devan downey

SEC News & Notes: Blocks Record, POY, More

Jason Brubaker — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 07:21:03 -0800

Some SEC News & Notes, as I am trapped inside with around 18 inches of snow on the ground here in Cincinnati. (Yes, I realize other areas of the country have much more than that, but this gives me an excuse to be lazy and stay in front of the television watching college basketball). So without further ado, here's what's happening around the league.

•    Wayne Chism has never been the most popular player amongst opposing fans in the SEC, but even the most ardent Tennessee opponent has to admire his play this year. Since the dismissal of forward Tyler Smith, Chism has averaged 15 points and a little over eight rebounds per game, and has piled up three-double-doubles in that time, including a monster 26-point, 12-rebound effort in a win over Ole Miss. He’s also taken on more of a leadership role, playing through numerous injuries to help the Vols stay on track for the NCAA Tournament.. His inside/outside game causes mismatches for opponents, and he's even played his way onto the NBA radar as a possible second-round pick. If the Vols make any noise this postseason, it's a certainty Chism will lead the way.

•    LSU has been awful this year (0-11 in the SEC), but the play of Tasmin Mitchell shouldn't be overlooked. Mitchell is averaging 17 points and just a shade under 10 boards per game, and should surpass 2,000 career points by the end of the season. He's seen it all during his LSU career, visiting the Final Four as a freshman, suffering a season-ending injury as a junior, and now struggling to lead an undermanned team as a senior. However, his effort has always been terrific, and by all accounts, he's a terrific leader on and off the floor. I'm sure he envisioned a better senior season than this, but regardless, he deserves recognition for a great overall career.

•    The SEC Weekly Awards have been finding their way to Lexington quite a bit this year. Through the first 14 weeks, Kentucky has claimed 12 awards, including ten Freshmen of the Week awards and two Player of the Week awards. John Wall alone has five FOW awards, and his sixth could be on the way after a near triple double against Mississippi State. The next best school? Vanderbilt, with four awards, including two FOW awards for guard John Jenkins.

•    How different would Arkansas' record be if they had Courtney Fortson all season? Fortson was suspended the first 14 games of the season, as the Hogs went just 7-7. Since his return, he's averaged 19 points, five rebounds and six assists, and the Hogs have climbed to first in the jumbled SEC West. Fortson's energy and scoring ability has pumped life in Arkansas, and they're going to be a tough out in the SEC Tournament.

•    His team is just 14-11, and he's likely to go undrafted in the upcoming draft. He doesn't have the exposure of players like John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, and, if he wasn't in uniform, he might be mistaken for a team manager. Yet South Carolina's diminutive superstar, Devan Downey, has firmly planted himself in the SEC Player of the Year argument. In conference games, Downey is averaging a shade under 29 points per game, despite being the focal point of every opposing defense. Downey's detractors will point out that his numbers have been inflated because he has taken more than twice as many shots as anyone else on his team, which is currently fifth in the SEC East. However, what he's done this year is nothing short of remarkable for an undermanned team that needs him to score - and score big - to have a chance to win. The Gamecocks' record may prevent him from taking home the award, but I'd have a hard time arguing against him.

•    With five regular season games left, as well as at least a couple of postseason games, it's almost a certainty that Jarvis Varnado will end his career with more blocked shots than anyone in Division I history. The long-armed Mississippi State senior is only 14 blocks shy of tying Louisiana Monroe's Wojciech Mydra, who holds the record with 535 blocks. After Tuesday's loss to Kentucky, Varnado is averaging 4.9 blocks per game, meaning he should be in striking distance of the record during the Bulldogs' Feb. 27 match-up with South Carolina. Of course, he also has 24 career games with seven or more blocks, so he could get there even sooner. It's not every day that an NCAA career record falls, and Varnado should be congratulated on his efforts when he gets there.

•    And finally, to the Mississippi State fans who threw objects on the floor following the heart-breaking loss to Kentucky...grow up. Emotion and passion are what makes college sports great, and we've all been frustrated as fans when things don't go our team's way, but there's no excuse for what happened on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs were undermanned and outclassed in talent, yet played their tails off the entire game and nearly pulled off an incredible upset. But instead of their team being congratulated for their effort, it's the fan base that is getting the headlines, and for all the wrong reasons. I realize that it only takes a few fans to make an entire stadium or arena look bad, but this unfortunately gives a black eye to the entire university. Let's hope this is something we don't see again.

