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dukelifer
08-26-2012, 09:37 AM
The front page article notes that the 71 victory over UNC was the game that drove Cremins to hide in the mountains. I think that was the 1970 double overtime loss to NC State. In the 1970 game a pass from Roche to Cremins was intercepted and SC lost the game. SC was undefeated in the league and by losing in the ACC- thet did not make it to the NCAA. They also did not get an NIT bid because South Carolina was hosting a NCAA regional game. That is a BAD loss.

Turtleboy
08-26-2012, 09:52 AM
The front page article notes that the 71 victory over UNC was the game that drove Cremins to hide in the mountains. I think that was the 1970 double overtime loss to NC State. In the 1970 game a pass from Roche to Cremins was intercepted and SC lost the game. SC was undefeated in the league and by losing in the ACC- thet did not make it to the NCAA. They also did not get an NIT bid because South Carolina was hosting a NCAA regional game. That is a BAD loss.Exactly. Why would he hide after a win?

Olympic Fan
08-26-2012, 12:37 PM
Well, to begin with, Cremins was a senior in 1970 and didn't even play in 1971 during the Joyce/Dedmon moment. As a matter of fact, sophomore Kevin Joyce -- a 6-3 New Yorker -- was the guy who replaced Cremins in the starting lineup.

Cremins started and played small forward (at 6-2) as a sophomore in 1968 with four seniors, Jack Thompson and Skip Harlicka were the guards, Frank Standard was the other forward and Gary Gregor was the team's only big man. Cremins actually had his best scoring year as a soph (9.1) and played a huge role when South Carolina upset No. 2 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Dean kept fouling him down the stretch and Cremins, a 59 percent FT schooter, ended up making a ridiculous number, something like 13 of 14. Cremins later told a group of reporters that he lost his virginity that night as he was lionized when the Gamecocks got back to Columbia!

The next year, Cremins again played forward on a team that started four sophs -- John Roche and Billy Walsh in the backcourt, Tom Owens and John Ribock (in contention as the dirtiest player in ACC history) up front. That was a bigger team and Cremins' scoring dropped. South Carolina played a very slow pace and their offense consisted of Roche and Owens playing the pick and roll almost all the time. That team beat Duke twice in the regular season, but the Devils knocked them off in the ACC semifinals in Charlotte. South Carolina went to the NIT -- which all the New Yorkers on the team loved -- and expected to do well. After winning their opener, Walsh put his hand through the glass of a revolving door and was lost. Shorthanded (McGuire never had a bench), the Gamecocks lost to Army (as a young Army guard with an unpronouceable name put the defensive clamps on Roche).

Walsh flunked out of school and didn't play again. But McGuire had a new piece -- New York big man Tom Riker. He moved into the starting lineup at center, Owens and Ribock played forward and Cremins played guard. He still didn't score much and Roche handled the ball. That team dominated the ACC, going 14-0 and was barely threatened. They were coasting through the ACC Tournament when, late in a lopsided semifinal win over Wake Forest, Roche went down with a badly twisted ankle. He didn't start in the title game, but he came off the bench early and played almost all the way in a double overtime game. He was terrible, shooting 4-for-17 from the field. As noted above, Ed Leftwich stole the ball from Cremins (McGuire later complained that it should have been a foul -- he said Cremins had his thumb dislocated) and scored what proved to be the winning basket.

It was a crushing loss for South Carolina. The Gamecocks were 25-2 and ranked No. 3 in the nation when they lost. They were hosting the East Regionals on their home floor in Columbia. They were sure they were going to the Final Four. Imagine the disappointment when they lost that game -- added to the fact that because they lost, they couldn't even play in the NIT (that was the tradeoff at the time -- teams were allowed to play on their homecourt in the NCAAs, but when they were hosting, they could not play in another tournament).

It's not hard to see why Cremins took to the hills ... that was a crushing loss in his last college game.

-jk
08-26-2012, 01:37 PM
The front page article notes that the 71 victory over UNC was the game that drove Cremins to hide in the mountains. I think that was the 1970 double overtime loss to NC State. In the 1970 game a pass from Roche to Cremins was intercepted and SC lost the game. SC was undefeated in the league and by losing in the ACC- thet did not make it to the NCAA. They also did not get an NIT bid because South Carolina was hosting a NCAA regional game. That is a BAD loss.

I think Julian isn't always fully alert when he's updating the board at O-dark Hundred.

I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you use the "contact" link on the main page when you see obvious errors.

-jk

dukelifer
08-27-2012, 06:44 AM
I think Julian isn't always fully alert when he's updating the board at O-dark Hundred.

I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you use the "contact" link on the main page when you see obvious errors.

-jk

Will do. No offense meant. Both stories were interesting and worthy of discussion. A number of us have wanted to head to the hills after a bad Duke loss ;)