How South Carolina is creating ‘good offense’ despite poor shooting

Frank Martin, a high school math teacher before he became South Carolina’s basketball coach, knows his way around numbers.

The Gamecocks (12-6, 3-3 SEC) have won consecutive games despite shooting a combined 32.5 percent from the field.

“When you shoot free throws and you got low turnovers, that means you’re playing good offense,” Martin said Thursday during his “Carolina Calls” radio show. “It’s as simple as that. It’s not a complicated formula.”

USC, coming off its best wins of the season, will host 21st-ranked Tennessee (12-5, 3-3) at 6 p.m. Saturday. ESPN2 will televise the critical league matchup.

As Martin alluded to, the Carolina victory plan as of late has hardly included lights-out shooting. The Gamecocks haven’t made at least 40 percent of their field goals since Dec. 9 against Coastal Carolina. Such an eight-game stretch has sunk USC to the bottom of the SEC in that category.

But the Gamecocks turned the ball over a season-low seven times and took 35 free throws in a 64-57 win at Georgia last Saturday. The 76-68 upset of No. 18 Kentucky came with nine turnovers and 38 free throw attempts.

Good offense? Martin’s point guard thinks so.

“Our last couple games, we haven’t been shooting the ball well, but we’ve kind of made the game a tough, gritty game,” Wes Myers said Friday, “just attacking the basket, getting in the paint. All the time, you’re not gonna make shots.

“Ultimately, we gotta attack, we gotta go.”

Myers was the third option at point when the season began. The senior transfer didn’t have such duties at Maine or Niagara, his previous stops. But an adjustment had to take place after both Kory Holden and Hassani Gravett were injured.

Starting his sixth consecutive game Tuesday against Kentucky, Myers had nine points, an assist and no turnovers.

“He allowed me to coach because he played like a point guard,” Martin said afterward. “He still had bad moments in the game where he didn’t get back defensively for his responsibilities. We tried to run a couple sets late in the first half, and he went the wrong way with it. … He’s got to get better at that, but from where he was a month ago to where he’s at now, it’s day and night.

“He’s embracing what we’re trying to teach.”

Myers, who’s been on campus only since August, used the term “South Carolina basketball” on Friday. His statement echoed what veteran big man Chris Silva said following the Georgia win.

“Being tough, gritty … I love it,” Myers said.

USC has made more free throws than its opponent has taken twice this SEC season.

Silva still leads the country in fouls drawn per 40 minutes (9.8). The junior has attempted 28 more FTs than the No. 2 SEC player in that category.

Silva and frontcourt mate Maik Kotsar combined for 22 FT attempts Tuesday.

“We’re still trying to figure each other out,” Myers said. “As I know more about what Maik wants to do, how fast Chris wants to post, when he wants the ball, we’re gonna click. I’m seeing that now.

“If Chris posts, I’m immediately throwing him the ball. If Maik’s on the wing, we kick it to him.”

Tennessee, along with Carolina and Texas A&M, is one of three SEC teams in the top 17 nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s defensive efficiency ratings. The Volunteers have held nine opponents to less than 40 percent shooting.

Will the Gamecocks break out of their slump Saturday? Perhaps not, but at least they’ll still know their way to a win.

“It’s gonna be all right,” Martin said. “As long as we don’t turn it over and we keep taking good shots, we’ll keep getting to the foul line.”

This story was originally published January 19, 2018 at 5:46 PM with the headline "How South Carolina is creating ‘good offense’ despite poor shooting."