Devan Downey: CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week

Jeff Borzello — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:16:30 -0800

CollegeHoops.net Player of the Week: Devan Downey, South Carolina

Sometimes, picking a Player of the Week is difficult. In some weeks, one has to go through dozens and dozens of box scores, seeing which players had two good games during the week, which teams did well and were carried by a certain player and then narrow it down to eight or nine players. After that, you have to pick a few of the marquee performers and then eventually choose one. This week, however, was easy. Forget West Virginia’s Da’Sean Butler and his 27 points against Louisville; forget Illinois’ Demetri McCamey’s 19 points, eight assists and buzzer shot vs. Indiana; forget Greg Monroe’s 21 points, five rebounds and five assists against Duke; forget Quincy Pondexter of Washington averaging 28.0 points and 11.5 rebounds this week; forget everything.

The clear Player of the Week honor this week has to go to Devan Downey of South Carolina. In case you don’t follow college basketball, or sports in general – and I’m guessing that’s doesn’t cover any of the people reading this, since you’re, well, reading this – Downey had 30 points and single-handedly led the Gamecocks to an upset of No. 1 Kentucky on Tuesday. While he did shoot just 9-for-29 from the field against the Wildcats, Downey’s craftiness and scoring ability late in the game enabled South Carolina to get the victory. Downey also grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists and banned two steals. That performance would have likely won him this week’s honors anyway, but Downey wasn’t done. The diminutive 5-9 waterbug of a guard dropped 33 points and hit the game-winning basket with 50 seconds left to give South Carolina a one-point victory over Georgia.

In the two games this week, Downey averaged 31.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals – and only 1.5 turnovers per game. Overall this season, Downey is now averaging 22.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 3.1 steals per game. While his shooting percentages are not overly attractive, it is Downey’s clutch scoring ability and innate knack for getting into the lane that makes him so difficult to contain. If he continues to play like this – and leads South Carolina to some more big victories – Downey and the Gamecocks could be in the thick of things come Selection Sunday.

Previous CHN Player of the Week:

Jan 26: Jerome Dyson - UCONN

Jan 19: Scottie Reynolds - Villanova

Jan 12: Scotty Hopson - Tennessee

Jan 5: Ashton Gibbs - Pittsburgh

Dec 29: Mike Gerrity / Devin Ebanks

Dec 22: Dexter Pittman - Texas

Dec 14: Jacob Pullen - Kansas St

Dec 7: Trevon Hughes - Wisconsin

South Carolina Basketball Preview: #30

Joel Welser — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:46:56 -0700

Overall Rank: #30

Conference Rank: #4 Southeastern Conference

2008-09: 21-10, 10-6

2008-09 postseason: NIT

Coach: Darrin Horn (21-10 at South Carolina, 132-58 overall)

Usually a 10-6 record in the Southeastern Conference is good enough for an NCAA Tournament bid, but that was not the case for South Carolina last season. Instead the team had to settle for the NIT. With an improved SEC, and what appears to be an improved Gamecocks squad, Coach Darrin Horn is looking towards an NCAA appearance during his second year leading the program.

Key Losses: G Branden Conrad, G Zam Fredrick

Key Newcomers:

And because of Coach Horn, the Gamecocks have a solid recruiting class that will provide some much, much needed depth. The backcourt gets most of the talent with the addition of point guard Ramon Galloway, shooting guard Stephen Spinella and wing Lakeem Jackson. Galloway is a talented ball handler who can also play the shooting guard spot, Spinella will bring some size to the two guard position and can provide a quick scoring punch with his outside shooting ability and Jackson is a strong and versatile wing who could be starting from day one. The frontcourt only gets one player, but Johndre Jefferson, a junior college transfer, can hit the glass and block shots.

Backcourt:

Devan Downey is the unquestioned leader of this team. While Zam Fredrick will certainly be missed, Downey is the reason South Carolina was so close to an NCAA berth. After averaging an impressive 19.8 points and 4.5 assists as a junior, Downey is ready to carry this team as far as he can. However, Downey will need some help from his fellow guards and the only other returning option is Brandis Raley-Ross. The 6-2 senior was a superb sixth man last year and will likely step into a starting spot, if he can hold off the newcomers, and he needs to remain productive no matter how many minutes he plays.

Frontcourt:

The frontcourt is full of options. Mike Holmes, Sam Muldrow and Austin Steed are all juniors who Coach Horn hopes can fill most of the minutes under the basket. Holmes, despite being only 6-7, is the bruiser of the bunch. He will mix it up with anybody under the basket. But he is not simply a player who will grab a ton of rebounds and play solid defense, he also averaged 10.8 points per game last year. Muldrow missed nearly half of last season, but the 6-9 Florence, South Carolina product is a proven rebounder and the team’s best shot blocker. Steed was a pretty productive reserve who was stuck down the depth chart a ways, but could be a surprisingly productive player if given the opportunity. Add senior Evaldas Baniulis and his tremendous outside shooting ability to the mix and the Gamecocks have plenty of talented forwards.

