Two key Gamecocks didn’t play against Auburn. Frank Martin provides update
News leaked out Wednesday morning the South Carolina men’s basketball would be without at least one of two questionable players heading into the Auburn game.
Neither Keyshawn Bryant (head injury) nor Trae Hannibal (ankle) ended up traveling for the Gamecocks’ 80-67 loss to the No. 16 Tigers on Wednesday night.
USC (10-7, 2-3 SEC) returns home Saturday to take on Vanderbilt. Frank Martin didn’t know Wednesday whether he’d get back his starting swingman or backup point guard for the Commodores.
Bryant seems closer to a return than Hannibal
“Keyshawn’s supposed to do some stuff (Thursday) in practice,” Martin said. “How much and all that, I’ll find that out. He’s cleared to do some stuff in practice. How he manages tomorrow will determine how the next day goes.”
Hannibal is “dealing with an ankle sprain,” Martin said. “That’s just straight up pain tolerance. ... It’s not my place as a coach to tell somebody when they’re healthy enough to play. That’s his job to be at peace with his body so he can get out there and contribute.”
Bryant, the team’s fifth leading scorer, exited three minutes into Saturday’s Texas A&M game after colliding with the Aggies’ Wendell Mitchell. He didn’t return and Martin said Monday that Bryant’s status was “day to day.”
Hannibal sprained his ankle in practice last Friday and didn’t make the trip to College Station. Martin said Monday that Hannibal’s swelling had gone down, but the freshman was still in pain.
Redshirt freshman guard T.J. Moss, the other missing player in the TAMU win (attending funeral for a family member), scored two points in 15 minutes Wednesday.
This story was originally published January 22, 2020 at 9:56 AM.
