Gamecocks great Alex English’s South Carolina case for Zion Williamson
Sure former South Carolina basketball great Alex English was known far more for his offense than defense in a Hall of Fame NBA career.
But defense is what English is talking up when pitching South Carolina to five-star recruit Zion Williamson.
English tweeted a thought that Frank Martin’s brand of defense would be good preparation for Williamson, who will likely be a one-and-done as the No. 3 player in his class in the 247 Composite.
One most important things for Zion Williamson to consider if he's expecting to be a one and done is that there is no college coach in the country that's going to prepare him for how to play tough NBA defense than USC's @FrankMartin_SC
— Alex English (@AlexEnglish_2) January 18, 2018
Williamson is set to make his choice Saturday and is reportedly meeting with USC, Clemson, UNC and Duke this week.
The Gamecocks are currently the No. 15 defensive team in the country on a per-possession basis according to KenPom. They were No. 3 last season. Outside Martin’s first two seasons in Columbia, he’s never had a team ranked outside the top 40 nationally.
English was a dominant player at USC, still ranking first in minutes played and second in points scored in school history. He played in the NBA for more than a decade and a half, finishing in the top 10 in points per game nine times and still ranking No. 21 in all time points scored.
This story was originally published January 18, 2018 at 11:35 AM with the headline "Gamecocks great Alex English’s South Carolina case for Zion Williamson."