South Carolina’s Frank Martin explains what led to Jason Cudd transfer

When Frank Martin last spoke to the media early last week, he had already met with 7-foot center.

But in an interview Tuesday afternoon on 107.5 The Game, Martin said he didn’t know what was coming.

“I had no indication whatsoever that he was contemplating this,” Martin said. “We had a very positive meeting. I’m a big fan of Jason’s.

“But something changed during the week I was out of town. He reached out to me, says I need to see you.”

Martin got back Thursday night, they met Friday and soon after, news leaked Cudd planned to transfer following a season that ended early because of a knee injury. The sophomore had a smaller role than in his freshman season before the injury happened.

It was the question of that role that ultimately made the difference.

“He made a decision, which I kind of understand,” Martin said. “He wants to be able to pay 25, 30 minutes a game next year. He unfortunately has not been able to play those kind of minutes the first two years, and he’s trying to figure that one out.”

Cudd picked the Gamecocks over schools such as East Carolina out of high school. Since he didn’t redshirt, he’ll have two more years to play at his next school.

He averaged 6.8 minutes and 1.3 points in 23 games as a freshman, but only played 28 minutes in five games before the knee sidelined him in mid-February.

Martin said the staff already had a pair of official visits set for before Cudd left, just in case. One of those led to the commitment of Jalyn McCreary, a top-150 recruit out of Greenville.

As Martin talked though his center’s choice to depart, he said he remains a fan of the Socastee High School product.

“We had an unbelievable conversation,” Martin said. “You recruit these kids when they’re 16, 17 years old, and the kind of conversations you had with them then compared to the ones you have two, three years later, it’s two different kind of conversations. He’s an impressive young man.”