Duane Notice Honored by SEC as Co Player of the Week

During what can only be described as a rough weekend in the Charleston Classic Tournament, some positives did emerge for the Gamecocks.

As Coach Martin explained, “Something clicked. Duane said ‘Enough of this standing-around, unaggressive play.’” That attitude change has quickly paid off for the Woodbridge, Ontario native. Notice was acknowledged for his improved play by being named Co-SEC Player of the Week.

This past week, Notice scored 27 and 20 points respectively, in convincing wins at Marshall and at home vs Oklahoma State. Overall he has four straight double figure scoring games starting with the last game in the Charleston Classic. Three of those performances have come in Gamecock victories.

Notice, like many freshman, showed flashes of talent in his first year at South Carolina, but he also struggled for consistency, as he was forced to learn a new position and play a larger role than expected for the undermanned Gamecocks. His vision and feel for the game were apparent early on, as was his toughness in attacking the rim. Much like the team, however, his performance was up and down; but he ended the year strong, averaging 8 points and 3 assists for the season.

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During the SC Pro-Am, an off season league cofounded by former USC guard Carey Rich, there was significant buzz surrounding Duane Notice. He frequently looked like a much different player than he had previously shown. His assertiveness and confidence were on full display and he was building momentum heading in to this season. Unfortunately, that momentum was derailed when he contracted mono, which slowed him for nearly a month during the preseason. As a result he got off to a slow start this year, scoring a total of 23 points in the team’s first four games.

Since then, he has re-established his assertiveness and in turn helped the Gamecocks get their season back on the right track. As I have stated previously, this team’s defense has been very good this season, but they have struggled to score in certain games. Duane Notice is doing his best to kick start the offense, with four straight games in double figures – USC has had three of their four best scoring outputs over the last week and a half. He has been their best shooter from beyond the arc so far, and his physical nature and strong frame allow him to be effective attacking the rim and drawing fouls on opponents. For the season, Notice is averaging just under 12 points and 3 assists per game, with those numbers rising in each of the last few contests.

Next up for Notice and the Gamecocks, is a Dec 19^th home game where they will look to end a two game losing streak to instate rival Clemson.

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