What we learned from Ole Miss win: USC has three players worthy of SEC awards
No matter where or when this season ends, Frank Martin isn’t going to forget it anytime soon.
“Anyone that’s a Gamecock fan, if you can’t respect the way these kids have played, there’s something wrong with you,” the South Carolina coach said Tuesday after USC’s 79-64 win over Ole Miss. “They’re taking me on an unbelievable ride. They’re forcing me to grow up a lot.”
The Gamecocks (14-12, 9-4) are now in sole possession of fourth place in the SEC standings, a full game ahead of the Rebels. This all coming from a team that was 4-7 on Christmas.
“You learn a lot about people when things don’t go your way,” Martin said. “When we got back from Christmas, the practice we had Dec. 27, whatever day it was, I was blown away. Blown away that, after four and a half days off, those kids were so excited in practice and (played) so hard that day. Just blown away. And we’re coming off a four-game losing streak.
“And they kind of never looked back. They’ve kept working that way.”
Here’s what we learned from the rally past the Rebels:
Some Gamecocks are hardware-worthy
It was noted here after the Texas A&M win that Chris Silva is thriving at an SEC Player of the Year level. Such candidacy only grew stronger after 18 more points and three more blocks against Ole Miss.
“Silva just kind of had his way in that stretch run,” said Rebels coach Kermit Davis.
Silva is now averaging 16 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks an SEC game while shooting 57 percent from the field.
Martin on Tuesday didn’t stop with his senior forward when discussing Gamecocks worthy of postseason hardware. He threw Hassani Gravett and A.J. Lawson into the mix.
“How’s Chris not in the conversation for Player of the Year?” Martin asked. “How’s A.J. not in the conversation for Freshman of the Year? How’s Hassani not in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year?
“I’m not going to sit here and brag because we got games left. Like I tell you guys, I’m not into bragging. Because as soon as you start bragging, somebody knocks you down and then you look like a fool. But we are in fourth place with five (games) to go. We’re in fourth place, we’re not in 11th place. We’ve overcome all the adversity early in the year. And those three guys, individually, are playing as well as anybody for those awards.
“Any individual credit those guys eventually get, they deserve.”
When Gravett was on the floor against Ole Miss, the Gamecocks outscored the Rebels by 27 points. The ace reserve finished with 15 points and eight rebounds. In conference games only, Gravett leads the SEC in 3-point field goal percentage (49.3). USC is now 8-1 in SEC play when Gravett scores 10 or more points.
Lawson on Tuesday had his fourth game with at least 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.
“He looks the part on tape,” Davis said. “He’s even more competitive in person. He’s so athletic. He’s downhill, he’s tough-minded. He’s gonna be an All-SEC player, probably make an All-SEC freshman team, for sure.”
This was Martin’s favorite win of the season
He didn’t come out and say it, but it was clear how satisfied he seemed after this one.
Why? The Gamecocks did the two things he takes the most pride in. They out-rebounded the Rebels and they were the better defensive team.
USC was credited with 46 boards — eight more than Ole Miss — and only four came from Silva. A glaring problem earlier this month, the Gamecocks have won the glass battle three of their last four games.
Defensively, the Gamecocks held the Rebels to 37.1 percent shooting, their second-wost showing of the season. Ole Miss didn’t make a field goal over the final 6:44.
“The two things that have bothered me about this team — our inability to rebound and not being as aggressive defensively as I’d like us to be,” Martin said. “And we’ve gotten better at both of those things.”
A frightening stat
Believe it or not, South Carolina wasn’t always this bad at the free throw line.
On the morning of Jan. 19, before the Gamecocks took on LSU in Baton Rouge, USC ranked No. 85 nationally in free throw percentage (73.1). The Gamecocks, now at 68.5 percent, have since dropped 145 spots to No. 230.
Carolina’s made just 59 percent of its FTs over its last 10 games. It’s 5-5 in this stretch, including a win Tuesday despite missing 11 of of 27 attempts.
The Gamecocks are fighting for an NCAA Tournament bid. Every point’s going to matter these last five regular season games.
NEXT GAME
Who: South Carolina at Mississippi State
When: 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23
Where: Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi
TV: SEC Network
