The next Curry? Martin preaches gospel of basketball at camp

Frank Martin can preach basketball to anyone.

When players barely reach his waist, the message gets across a little more handily.

“I want you guys to have a lot of fun this week,” Martin said in a serious monotone. “With that basketball, if you use it the right way, your life can become a lot of fun.”

He relaxed a few seconds later. Hard not to when 40 grade-schoolers are crowding around wanting a high-five.

Martin’s Little Gamecocks Camp began Monday in South Carolina’s volleyball gym/practice court, with some celebrity counselors (such as junior Sindarius Thornwell) helping out and teaching the fundamentals of the game. Martin, wearing a black button-down and jeans instead of his usual practice gear, started the day with one of his many stories from a life on the court.

After asking for some of the campers’ favorite NBA players and hearing Klay Thompson, Martin spoke of watching Thompson’s dad Mychal Thompson play. He branched out to Klay Thompson’s Golden State teammate, Stephen Curry, and how Curry thanked his parents during his MVP acceptance speech.

Remember, Martin pointed out, that Curry couldn’t play in his first middle-school game because he didn’t wash the dishes at home. “You’re here because someone cares for you,” Martin said. “Listen to your mom, listen to your dad, listen to your coach.”

Martin and his staff are winding down after a late surge in recruiting over the spring period. Big men Eric Cobb and Raymond Doby pledged to the Gamecocks and are set to report later this week, in time to enroll for the July semester. Guard Jamall Gregory, who pledged early in the spring, is waiting on a final grade to be posted and could join Cobb and Doby, but may have to wait until August.

All of the Gamecocks are set to be in school soon, though, giving Martin a full team with the necessary height and depth to move forward. But his team’s 2015-16 season could wait for a little bit.

Monday was about the little ones, the future of the game and perhaps his program.

“Kids recognize our current players,” Martin said. “Our players go out and embrace the community. They grow up wanting to be the next Sindarius or Duane (Notice) or Michael Carrera. It creates a role model for these kids to look up to.”

This story was originally published June 29, 2015 at 1:13 PM.