South Carolina exits SEC tournament, enters uncertain offseason
One year ago at the SEC tournament, the South Carolina men’s basketball team was oozing with confidence.
Head coach Frank Martin remembers how excited his players were about getting another chance to face Arkansas, a team they had beaten earlier in the year. They believed they could beat the Razorbacks again. Then COVID-19 struck and the tournament was canceled.
In the year since, Martin has searched in vain for that spark his players once showed. He could never find it.
South Carolina’s season ended Thursday night in the team’s first game of the SEC tournament in Nashville, with the No. 11 seed Gamecocks losing to No. 6 seed Ole Miss, 76-59. With the loss, South Carolina finished the year 6-15 (4-13) — the worst record in Martin’s nine-year USC tenure.
From three separate COVID-19 shutdowns to Martin testing positive for the virus twice to Alanzo Frink being ruled out for the year, the 2020-21 season sapped the Gamecocks from the very beginning. Given those circumstances, Martin said it’s unfair to his players for anyone to call the season “disappointing.”
“To say ‘disappointing’ after what our players have been through this year, that’s really sad,” Martin said after the loss. “You want to say I’m not good at my job — fair game. Report whatever you feel like you need to report. But it’s been hard. It’s been a real taxing year. We have a certain way that we do things. ... What we do is based on a daily approach of work ethic, of commitment, of understanding, of repetition. That creates the toughness and the connectivity that our teams have always played with here and before I got to South Carolina, and unfortunately this year just made it really, really hard.”
Throughout the season, Martin often discussed how the pandemic changed the way he coached. A coach known for his fire and zeal took a gentler approach with his players, saying he cared more about them being “at peace” than winning or losing. Martin cited those same mental health concerns for why he didn’t play veterans Keyshawn Bryant and Jermaine Couisnard on Thursday night, despite Bryant and Couisnard ranking as the team’s second- and third-highest scorers, respectively.
It’s been that kind of year.
“This whole pandemic is crazy,” junior guard A.J. Lawson said. “Playing through a COVID season is hard. Me and my team fought through it, and we gave it our best.”
Also without senior guard Seventh Woods due to a groin injury, the Gamecocks were far from full strength. They matched Ole Miss blow for blow early on, but their lack of personnel eventually caught up to them.
What’s next for Gamecocks?
With the season now over, questions abound for the Gamecocks, starting at the top. Martin said this week that South Carolina is “where I want to call home” and that he’s not chasing other jobs, but with just two years left on his contract and with the Gamecocks missing the postseason every year since the team’s first-ever Final Four run in 2017, it’s possible the university could be compelled to part ways.
Martin would make roughly $3 million each of the next two seasons, with the Gamecocks owing him a $6.5 million buyout should the school decide to make a change.
It’s also possible Lawson played his final game as a Gamecock. Though Lawson said this week he hasn’t yet made a decision about his future, he’s taken part in the NBA draft process each of the last two seasons, and he finished fourth in the SEC this season with a career-high 16.9 points per game, earning second team All-SEC honors.
He might not be the only player to draw NBA interest. Bryant is a physical specimen who evolved into a more polished player as a junior, making mid-range jump shots on a more regular basis and better utilizing his athleticism on the defensive end. Martin also praised him for his growth as a vocal leader in the final weeks of the season.
And then there’s Woods, who debuted as a Gamecock this year after transferring from North Carolina and sitting out last season. Though he’s a redshirt senior, he could decide to return for another season thanks to the NCAA granting all winter-sport athletes an extra year of eligibility.
How the team looks next season will hinge on who’s leading it.
Sometime in the coming days, Martin is expected to meet with athletic director Ray Tanner, and Martin said this week that he is prepared to defend his program.
“This has been a crazy year. Our team was impacted,” Martin said. “I handled some things differently this year than I’ve handled in my whole career. Where I’m at peace with things is that this is not year one or year three in my coaching career. This is year 36 ... so I’m at peace with how I do things and how my teams play. And we didn’t play that way this year.”
Mississippi 76, South Carolina 59
SOUTH CAROLINA: McCreary 4-9 7-10 15, Minaya 0-5 1-2 1, Leveque 7-10 0-0 14, Lawson 3-12 5-6 12, Moss 2-9 2-2 7, Hannibal 3-8 0-2 6, Minott 2-4 0-0 4, Anderson 0-1 0-0 0, Nelson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-59 15-22 59.
MISSISSIPPI: Buffen 2-9 4-5 8, White 8-12 1-1 17, Joiner 5-12 6-6 18, Shuler 7-13 0-1 15, Rodriguez 1-5 1-2 4, Allen 1-1 2-2 4, Murrell 3-5 1-2 8, Hunter 1-1 0-0 2, Crowley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-58 15-19 76.
Halftime—Mississippi 41-26. 3-Point Goals—South Carolina 2-11 (Moss 1-3, Lawson 1-5, Anderson 0-1, Minaya 0-2), Mississippi 5-15 (Joiner 2-6, Murrell 1-2, Rodriguez 1-3, Shuler 1-3, White 0-1). Rebounds—South Carolina 28 (Leveque 6), Mississippi 39 (Buffen 9). Assists—South Carolina 10 (Moss 6), Mississippi 14 (Shuler 5). Total Fouls—South Carolina 18, Mississippi 15. A—1,809 (19,395).
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 11:29 PM.
