This South Carolina Gamecocks blog joins forces with other SEC bloggers to vote in the SEC Basketball Power Poll. Here are is our ballot for the week ending Feb. 5, 2012:

Monday's arraignment for Itzcoatl Ocampo, an ex-Marine suspected of stabbing half a dozen people to death, was continued to March 16.

They are the hearts that pump the lifeblood into college football programs. They spend weeks at a time away from their families and players in motel rooms and rental cars in every small town and major city across the country.

Dear Angie:

• http://www.angieslist.com/

Early last season, South Carolina started three seniors on the offensive line. Chances are, that won t happen in...

Melvin Ingram has a body of work that most defensive ends would only dream of.  He has a skill set that is unprecedented for a 6'2", 280-pound man.  He is fast.  He is powerful.  He is agile. He also is now "offically" the most skilled defensive end.  This weekend, he competed in the 14th annual All-Star Football Challenge against many of the top college players.  In the lineman challenge, he had to turn over a gigantic tire twice, run through and around various obstacles, push a sled, crawl under a bridge, locate a grounded football and then sprint 20 yards.  He did all of that in 20 seconds, easily beating Mississippi State's Fletcher Cox and North Carolina's Quinton Coples. Outstanding.  This was to cap off a month that saw him absolutely destroy Senior Bowl practices.  Most scouts really took notice of his skills.  Not only is Melvin Ingram a beast of a player, he is a high-character guy.  He is easy to coach and showed improvement in every single season.  His dominant senior season was a testament to his hard work and great ethics.  He should be a top-10 pick.  Many mock drafts have him slated around No. 9 (to the Miami Dophins), which would be an excellent place for the amazing Ingram to go.  It's great to be a Gamecock. Read more South Carolina Football news on BleacherReport.com

When Grady Brown was first approached by South Carolina about becoming the Gamecocks new secondary coach and...

Coach Steve Spurrier has put together a solid class that he hopes will help him reach his ultimate goal at the University of South Carolina, and that is to win an SEC football Championship. The class from top to bottom is stacked with key athletes that will help in various ways for the football team and make the team stronger so it can build upon the 11-win campaign of this past football season. When you look at each recruit, you see how they are special in their own regards but pieced together as one class, then you get the full spectrum of why they were sought out to be a member of the Gamecocks.  Let’s break down every commitment by issuing a grade much like the stars are given. Enjoy this slideshow and do comment on how you rate these future Gamecocks.Begin Slideshow

Just when you thought the coaching staff for the South Carolina Gamecocks football team was done recruiting for the Class of 2012, they go out and nab a punter named Worth Gregory as a "preferred walk-on."Fort Mill (S.C.) punter Worth Gregory was on campus this past weekend and decided to join the Gamecocks football team as a preferred walk-on. The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder will report this summer with the rest of the signing class.  No scholly but will be given every chance to get one next season.
Given the uncertainty on the depth chart at punter, this may prove to be a smart choice for both him and USC.
Welcome to Gamecock Nation to this young man and here's his video highlights:

The South Carolina men's hoops program is having a very tough year and here is some video highlights of the last three games.We have been out-of-pocket in our coverage of the hoop's squad mainly due to National Signing Day but also it seems that it is the same thing each outing.  Hard to write about the losses each time out.Let's hope the recent loss to Kentucky was the bottom of this travel down to the valley after reaching somewhat of the mountain top in winning the SEC East a few years back.South Carolina is now 9-13 overall and 1-7 in SEC play. They’ll take on Tennessee in Knoxville on Wednesday night. Tip off is set for 8 ET.Here are video highlights of the last three losses...

LOS ANGELES - In one of the more talked-about transactions in town, actors Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have sold their Malibu beach house to daytime host and comedian Ellen De Generes for $12 million.

The South Carolina Gamecocks will be without junior Dalton Wilson for the 2012 season as he has opted to leave the team after completing his degree.Wilson, a walk-on who started seven games at fullback last season, will not return to the team next year, a school spokesperson said. Wilson, who did not have a carry or a reception in his career, was an academic All-American and finance major who had completed his degree work.Not the biggest of losses and not the biggest of surprises as he indicated around bowl practices that if he did not get a scholarship he would move on to the real world.This departure leaves Matt Coffee as the likely candidate to assume the role of fullback in the Spurrier offense but there has been a little talk of giving Brandon Wilds a shot at that slot also next season given a healthy Marcus Lattimore is ready to resume his Heisman hunt.