By FITSNews || We’ve made it a point not to criticize University of South Carolina head basketball coach Darrin Horn this season.
Despite a painful late-season collapse a year ago (and a disappointing 14-10 record so far this year) – it’s not time to start heaping scorn and derision on the (Dapper Dannish) noggin’ of the 37-year-old head coach, in our estimation.
Not yet, anyway …
Horn’s Gamecocks have lost several close games this year, haven’t they? And they’ve had to deal with a lot of injuries, right?
Check. And check.
Plus it’s not like exposing mediocrity every really accomplishes anything at USC. Just look at the football program. Or USC’s definition of a “research campus.” We’ve exposed both of those disasters from every conceivable vantage point, and yet the University’s “brain trust” keeps dumping more of your money into the same failed approaches.
It’s how Eric Hyman and Harris Pastides roll, apparently.
Anyway, we’ll be attending this weekend’s South Carolina basketball game against No. 18 Tennessee to take inventory of Horn’s “product” as he heads down the homestretch of his second season in Columbia, S.C.
And by “product” we don’t mean all that gunk in his ‘do … we mean his basketball program.
In the meantime, the subject is Darrin Horn … talk amongst yourselves …
UPDATE: Some of the USC apologists are claiming we didn’t cover USC’s historic upset of Kentucky earlier this season … well, we did.
By just another person February 17, 2010 at 7:34 am
Sic,
Are you crazy about no injuries??? They lost two starters for the year. They lost Archie to a knee and Holmes, well, he got kicked off the team. What Horn has done is amazing bc he is doing it with Freshman and undersized big men. Do a little research before you write this garbage.
By fitsnews February 17, 2010 at 8:14 am
We referenced injuries and close games? WTF?
-FITS
By countryboy February 17, 2010 at 8:25 am
Doing “FAIR” considering the difficulty in recruiting top high school players to a school with little history of winning.
By sclawboy February 17, 2010 at 8:40 am
doing cheerleaders in his free time…
By w February 17, 2010 at 8:50 am
If you’re asking what he is doing in that picture….well it looks like he is measuring Downey’s…….
ankle sprain?
By Scene SC February 17, 2010 at 10:11 am
Considering the fact that we lost 40 percent of our starting line up I would say he is doing a good job. We were a bubble team before the injuries, so those injuries made an NCAA birth a long shot.
Off court I give him an A+ looking at the recruiting class we have coming in. 2 4 star recruits and 3 3 star recruits might make for one of the best recruiting classes in SC basketball history. And we all see what kind of impact freshman can have in the SEC looking at Kentucky this year. Combine that with the solid freshman we have now and Horn’s future is bright here at USC.
By Nobody February 17, 2010 at 10:28 am
And he has recruited a fantastic class for next season. Give him time. Dave Odom was asleep for the last few years he was at Carolina.
By really???? February 17, 2010 at 10:40 am
Why don’t you read the article before you post “garbage” you moron.
By Craig February 17, 2010 at 10:51 am
Hard to grade Horn anything more than incomplete at this point. He is building a program and is going tot struggle next year. After that things should start getting better. I don’t even mind the raise and contract extension he was given earlier this season.
What I do mind is that while Spurrier and Horn’s contracts were extended, Ray Tanner’s was not. All Ray wanted was an extension to four years, no raise, just an extension for recruiting purposes. Hyman has decided that Ray apparently has to produce more to just get an extension, not a raise mind you, an extension. I guess the AD’s standards for baseball are higher than they are for all other sports, seeing as Ray Tanner and Curtis Frye are easily (and I mean easily) the most successful coaches at Carolina.
By Bobby February 17, 2010 at 11:06 am
I think Coach Horn is doing well. If Archie were playing, I think we would possibly have 2-4 more wins than we do. But it is always hard to speculate on things like that. Regardless, Horn is definitely better than what we had before, and he at least has the potential to make us an SEC contender in the future.
By OhNoNotAgain February 17, 2010 at 11:58 am
Well, hard to judge. When it works, even in losses, the offense and the aggressive defense are fun to watch.
But is it good because it’s a good plan?
Or is it good becaus eof Devan Downey. We’ll see.
By Myles Keogh February 17, 2010 at 12:08 pm
Craig hits the nail on the head regarding Ray Tanner. How do you give extensions and raises to Spurrier and Horn and yet fail to give one to Tanner and Frye? Obviously Carolina feel comfortable in rewarding mediocrity then rewarding excellence.
FITS,
I applaud you for staying on top and criticizing the INNOVISTA boondoggle but I would also like for you explore the out of control spending by Mr. Hyman and his athletic dept. Hyman’s Obama-asque spending is quite disconcerting. Debt piling up on debt. The ESPN money will only go so far and Mr. Hyman’s smoke and mirrors Capital Campaign still appears to be stuck in the “silent phase. Which means that with the exception of Dodie Anderson’s generous contribution he has raised about as much money as the former Moore School of Business dean did in raising that fictious money required to meet Darla Moore’s matching gift. I do not question the fact that Carolina’s atheltic facilities are lagging but how and when is all this going to be paid for?
