South Carolina is one of the biggest surprises of the young college basketball season.The Gamecocks are 6-0 and coming off back-to-back impressive wins over Michigan and Syracuse. They beat both the Wolverines and the Orange by double digits behind stout defensive efforts.South Carolina entered the AP Poll at No. 20 this week. Still, Gamecocks coach Frank Martin knows his team has its hands full Thursday, when the scrappy Vermont Catamounts visit Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, S.C.(Being) 6-0 doesnt help you win No. 7 in any way, shape or fashion, Martin said. So weve got our work cut out for us. Vermont is a very good basketball team.Like the Gamecocks, Vermont (6-2) is off to a solid start to the season. The Catamounts only two defeats came against Providence and Houston. They are coming off a 67-65 win over Yale that followed a 72-71 loss to Houston in the Gulf Coast Showcase final Nov. 23 at Estero, Fla.Its just heartbreaking to lose like that, Vermont coach John Becker told the Burlington (Vt.) Free Press after the game. Weve won our fair share, but it hurts right now.Vermont features a balanced offensive attack, led by junior forward Payton Henson, who is one of three Catamounts averaging in double figures at 13.5 points per game.The Catamounts rank in the top 25 in the nation in rebounds and assists.Martin is familiar with Vermonts program through his time spent coaching Northeastern in the American East Conference.They were just impossible to beat, very disciplined basketball, Martin said of the Catamounts. (Its) a very, very hard game to play, especially coming off the two we just played.Senior guard Sindarius Thornwell leads the Gamecocks, averaging 20.0 points per game, third best in the Southeastern Conference. Senior guard Duane Notice and sophomore guard PJ Dozier are also key contributors on a South Carolina offense averaging 75.5 points per game.Dozier had a big game in the win over Syracuse, scoring 15 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and recording three steals. He is tied for the SEC lead in steals.The Gamecocks are winning with defense, though. They held both Michigan and Syracuse to less than 51 points last week. Louisiana Tech, in the first game of the season, is the only team to put up 70 on South Carolina.The Gamecocks also got off to a hot start last season and finished with a school-record 24 wins. Yet, South Carolina lost three of its last four games and was left out of the NCAA TournamentThat is why Martin says this years 6-0 start is nice, but nothing really matters until the end.Everything is about being in the right place in March as a basketball team, Martin said at his weekly press conference. I hope we get there.In order to play into March, Martin says his players cant start believing that they have it made.I dont want my guys wrapped up in that. I want them to approach things as were still the nobodys, he said. We have to stay on edge, have to stay on point.While Vermont has a reputation as a dangerous underdog, the Catamounts have not beaten a ranked team since 2007, when they knocked off then-No. 14 Boston College.The Thursday game will be the second all-time meeting between South Carolina and Vermont. The teams played in 1979, with the Gamecocks winning 66-65. Tom Chambers Jersey . Haas said he "felt a lot of pain" in his right shoulder when he slammed his racket to the ground in frustration after losing his serve at 3-3 in the first set. Xavier McDaniel Jersey . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. 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The 61-year-old Sunderland manager is renowned for believing in the benefits of sports science and has revealed he in part attributes his longevity in football to regularly using meditation.Allardyce, who is attempting to steer Sunderland out of relegation trouble with just three games remaining, said: I do transcendental meditation and I have done for 12, 14 years now. Its very relaxing, very calming and you can do it anywhere. Sam Allardyce has accused Tottenham of not being able to cope with the pressure It helps you cope with the pressure you come under in this job. When it was brought for the players by us at Bolton in about 2003-04, I was always one of those guys that says, Try it yourself.You have a better understanding then if you try it yourself and if the players talk about it and say, Well, thats a load of rubbish, you can say, Well, actually, I use it and I dont find it to be like that, so you must be a bit of a non-believer. Sam Allardyce believes Chelsea is a massive challenge for Sunderland and hopes the fans will be the twelve man But I read the science on transcendental meditation and if you read the science, it gives you a better insight into how it helps you reduce your blood pressure and keeps you calmer and how easy it is to carry out.ddddddddddddFifteen minutes, half an hour - you dont have to be going into a quiet room with music on or anything like that, you can be anywhere at any time finding a relatively quiet place and do 15, 20, 25 minutes and it refreshes you and makesyou feel good to push on.But it has helped me cope with the pressure of management. Thats why I am still doing it today, probably. Pick your team Aguero? Ozil? De Bruyne? Pick your Fantasy Six-a-Side team for the chance to win ￡10,000 Allardyce is wary of sharing his knowledge with any of his colleagues, saying with a smile: I dont talk to them about it, actually, because if it helps them, it might make them better when they play against me, so why should I help them?The former West Ham boss knows Sunderland have to help themselves this weekend if they are to emerge from Chelseas visit to the Stadium of Light with a positive result after they slipped back into the drop zone last weekend. However, he is aware that will not be easy despite the Blues struggles this season. Allardyce would be reluctant to share his knowledge with other managers Allardyce said: Its the biggest surprise - apart from Leicester winning the league. Its the biggest surprise that Chelsea faltered, particularly in the early part of the season, as much as they did.Leicester have continued what they were doing and Chelsea have pulled away from down at the bottom now, but its been a very poor season by their standards. Also See: Allardyce: We cant do a Spurs Mersons predictions Sunderland v Chelsea Sunderland video ' ' '