S CAROLINA-ADJUSTED GOALS
Coach Spurrier looking at bowl bid for Gamecocks
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier said the Gamecocks have plenty to play for, just not the championship goals they had entering the season.
South Carolina (4-4, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) was the preseason favorite to win the SEC East, yet saw those dreams slip away the first month of the season with losses to Texas A&M, Missouri and Kentucky. After falling 42-35 at No. 4 Auburn last Saturday night, Spurrier is simply looking to close strong enough to make the postseason.
South Carolina’s final stretch starts Saturday against Tennessee (3-5, 0-4). The last month also includes games at Florida and against state rival, No. 22 Clemson.
Spurrier said winning two of those contests to qualify for its seventh straight bowl is a worthy bar to shoot for this fall.
HORNETS-WALKER EXTENSION
AP Source: Hornets’ Walker gets 4-year extension
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β A person familiar with the deal says the Charlotte Hornets have agreed to a four-year, $48 million contract extension with point guard Kemba Walker.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press on Tuesday night because the deal has not been announced. The deal takes effect beginning in the 2015-16 season, meaning Walker will be under contract through the 2018-19 season.
Hornets owner Michael Jordan indicated earlier Tuesday the team was eager to finalize a deal with Walker before Friday’s deadline to prevent him from becoming a restricted free agent in July.
In three seasons Walker has started 180 games and averaged 16 points, 5.5 assists and 1.4 steals per game for Charlotte. He has averaged 17.7 points per game in each of the last two seasons.
HORNETS-JORDAN
Jordan’s front-office success has Hornets rolling
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Michael Jordan says winning six NBA championship rings was special. He says a seventh would be even more gratifying.
Jordan said Tuesday that helping the Hornets win their first NBA title β as an owner rather than a player β is something that drives him in his post-playing career.
He says it would be more rewarding because it’s tougher being an owner.
Jordan says, “I can’t impact the game in shorts and tennis shoes. When I had those on it was easy to prove people wrong. It’s hard to do that now when I have a suit on.”
The Hornets are coming off a 43-39 season and Jordan hopes that with Lance Stephenson joining Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker the building blocks are in place for a future NBA championship.
HORNETS-STEPHENSON
Stephenson practices, expect to play vs. Bucks
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Hornets guard Lance Stephenson has returned to practice and says nothing will keep out of the season opener Wednesday night against Milwaukee.
Stephenson is battling a groin injury has missed four preseason games.
He said Tuesday, “I’m playing” and added that he feels “about 90 percent.”
Stephenson moved with a pronounced limp as he shot around after practice Tuesday.
Coach Steve Clifford says the decision will rely heavily on what the team’s trainers decide after Stephenson goes through shoot-around before the game. He says the important thing is making sure Stephenson doesn’t suffer a setback.
Clifford says Stephenson did a lot of contact drill Tuesday “but we’ll have to wait and see how he does. If there’s not a lot of soreness then he will play.”
PANTHERS-MOVES
Panthers add OT Remmers; place LB Blackburn on IR
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β The Carolina Panthers have signed offensive tackle Mike Remmers and safety Robert Lester to their 53-man roster.
Remmers had been with the Rams practice squad, while Lester was on Carolina’s practice squad.
To make room, Carolina placed linebacker Chase Blackburn on injured reserve with a knee injury and waived running back Darrin Reaves on Tuesday.
The Panthers had only three offensive tackles on the roster, and starters Byron Bell (elbow) and Nate Chandler (groin) are hurt.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound Remmers spent time on practice squads in Tampa Bay, Minnesota and St. Louis. He played one game for the Chargers in 2013, and entered the NFL in 2012 as an undrafted free agent from Oregon State.
Blackburn played in six games this season, started two and has 11 tackles.