By joebo February 17, 2010 at 1:37 pm
A work in progress. Give him some more time….
By new fan February 17, 2010 at 1:58 pm
Very, very well! The things he can effect are A+. Injuries, etc., cannot be prevented. Students have great new spirit and recruiting is better than ever. Go to some games and see the differences in emotion out there, players and fans. A man of great character, Carolina lucky to have him.
By Tom February 17, 2010 at 5:10 pm
You can’t judge a basketball coach by his first two years. McGuire’s and Fogler’s first two seasons were losing seasons.
What Horn has done here is amazing given what he has had to work with, in fact I would be willing tosay that this team has overachived under him, rather than under achieve under Odom. Besides, name another basektball coach in America that can say he has beaten Kentucky three straight times?
Give Horn time and the program will be a winner.
By Kid Charlamaign February 17, 2010 at 5:49 pm
Of course, no mention of the upset of #1 Kentucky (by 60% of the original starting lineup) by the always-down-on-USC-FITS. You could likey read more positive stuff on USC in The Orange and White than on this site.
By Steve V February 17, 2010 at 10:28 pm
16 comments….16 sets of excuses. Explain how we blow a 7 point lead at Georgia with 4 minutes left. Was it injuries? Hell no!. A shitty game plan. Not attacking the basket, throwing up 32 three point attempts. We made 6 trips to the foul line. Hell, we beat the number 1 team in the nation without the same people that are injured. You can’t claim defeat with injuries when what you do have is capable of winning. I have been a big Darrin Horn fan until the last 2 games. And as I write this we are down almost 20 to Arkansas. A team that is barely over .500
By jeff rolston February 18, 2010 at 12:22 am
if we had archie and holmes we’d be a darkhorse final four team and thats no exaggeration. horn beat the no.1 team in the nation with devan downey, sam muldrow and a a bunch of scrubs (raley ross, austin steed) and freshman (lakeem, spinella, and galloway). we got outright cheated last year, 10-6 in the sec, co-sec east divison title, and no ncaa tournament (no team had ever went 10-6 in the sec and not made the ncaas until usc last year), and despite the georgia late game implosion: a team that beat tennessee and vandy- both top 25 teams) and tonights arkansas loss (an away game against the sec west leader), horn had done WAY more than anyone couldve expected with the loss of holmes (who wouldve been the defensive anchor, a shot blocker and low post scorer) and archie (the most athletic, versatile and dynamic athlete on the team, who may have been an even better shotblocker than muldrow, plus a finisher on the break and an inside-outside offensive player and the front man on the full court press). darrin horn is a proven winner as a player and a coach at wku(sweet sixteens). and he just got the no.8 reruiting class in the nation at usc which is beyond a miracle. in fact the bad luck he’s had the last two yeras (getting cheated out of an ncaa berth and the loss of holmes and archie) actually saved usc from being raided by bigger programs, epecialy kentucky, virginia, or a few other high profile schools who needed a coach last year and now he’s locked into a long contract. its obvious tha darrin horn understands basketball and knows how to win. i wouldnt want anyone else as coach and that includes roy williams and john calipari. roy william cant even win acc games with 7 mcdonalds allamericans. you think he couldve beat kentucky with downey and 4 nobodies? the nit will be a huge disappoint this year, but this team couldve easily gone something like 10-20. but still if we beat kentucky and eithr vandy tennessee and win against alabama (not counting what happens with miss. state) we’d be on the bubble. and if we were the only team that beat kentucky (and beat them twice) that might be enough to get us in if florida finishes very stong and gets an at large bid. the chances that scenario will happen: about 5% at best. but its not beyond the realm of possibilty.
By matt February 18, 2010 at 7:22 am
final four team with Archie and Holmes????? You had them last year, and that team was nothing special… Now, I think you would have an NCAA team this year with them. But, this team’s struggles goes far beyond the loss of Downey and Holmes. Horn has a good recruiting class coming in next year, but those guys will be young. With the loss of Downey he has his work cut out for him next year, as well.
By Toyota Kawaski February 18, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Like the article on Jeff “Tater” Duncan more hot air from fits who is a card carrying member of the (to borrow your hero Rush Limbaugh’s line) DRIVE BY MEDIA lets throw some some uneducated crap out and see what sticks. Like i have told you fits keep your money in the pocket and stay home and pull for the 51 state to beat the USA in hockey.
By Toyota Kawaski February 18, 2010 at 2:48 pm
also atleast get a picture of Horn when he is the coach at USC not WKU.Dam low rent idiot