coach of Wake Forest. As a head coach, Odom is 17-11 in his career against Virginia, including a 6-6 mark in University Hall.

The Gamecocks (18-14) are in the postseason for the fifth time in the last seven years. They failed to advance to the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game after suffering a 65-57 loss to Alabama last Saturday.

Senior Jamel Bradley scores 13 points per game while Aaron Lucas adds 10.1 points for South Carolina, which is 7-7 in seven previous NITs.

Ranked in the top 25 in 16 of 19 weeks, Virginia (17-11) owes floundered down the stretch and was not selected for the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers lost eight of their last 11 games, including a 92-72 setback to North Carolina State in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday.

This marks Virginia's third consecutive postseason appearance. It played in the NCAA Tournament last year and the NIT in 2000. The Cavaliers won the NIT championship in 1980 and 1992 and are 13-6 in the event.

Virginia is led by Roger Mason, Jr., who averages 18.9 points. He and Travis Watson were both selected to the 2001-2002 Wednesdays winner will face Nevada Las Vegas in the second round.