Who to Watch:

However, the most talented forward of them all is small forward Dominque Archie. The 6-7 senior is an amazing athlete who can play on the wing or under the basket. It will be interesting to see where Archie fits into coach Horn’s team this year. During the 2008-2009 campaign he spent most of his time on the wing due to a lack of guards. If the newcomers can fill that void on the wing, Archie will move to the four spot and that will give South Carolina the extremely quick team that they want.

Final Projection:

No matter where Archie plays, he should improve on his 10.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks average of a season ago. With Downey and Archie leading the way, this will be a high powered offense that should rank in the top 25 in the nation in scoring. And all those points will lead to enough wins to reach the NCAA Tournament as long as the freshmen on the perimeter and Raley-Ross can replace Fredrick.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

Projected Starting Five:

Devan Downey, Senior, Guard, 19.8 points per game

Brandis Raley-Ross, Senior, Guard, 7.0 points per game

Dominique Archie, Senior, Forward, 10.9 points per game

Mike Holmes, Junior, Center, 10.8 points per game

Sam Muldrow, Junior, Center, 5.6 points per game

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College Basketball Preview - 144 Teams in 144 Days - Alphabetical Ranks/Previews

Devan Downey Returning to South Carolina

Press Release — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 09:21:20 -0700

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina men's basketball player Devan Downey announced on Saturday that he has withdrawn his name from the 2009 National Basketball Association's draft pool and will return to school for his senior season in 2009-10.

Downey earned numerous postseason awards, including First-Team All-SEC by the league's coaches and the Associated Press, while he also earned Honorable Mention All-American accolades by the AP. He secured another impressive season in the statistical categories in 2008-09. Downey led Carolina with 19.8 points per game, scoring a total of 614 points - the most by a Gamecock in a single season since 1980-81. Downey continued his strong effort on the defensive end as well, swiping 89 steals (2.9 per game). His 192 career steals rank fourth in Carolina history, while his 3.0 career steals per game average currently ranks atop the Gamecock record book. Downey scored double figures in 30 of South Carolina's 31 games in 2008-09, including 15 20-point and two 30-point efforts. He collected his 1,000th career point (including one-year total from Cincinnati) and also tallied his 1,000th point in the Garnet and Black during the season.

"Devan and I have been on the same page throughout the process," South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn said. "The feedback he received from several NBA teams and personnel will continue to help him grow as a basketball player. Devan is a special young man and player, and we are glad to have him back for his senior season."

Devan Downey to Test NBA Draft

Press Release — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 07:18:04 -0700

COLUMBIA, S.C. - South Carolina junior point guard Devan Downey has announced today that he will submit his name for the pool for the 2009 NBA Draft. Downey will not hire an agent, leaving open the opportunity to return to the Gamecocks for his senior season.

"I feel at this point in my career it is important for me to test the draft waters to see what the next logical step in my basketball career is," Downey said. "I told Coach Horn of my decision and he has been very supportive throughout the entire process."

"We support Devan's decision to enter his name in the draft and evaluate himself against other potential draftees at workouts," South Carolina head coach Darrin Horn said. "We will continue to work to gather accurate information in an effort to help Devan make the best decision for himself when the time comes."

Downey secured another impressive season in the statistical categories in 2008-09. He led Carolina with 19.8 points per game, scoring a total of 614 points - the most by a Gamecock in a single season since Zam Fredrick Sr. posted 781 points during his school record-setting season in 1980-81. Downey's 614 points rank sixth in the Gamecock record book. Downey continued his strong effort on the defense end as well, swiping 89 steals (2.9 per game). His 192 career steals at Carolina rank fourth in the school record book, while his 3.0 career steals per game average currently ranks atop the Gamecock record book. Downey scored double figures in 30 of South Carolina's 31 games in 2008-09, including 15 20-point and two 30-point efforts. He collected his 1,000th career point (including one-year total from Cincinnati) and also tallied his 1,000th point in the Garnet and Black during the season.

South Carolina's Downey Named SEC Player of the Week

Press Release — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 23:54:45 -0800

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - South Carolina's Devan Downey was named the SEC Player of the Week after averaging 20.5 points, 4.0 assists and 3.5 steals in leading the Gamecocks to wins over Vanderbilt and at Kentucky in league play last week. Downey tallied 18 points, while adding four assists and a team-best three steals in the Gamecock victory over Vanderbilt on Wednesday. Downey backed that up with one of his top performances of the season in Carolina's upset of then-No. 24 Kentucky at Rupp Arena on Saturday when he tallied 23 points, four assists and four steals in the victory. With three seconds left, he nailed a turnaround jumper to give the Gamecocks the one-point victory.

Downey and the Gamecocks travel to face Florida in a matchup on ESPN on Tuesday at 9 p.m.