'I'm excited for those two guys.' What Frank Martin thinks of USC's signed recruits
On the recruiting trail to land both Jermaine Couisnard and Alanzo Frink, South Carolina basketball coach Frank Martin had flashbacks.
Couisnard is a three-star guard from Indiana who spent this past season on Montverde Academy's post-graduate team in Florida. Montverde's varsity squad, which won a fourth national championship last month, is coached by Kevin Boyle, a friend of Martin's for 25 years, dating to his Miami Senior High days. The post-grad team, which Couisnard led in scoring, is coached by Kevin Boyle Jr.
"I can tell you how old I’m getting when his son coaches the post-graduate team," Martin said, "and I’m remembering Kevin’s kids when they’re, like, up to my waist."
Martin, appearing at a "Spurs Up" tour stop Monday, spoke publicly for the first time about Couisnard and Frink, a pair the Gamecocks signed last week. T.J. Moss, a Memphis point guard, verbally committed to USC on Sunday, giving the 2018 class three members. Moss is expected to sign next week.
Couisnard is a listed 6-4, 185-pounder who averaged 29.2 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists during his senior season at East Chicago Central High School. It was there that Carolina assistant Chuck Martin, then on Indiana's staff, first spotted him.
When he left for Montverde, Couisnard had one scholarship offer — from Bradley of the Missouri Valley Conference.
"Jermaine’s one of those kids that just kind of fell through the cracks," Martin said. "Chuck Martin, back in the fall, said to me, ‘Hey, man, there’s this kid, he went to Montverde, that at Indiana I liked. I’m getting unbelievable remarks about him.'"
When Couisnard committed to the Gamecocks on Jan. 27, he had offers from Louisville, Virginia Tech and Illinois. Kansas, Ohio State and West Virginia were among programs showing interest.
"(We) brought him on a visit, he loved it," Frank Martin said. "Loved what we’re about. Loved the campus, loved South Carolina. I think he’s a great fit.”
Frink made his USC pledge less than three months after Couisnard did. The power forward from New Jersey is listed at 6-8 and 215 pounds, measurements that Martin didn't see a few years ago when he and former Carolina assistant Matt Figger took in the 2016 U17 FIBA world championships in Spain.
Frink was playing for the Dominican Republic.
"He was a heavy kid," Martin said. "Talented, but a heavy kid."
Frink played high school ball at Roselle Catholic in New Jersey, the same program that produced Chris Silva, USC's reigning SEC defensive player of the year.
"We’ve been following him," Martin said. "He continues to change his body. He’s got great hands, great footwork. He’s in shape now. He’s still not in as good a shape as he needs to be, but as he continues to change his body and his work ethic, his game continues to grow."
South Carolina lost 7-foot sophomore Khadim Gueye to transfer late last month.
"I just felt we needed another big guy," Martin said. "I’m not going to expand on this, but I kind of realized that we’re probably going to have a defection on the frontline. So we were trying to prepare ourselves for that moment."
Both Frink and Couisnard are expected to arrive on USC's campus this summer.
“I’m excited about those two guys," Martin said.
This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 10:14 AM with the headline "'I'm excited for those two guys.' What Frank Martin thinks of USC's signed recruits."