USC’s search for basketball talent knows no borders

The outsiders look at South Carolina’s roster and note Sindarius Thornwell and P.J. Dozier, two Palmetto State natives, as the key to the Gamecocks’ success.

There have been, and will be, outstanding players in South Carolina. But the Gamecocks also do a terrific job recruiting outside the state’s borders – really outside the state’s borders.

USC has five players from other countries on its roster. It graduated three players from two other countries last year. The next signing class features Ibrahim Doumbia (Mali) and Felipe Haase (Chile) to help replace senior Duane Notice (Canada) and perhaps add to a starting lineup featuring Maik Kotsar (Estonia) and Chris Silva (Gabon).

And the Gamecocks are led by the son of Cuban immigrants who knows just how worldwide the game has become.

“We’re in a people business,” coach Frank Martin said earlier this season. “It’s become popular in so many countries around the world. You work camps … I did that coaching clinic in the Canary Islands this past summer. You actually engage in dialogue over the years and before you know it, there’s someone there.”

Martin related the recruitment of Kotsar, his freshman power forward. He came to USC after Laimonas Chatkevicius and Mindaugas Kacinas, each from Lithuania near Estonia, graduated.

Martin was an assistant coach for the USA East Coast team in 2014, which played in the Four Nations Cup in Estonia. “I met a gentleman while I’m in Estonia. Well, that gentleman knows a dear friend of mine here in this country pretty good,” Martin said. “We started communicating, ‘Hey, Frank, kid from Estonia just went to a school in Wichita, you should go watch him.’ ”

The kid was Kotsar, and when Martin watched him, he liked what he saw. Kotsar has started 32 games this year and delivered a key bucket among 12 points as USC beat Florida to advance to the Final Four.

Michael Carrera was from Venezuela but prepped in Maryland, where Martin found him. Silva, from Gabon, went to Roselle Catholic (N.J.). Travel teams, AAU ball and the ability to scout internationally has opened doors for players in other countries to come to the U.S. for a college education, and a chance to provide for their families later on.

“It’s been incredible,” Silva said. “Going from where I came from, Gabon, to living out here, I mean that’s a lot, a lot of places, a lot of people that I met during the process, and I’m just enjoying the process.”

It can open doors to other issues as well. Dozier or Thornwell can see their families any time they want. Ditto for other in-state kids or the Georgia/North Carolina natives on the roster.

The foreign-born players might see their families for six weeks a year. Recent action from the U.S. government was a concern about getting back into the country if they left. Homesickness, especially in a sport that covers Thanksgiving and Christmas, is a worry.

The Gamecocks get past it by inviting the players without nearby relatives to their own family celebrations. And making sure they know they’ll always have brothers to lean on although Mom and Dad are across an ocean.

Kotsar’s enjoying the ride of a Final Four and knows it’s been big news back home because the Gamecocks’ games are broadcast on Estonian TV. What’s more exciting is his family is set to be in Phoenix this weekend, the first time they’ll see him play in college.

“It’s really exciting, getting to see my family for the first time in 10 months,” Kotsar said. “It’s incredible, and to play on such a big stage with my family watching, it’s a special feeling.”

This story was originally published March 29, 2017 at 4:54 PM with the headline "USC’s search for basketball talent knows no borders."