Shorthanded Gamecocks not making excuses as SEC play arrives
On the eve of Southeastern Conference play, the South Carolina men’s basketball team would have every reason to complain or make excuses.
Due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the program, the Gamecocks didn’t play a basketball game from Dec. 5 at Houston until Saturday’s 78-71 home win against Florida A&M. Head coach Frank Martin said his team found out this week that the delay between those two games was the longest any team in the country has faced this season.
Even after two separate pauses in team activities, the Gamecocks only had nine players available Saturday against the Rattlers, and those nine found themselves “winded” by the end of the game due to their lack of conditioning work during quarantine.
Even still, the Gamecocks didn’t make excuses, with senior guard Seventh Woods saying after the game, “We knew for a long time we’d be limited.”
Now, the stakes are about to get higher. On Wednesday, the 2-2 Gamecocks will host their first SEC opponent of the season, a 6-2 Texas A&M team that has already played two conference games and is coming off 68-66 win over Auburn.
The Aggies have played twice the number of games that the Gamecocks have played. They’ve had twice as many games to find their identity under second-year head coach Buzz Williams. Unlike the Gamecocks, they’ve had no multi-week absences due to COVID-19.
The Aggies would seem to have a significant advantage heading into Wednesday’s game, yes?
“I don’t think so,” redshirt junior forward Justin Minaya said. “I think by Wednesday, we’ll be back into condition at practice. ... I know we didn’t play in almost a month, but I think one more day we’ll be OK.”
With key frontcourt players like Keyshawn Bryant, Alanzo Frink and Jalyn McCreary unavailable against the Rattlers, Minaya was forced to carry the load at power forward for 33 minutes, leading the team with 10 rebounds. Martin said that McCreary would likely be able to return for Wednesday’s game, and he said an unnamed 11th player could possibly return, as well.
Minaya admitted Tuesday he found himself feeling fatigued late in Saturday’s contest and said players are still building stamina back up during practice this week. But like Woods, Minaya didn’t complain or make excuses.
As the Gamecocks try to navigate one of the most unusual, challenging sports seasons in recent history, Martin said it’s important for the team to steer clear of a woe-is-me attitude.
“I’m real proud of them, because that’s been their approach, and that’s been their mindset,” Martin said Tuesday. “That’s the way I live my life. Like, too many people complain about what disadvantages they have but don’t get out of bed and go work to make it happen with whatever they do have.
“...I’m proud of those guys, because those are our two oldest players. This is Justin’s fourth year in college. This is Seventh’s fifth year in college. And they create a mindset for everyone else to follow.”
Beyond sheer conditioning, the Gamecocks have work to do on the basketball front. Saturday’s game was littered with missed shots, defensive lapses and errant passes. Those are mistakes that USC will need to clean up as the competition grows increasingly more difficult.
The Gamecocks hadn’t yet found their team identity before the season paused, and they’re behind where they’d usually be at this point in the season. It might take a couple of games or weeks before they catch up.
But more than anything, both Martin and the players said they are grateful to be back on a basketball court and gradually snapping back into the rhythms of the season.
“It’s pretty hard, but we’re not the only people in the country that have to deal with it,” Minaya said. “And it’s just kind of the way it is right now. ... We’re gonna play hard and literally just take it day by day.
“Something we realized is like literally in one day, suddenly, your whole world could change out of nowhere. So just take it day by day, just be able to play hard and don’t miss out on any opportunity that you get. Take advantage of every opportunity you get. You never know when the next one is going to come.”
NEXT USC BASKETBALL GAME
Who: South Carolina (2-2) vs. Texas A&M (6-2)
Where: Colonial Life Arena
When: 9 p.m. Wednesday
Watch: ESPNU
