USC basketball notes: Frank Martin gains perspective in Bojangles drive-through line
Frank Martin, apron around his waist and Bojangles hat on his head, moved from the kitchen to the dining area. He worked the room, shaking hands, taking photos and signing autographs.
The South Carolina basketball coach eventually got back to his day job — finding ways for the Gamecocks (6-4) to improve after a 20-point loss to Houston — but for an hour Tuesday morning, he was a celebrity employee at a chain fast food restaurant.
And that was enough to provide a little perspective.
“What I do now,” Martin said, “especially at this time of year, draws me to be locked up in an office and in my house watching the film and trying to figure out the opponent and trying to figure out my own team, consumed with wins and losses.
“When you get around this, whether it’s the folks that are working or the people that are buying, it makes you realize just how petty winning and losing games really is. I get it, it goes with my job, I signed up for it, so I can’t run away from that part of it. But everything we do is about people. And when you get around people and work with people, it makes you feel good. It makes you feel at peace and you go out and you do it again the next day the best way you can.”
USC, on a mini-break for final exams, returns to action Sunday at Clemson (5-4). It’s then when the Gamecocks will try to break a three-game losing streak to their arch-rivals.
Tuesday, in connection with Bojangles, Martin hung out the drive-through window at the Bluff Road location and handed out tickets to Carolina’s game with Stetson on Dec. 30.
Best thing Martin heard from patrons?
Oh, thanks for the tickets. I hope they’re not up in the lights.
“That’s the one that kind of made me laugh,” he said.
Humor in a community setting offered a change of pace for Martin, a former bouncer, bus boy and short order cook in Miami.
“I got so much respect for people that work to prep food, to make food, to make other people happy,” Martin said. “So it has me reminiscing to a lot to my beginnings.”
More rest for Bryant
Martin said the Gamecocks didn’t practice Monday or Tuesday because of exams. The real Clemson prep will begin Wednesday.
That’s enough rest for Keyshawn Bryant, who returned from his knee injury last week with two different performances — 13 points in 22 minutes at UMass, four points in 14 minutes against Houston.
“UMass, they played differently than Houston,” Martin said. “It was more of a pressing, open game, just go make plays. Where Houston was like, ‘No, we’re not letting you do all that. You’re going to have to score through our defense.’
“It was probably a little too much, too quick for somebody who got two practices in five weeks. So this is a big week for him. He gets repetitions, gets his mind to a place of confidence again and clarity. That’s what you get through practice. And he was there before he got hurt.”
‘This is good for A.J.’
Martin on Sunday didn’t hide from why he only played star sophomore A.J. Lawson for a season-low 19 minutes in the Cougars loss.
“I’m not into playing guys that don’t defend,” Martin said. “I didn’t play Michael Beasley when he didn’t defend. I’m not going to play A.J. Lawson when he doesn’t defend.”
That’s an extra layer of criticism on Lawson that he didn’t always receive as a freshman. How’s he handling it?
“A.J.’s an incredible human being,” Martin said. “When you’re a good human being, you figure out ways to grow and get better and not dwell on negativity. And he’s surrounded by quality people, great family, and he’s got really good teammates that, because of who he is, they enjoy being around him.
“We don’t have to look too far back to remember another real good player for us that actually didn’t do great the beginning of his sophomore year, Sindarius Thornwell. It’s part of the deal. Everyone’s journey, path, challenge is different at different times.
“This is good for A.J.”
Lawson is still 10th in the SEC in scoring (15.9 points per game).
NEXT GAME
What: South Carolina at Clemson
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum
When: 5 p.m., Sunday
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
This story was originally published December 10, 2019 at 6:15 PM.
