‘I was too excited, Frank.’ Bryant’s return started with a goof, ended with a bang
The loose ball bounced to Keyshawn Bryant and he was off. An open floor awaited him. A dunk-seeker back in his natural environment.
If only he could keep his dribble.
Bryant’s much-anticipated season debut for South Carolina had a final line of 13 points, a rebound and two assists as the Gamecocks beat UMass 84-80 Wednesday at the Mullins Center. It was an impressive performance for someone a month removed from knee surgery and who hadn’t been in a game since March.
But before he slammed twice, converted a crucial three-point play and served as a main reason for Carolina’s second straight win, Bryant had to shake a little rust.
Maik Kotsar’s steal fell into Bryant’s hands with seven minutes left in the first half. The sophomore had a head of steam going toward the frontcourt and seemed destined to begin the second chapter of his developing highlight reel of a career.
But, with eyes on the rim, he lost the ball before he hit the 3-point line. It trickled out of bounds. The buzzer sounded. Bryant was being replaced by Wildens Leveque.
He came to bench with an admission for his coach.
“I was too excited, Frank,” Bryant told Frank Martin. “I was too excited.”
Martin threw Bryant back in just over two minutes later. He was settled then, evidenced by six quick points as the Gamecocks, once down nine, rallied for a 39-35 halftime lead.
The final result probably doesn’t happen if Bryant misses a ninth straight game. UMass pressed at every opportunity and forced snap-decisions from its opposition. Bryant, a 26-game starter a year ago, logged 22 minutes off the bench, including the final 9:12 as Martin went heavy on small-ball and experience. A.J. Lawson, Jermaine Couisnard, Justin Minaya and Kotsar rounded out the lineup for the majority of that stretch.
“Having Keyshawn back helped us for this game because it allows us to play a little small, so we can get more skill on the court against this kind of basketball team, the way they play,” Martin said. “So getting him back was a big difference in the game.”
It marked the 15th time of Bryant’s career that he reached double-figures in scoring, but the first since March 9 against Georgia at Colonial Life Arena. That was Chris Silva’s Senior Day.
The waiting, the watching, wasn’t easy.
“It was depressing because I’ve never had an injury like this,” Bryant said, “but I had my teammates and coaches, so they helped me through it.”
The procedure removed loose cartilage from his knee and threatened to keep him sidelined a full six weeks. He returned just shy of that projection and dunked his way through the layup line to ease any concerns about lost explosiveness.
“I was fired up,” Bryant said. “I was ready to play.”
His presence grew more meaningful as the game wore on. Bryant’s five-point scoring spree over two possessions in 33 seconds of the second half included a slashing “and-1” fade-away that put the Gamecocks up nine with 3:28 left. Such a play, Martin said, was proof of Bryant’s continued attention to detail. He knew where there was a potential gap in the UMass defense — and why.
“That’s something with experience,” Martin said. “Even though he hasn’t practiced in a month, he’s practiced so much and has played so much that he understood. That’s a read we make. As soon as we see teams are switching our stagger (screens) on the other side of the floor that means the three defenders are outside the paint, drive the ball.”
In Bryant’s first game back, South Carolina shot a season-best 55% percent from the floor, had a season-best 52 points in the paint and tied a season-best with 22 fast break points.
“Once they missed a shot, we could get out and run more,” Couisnard said of where the Gamecocks felt most Bryant’s return.
Next are three stiffer tests on consecutive Sundays, starting this weekend with Houston (4-2) coming to Columbia. On Dec. 15, it’s a trip to Clemson (5-3). On Dec. 22, it’s a trip to No. 5 Virginia (7-1).
At least now the Gamecocks know what they look like at full strength.
“I think he’s only going to keep getting better,” Martin said of Bryant. “Before he got hurt, he was playing at a high, high level and I was really excited for him and what he could bring to our team. Now he’s just gotta get back into it.”
NEXT
Who: Houston at South Carolina
When: Noon Sunday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
TV: ESPNU
This story was originally published December 5, 2019 at 8:51 AM.
