COLUMBIA --- Dominique Archie believes the change in South Carolina from last fall to this is as simple as winning and losing.
"The main difference is our mentality," the former Josey star said. "We want to be winners. Last year, we lost a lot and accepted it."
Maybe that's why there's a different man in charge this season, Darrin Horn leaving his successful program at Western Kentucky to rebuild the Gamecocks.
"We've seen what Florida and Tennessee have done in recent years and our mind-set is that if they can do it, why can't we?" Horn said. "We have a lot of positives in place."
Still, it won't be an easy rise for the Gamecocks, who were 14-18 a season ago. There are only two players over 6-foot-8 on their 11-man roster: little used 6-10 junior Mitchell Carter and 6-9 sophomore Sam Muldrow who did not play in last week's exhibition game and probably won't play in Friday's opener with Jacksonville State because of what Horn said were academic issues.
They do have an experienced backcourt in Devan Downey and Zam Fredrick. Downey averaged 18.4 points a game last season.
Fredrick, with a 14.8-point a game average, led South Carolina with 68 3-pointers in his first season since transferring from Georgia Tech.
"Devan's intensity level causes everyone around him to raise theirs," Archie said. "It doesn't matter who is on the court with him or how tired he is, he always plays the same way."
Horn's tweaked some of Downey's game, wanting the school's single-season steals leader to be smarter about taking chances. Anything, Horn said, to make the Gamecocks winners.
AT A GLANCE
LAST SEASON: 14-18; 5-11 (fifth in SEC East)
COACH: Darrin Horn, 111-48 overall, sixth year; first year at South Carolina
KEY RETURNEES: G Devan Downey (18.4 ppg, 3.2 spg); G Zam Fredrick (14.8 ppg, 3.6 apg), F Dominique Archie (10.6 ppg, 5.7 rpg)
KEY LOSSES: F Dwayne Day (5.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg)
OUTLOOK: South Carolina is rebuilding but has some strong pieces to build with in an experienced backcourt. They will be small and thin on the inside with the 6-foot-9 Sam Muldrow its tallest member. Horn needs 6-7 Mike Holmes to play bigger than his size as he was the most reliable inside player from a year ago.
-- Associated Press
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