The move that explains South Carolina’s new approach to Clemson basketball rivalry
South Carolina’s projected starting five for Sunday’s game at Clemson includes a Canadian, Estonian and natives of New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
USC head coach Frank Martin is from Miami and his top aides are from New York City and Washington, D.C.
So when assistant Chuck Martin guided the Gamecocks through one section of a Carolina Coliseum locker room this week, he was providing a history lesson for basically everyone in the program ahead of the 170th installment of USC-Clemson on the hardwood.
“Chuck called me last night,” Frank Martin said Thursday. “He goes, ‘I had to do that, Frank.’ I said, ‘I’m glad you did.’”
Chuck Martin, Puerto Rico born, but NYC raised, pointed the Gamecocks to a graphic in their practice facility. It’s a photo timeline of USC basketball, beginning with black and white photos from the 1910s through the Frank McGuire era to the SEC championship team of 1997 to the Final Four run 10 years later and ending with a shot of Chris Silva.
The lesson’s purpose? Getting everyone in the room to recognize the significance of Sunday’s matchup.
“Chuck took our players and explained to them just how important this game is to all those guys who have come through before them,” Frank Martin said. “So they understand what that game means to so many people.”
South Carolina has played no opponent as much as it’s played Clemson. The Gamecocks lead the all-time series, 90-79. Clemson’s won three in a row, but USC’s had sustained success, too. The McGuire-led Gamecocks took 12 straight over the Tigers from 1968-77.
Alex English, the most accomplished Gamecock in school history, never got a shot at the Tigers because the teams didn’t face each other for a while after Carolina left the ACC. But the Columbia native and future Hall of Famer kept the rivalry in mind when he was being recruited out of Dreher High School.
One of the most sought-after prep players in the country, English visited Oklahoma, Minnesota, Maryland and Carolina, among others.
“I also visited Clemson University and (coach) Tates Locke was there,” English told The State. “And I liked Tates Locke and I considered Clemson, but I would not betray my hometown.”
That’s the spirit Chuck Martin was looking to capture with the current players — and coaches — this week.
“Me not being from here, I probably didn’t put my arms around this game as tightly as other people do,” Frank Martin said. “It’s just the way I’m cut. I was at (Kansas State), the Kansas game to me was just the next game on the schedule. Every game to me is a game. There’s not one game that means more than another. They’re all are worth the same. And I don’t mean to be so lifeless with that approach, it’s just the way I am.
“But we’ve done a better job of educating our players of what this game means to so many people. And Chuck did that (Wednesday). But we also have some things now to make all those young guys, to show them the history of this place and the importance of them owning up to the responsibilities that they accepted when they put their name on the paper and said they wanted to play basketball here.
“And that’s something that needs to happen around here.”
A.J. Lawson scored eight points in a 78-68 loss to the Tigers as a freshman. Heading into his second matchup, the sophomore from Brampton, Ontario, had a deeper answer when asked what the rivalry means to him.
“It’s been going on for a long time, so it should mean a lot,” Lawson said Thursday. “I love this town, I love this city and I just got to play hard and play for my team, play for everyone’s that supporting us and just try my best. That’s all people ask for.”
SOUTH CAROLINA AT CLEMSON
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum
When: 5 p.m. Sunday
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
Three things to watch
1. Both the Gamecocks (6-4) and Tigers (5-4) need this one to boost their résumés. South Carolina is 0-3 against teams in the KenPom top 100 and Clemson (No. 90) is the first opponent from a Power 5 conference on its schedule. The Tigers are 1-4 against Power 5 teams.
2. South Carolina has made eight of its last 48 3-point attempts against Clemson, all coming in the Gamecocks’ three consecutive losses to the Tigers. USC enters this game 338th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage (27.2%). Clemson is 276th nationally in 3-point field percentage defense (35.1%).
3. Columbia’s Tevin Mack faces his hometown team for a second straight year, but this time in a Clemson uniform. The Dreher grad scored 11 points to help Alabama over USC last February. He leads the Tigers in scoring and steals.
Projected starting lineups
Clemson (5-4)
G Al Amir-Dawes 9.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg
G John Newman III 10.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg
G Tevin Mack 13.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg
F Aamir Sims 11.3 8.0 rpg
F Khavon Moore 3.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg
South Carolina (6-4)
G Jair Bolden 9.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg
G A.J. Lawson 15.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg
F Justin Minaya 7.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg
F Wildens Leveque 3.1 ppg, 3.2 rpg
F Maik Kotsar 10.0 ppg, 6.1 rpg
This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 11:44 AM.
