While South Carolina’s basketball team couldn’t celebrate any wins Saturday night, the football team celebrated more than anyone really thought it would get.
Gamecocks football coach Will Muschamp, along with new director of player development Marcus Lattimore and about 50 members of the football team, were introduced at the men’s basketball game against No. 21 Tennessee.
South Carolina recognized its football team during halftime, but there’s a difference between being “recognized” and being “celebrated.” When you finish 6-7 and are coming off a bowl game loss to USF, like the Gamecocks did in 2016, you get “recognized.” When you’re 9-4 and coming off a bowl win against Michigan, like the Gamecocks were Saturday night, you get “celebrated.”
The difference was perfectly clear in Colonial Life Arena as the sellout crowd welcomed the team’s appearance on the court with a long and loud cheer. Muschamp opened his remarks by urging the crowd to “welcome one of the great Gamecocks of all time, Marcus Lattimore.” The crowd cheered for so long that Muschamp finally handed the microphone to Lattimore, who did the rest of the night’s speaking.
“I’m so excited to be back,” Lattimore said, “because we’re going up and we’re going to keep going up and we’re going to be holding that (SEC championship) trophy in Atlanta.”
Steve Spurrier made the basketball halftime ceremonies a thing in Columbia, unveiling an SEC East championship trophy in 2010 and celebrating three consecutive 11-win seasons after that.
It had been a dry spell for a while, though. There was a 7-6 season, the 3-9 disaster and then last year’s 6-7. Not a lot to celebrate there, but as the Gamecocks introduced their 13 early enrollees on Saturday night, the home crowd sensed better times around the bend.
Lattimore ended his remarks by saying, “One more thing, one more thing,” and waiting for a dramatic pause before leading the crowd in a chant of “We want Zion, we want Zion.”
That win, though, escaped the grasp of the basketball team as in-state phenom Zion Williamson chose Duke during a Saturday night ceremony, as did the actual game, a 70-63 victory by the Vols.
At least there was football to feel good about.
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