What we learned from USC’s shocking Stetson loss as season narrative changes again
South Carolina is entering SEC play on a borderline inexplicable note.
Here’s what we learned from the Gamecocks’ 63-56 loss to Stetson on Monday afternoon at Colonial Life Arena:
Worst loss of the Frank Martin era?
After USC upset No. 9 Virginia on Dec. 22, The State ran a list of Frank Martin’s best regular season wins as Carolina coach — with the then most-recent victory coming in at No. 1. Nine days later, we could rank Martin’s worst regular season losses — and what just happened would be tough to top.
Falling at Wyoming last year used to be the standard, but at least that was on the road and the Gamecocks were at less than full strength. There’s little excuse for Monday’s performance. South Carolina was at home, playing in front of an engaged crowd of nearly 11,000 and was in the fifth game since Keyshawn Bryant’s return from injury.
And not only did the Gamecocks lose to the KenPom-ranked No. 331 team in Division I — 14 spots lower than where Wyoming finished in 2018-19 — they trailed for 36 minutes, 18 seconds of the 40-minute game.
Stetson (6-9) now has wins this season over Trinity Baptist (Division II), Western Illinois (No. 302 on KenPom), Monmouth (226), Florida College (NAIA), Bethune-Cookman (No. 276 on KenPom) and the Gamecocks. Its four-game losing streak — coming by way of VMI, Longwood, UNC Asheville and Florida International — is over.
A program that hasn’t had a winning season since 2000-01 has its first win over a team from a Power 5 conference in nine years.
Season’s narrative changed, again
The Virginia win was probably good enough to significantly lessen the blow of the loss to Boston University (NET ranking of 199) on Nov. 19, but this latest head-scratcher is going to take some serious recovery work if the Gamecocks (8-5) want to think about the NCAA Tournament again.
Martin said he warned his team before tip-off about becoming “Jekyll and Hyde.” Perhaps, though, this is just who they are. There’s talent here — a bad team doesn’t beat UVa in Charlottesville — but, in Martin’s words, there’s also immaturity. And with that comes wild inconsistency.
As the calendar turns to SEC play, is it crazy to think the Gamecocks can beat No. 17 Kentucky on Jan. 15 and then turn around and lose at Texas A&M (6-5) three days later? Probably not.
“Right now we’re two different teams,” Martin said, “and it all depends on how our guys feel like performing on that day that determines what team we are. ... I thought we figured it out, but obviously we didn’t. So I got to go home and sleep really, really hard — whatever I can sleep — to figure out how I need to take these next six days on” before the SEC opener against Florida on Jan. 7.
Maik Kotsar, the only regularly played senior on the active roster (Micaiah Henry is the other senior), said it should have never come to this, not after the BU loss anyway.
“It shouldn’t happen,” Kotsar said. “It really shouldn’t. That’s on me. Everything’s on the leaders of the group. No one else really to blame because a lot of the other guys are inexperienced. We need to be the ones to bring the energy, to have everyone mentally ready. So if there’s anyone to blame, it’s me.”
Offensive woes a mix of poor focus, old habits
There’s no tone-setter like air-balling your first shot attempt. Jair Bolden missed everything on a wing 3-pointer on USC’s opening possession and it all snow-balled from there.
Later, you had unforced turnovers (soft, looped passes being picked off, eyes being taking off the ball leading to drops, etc.) and just missed shots from point-blank range (see a couple of Jermaine Couisnard’s layup attempts).
The lack of focus eventually blended with old habits and the Gamecocks scored their second-fewest points of the season — against a Stetson defense that came in allowing 70 a game.
USC shot under 30% on 3-pointers for a seventh time, something it avoided in wins over Virginia and Clemson. The Gamecocks also made less than 60% of their free throws for a sixth time, another trend they avoided against the Cavaliers and Tigers.
Carolina is now 1-2 when A.J. Lawson fails to score in double figures. He had eight points Monday over a season-low 13 minutes.
NEXT
What: Florida at South Carolina
When: 7 p.m., Jan. 7
TV: ESPN2
Radio: 107.5 The Game in Columbia area
