‘They bring a lot to the table.’ Frank Martin excited for freshmen post players
With South Carolina men’s basketball season over, coach Frank Martin is looking toward the future of the program.
That future includes Ridge View’s Ja’Von Benson and AC Flora’s Patrick Iriel. The two Columbia area big men are the only two players part of USC’s Class of 2020 although that might change depending if players decide to leave the the program.
“I think those guys are going to be really good players,” Martin said. “... They both just turned 18 since the calendar changed so they are young compared to most freshmen in this day and age. They both play for tremendous high school coaches and have been prepared. They both run, have great footwork and good hands. They both have the ability to become good shooters.”
Benson and Iriel had productive senior seasons, earning all-state honors. Benson was Class 4A Player of the Year and averaged 17.1 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks. With Martin and USC sitting on press row for the state title game, he had 14 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in helping Ridge View to its third straight Class 4A championship.
Martin compares Benson to Jason Maxiell, who he coached while an assistant at Cincinnati in mid-2000s. Maxiell was a first-round draft pick by the Detroit Pistons in 2005 and played 12 seasons combined in the NBA and overseas.
“Ja’Von is in the 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 range, but he has tremendous length,” Martin said. “He is like 7-foot-4 in his reach which I say is what matters in basketball.”
Iriel had his best season this year for AC Flora, which advanced to the Class 4A Lower State championship. The 6-foot-11 Iriel averaged 13 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals a game.
Iriel, like Benson, showed the ability to not only play in post but both worked hard on their outside game. AC Flora compares Iriel to Mason Plumlee, who played at Duke and his ninth season in the NBA.
“Pat is one of the best post players in the country,” Staley said of Iriel. “I think his humbleness, his meekness, his willingness to accept coaching and his discipline is what is going to separate him down the road. He is blessed with the size, athleticism and ball skills.”
Martin expects the two incoming freshmen will add weight and muscle to their large frames once they report to school in the summer and work with USC’s strength staff. The two players will provide depth to a strong nucleus of big men which includes Jalyn McCreary, Alonzo Frink and Wildens Leveque.
“They will be around 240-250 pounds players that can run, move feet which means they fit in their defensive concepts,” Martin said of the duo. They both are short blockers. I think they are going to add tremendous things to what we do.
“We are going to have to be patient and learn how to play with backs to baskets. We have to be patient. But they bring a lot to the table.”
