Gravett, Gamecocks get back on track, roll Norfolk State

In between South Carolina’s disappointing loss to Stony Brook on Friday and encouraging 81-64 win over Norfolk State on Tuesday, the Gamecocks held a specific kind of film study.

USC was down after being upset by a heavy underdog. Coach Frank Martin was disappointed in his veteran players. Carolina fans were disappointed with the uneven start to the 2018-19 season. To spark a change in result, the Gamecocks needed something different. Perhaps a lineup switch or tweak in strategy. What could get the positive vibes rolling again? What could best paint a picture of the way the Gamecocks wanted to attack the rest of the year?

Enter Chuck Martin and the haka.

“Chuck,” Carolina guard Hassani Gravett said, referring to assistant coach Chuck Martin, “the other day he showed us a video. I think that helped a little bit with morale. As far as us getting prepared emotionally and collectively as a group.”

What was the video?

“The All-Blacks,” Gravett said. “The rugby team.”

The All-Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby team, is famous for performing the haka before games, an intimidating warrior-like dance in the face of their opponents.

No, the Gamecocks didn’t replicate the moves prior to Tuesday’s tip, but they flashed signs of the dance’s spirit.

South Carolina never trailed and led by as many as 28 points in rolling the Spartans at Colonial Life Arena. Gravett and A.J. Lawson led the team with 18 points apiece. USC assisted on 21 of its 28 field goals.

“That team,” Frank Martin said of the All-Blacks, “you see their faces, how excited they are to let you know ‘This is who we are’ before the game starts. And then when the game starts, they play the same way.

“That was the purpose of that whole video. To make our guys know you got to have passion, you got to have enthusiasm and you have to be united. You can’t get united when the game starts. You have to be united about who you are every time you put that uniform on, every time you step on the court.”

The Gamecocks moved to 2-1 before heading to Connecticut to face Providence and, perhaps, Michigan, a pair of NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago. Tuesday’s tune-up was important for a variety of reasons. But mostly for confidence.

If Carolina struggled with NSU (2-2), what was going to happen this weekend and beyond?

“We definitely needed to come out and get us a good win,” Gravett said, “to get spirits up going into this tournament in Connecticut.”

Added Maik Kotsar: “I think we came out with a different mindset than last time. I think the right mindset, like we actually came to fight this time. Not lay down, like we did last time.”

Kotsar, a junior, and Gravett, a senior, were two of three players Martin singled out following the Stony Brook loss. “We got nothing from our older guys,” Martin said, also referring to All-SEC forward Chris Silva.

That trio Tuesday combined for 34 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.

“I have to do a better job with the three most experienced players,” Martin said. “With Chris, Maik and Hassani. I’ve probably done a real bad job with those three guys.

“But Maik was really engaged today. Maik took a charge today. I couldn’t tell you the last time he took a charge. That’s how engaged he was. Chris was engaged. Now we got to get Chris going offensively.”

As for Gravett, Martin shared the story of his sixth man taking the Stony Brook loss to heart. Gravett, who went five of six from 3 Tuesday, spent time after recent practices perfecting his jumper.

It paid off against a NSU team that played a variety of zones and dared the Gamecocks to shoot. They went 11 of 29 from deep.

“I was told he came in there the day after the Stony Brook game and shot balls,” Martin said. “When I walked out for practice, he had already been out there for 20 minutes shooting balls with a lather of sweat going. When practice ended, he was out there shooting balls.”

USC shot a season-high 51.9 percent from the field, including 62.5 in the second half.

Carolina-Providence in the Hall of Fame Tip-Off tournament is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Uncasville, Conn. The winner of that game faces No. 19 Michigan or George Washington on Sunday.

This story was originally published November 13, 2018 at 8:56 PM.