Gamecocks not thinking of early success as SEC play begins

South Carolina’s been here before. Not at this level, but here.

They’ve learned powerful lessons on what not to do.

“We got wrapped up in the fact that we won some games, and that we were relevant to people who had never spoken about our basketball program before,” Frank Martin said Monday. “We lost perspective on who we were that allowed us to find success, because of outside noise and outside positive comments or whatever you want to call them.”

The Gamecocks overcame a 2-3 start with seven straight wins last season. Top 25 votes were coming in and ESPN’s “Bracketology” mentioned the Gamecocks in its 68-team projection.

USC began the SEC 1-6. While it played well down the stretch and posted the program’s first winning season in six years, the memory of a bad month ruining a promising beginning has the Gamecocks treading lightly this year.

A No. 22 ranking (USC’s highest since 1998) and a No. 6 seed in “Bracketology” mean nothing. The Gamecocks (13-0, 0-0 SEC) might not even know much about the rankings as they prepare for Auburn on Tuesday – to know might mean to mention, and mentioning means a quick trip to the penalty box.

“You don’t want Frank to yell at you. You don’t want to run extra,” senior Mindaugas Kacinas said, confirming that it’s pretty much punishment laps if any Gamecock mentions the Top 25.

“Because we tasted a little bit of success, everyone got wrapped up, ‘Oh, we worked so hard, and now results are coming!’” Kacinas said. “Bam. Right after that, we just went right down the cliff.”

The upperclassmen say they have a handle on what went wrong. Martin says that USC has done a fantastic job of staying in the moment. This is where the season is truly determined, and the Gamecocks have enough going against them already without boasting of a Top 25 ranking.

The Gamecocks have had three winning and two .500 league seasons in 24 years in the SEC. When they’ve at least broken even in the SEC, they’ve won two division titles, one regular-season championship and gone to five postseasons.

When they haven’t, a lot of solid beginnings were forgotten in the wisp of a 3-13 finish.

Martin said that nobody two years from now will remember that USC began 13-0 this season if it doesn’t keep winning. Last year and previous experiences have taught him how to handle it.

“We were just young,” he said. “The most important thing in conference basketball is that you put the last day, you put it behind you right away. Don’t get wrapped up in a win or a loss, because it’s not good for the next game.”

So to beat an Auburn team that is struggling with injuries, on the road, after losing six of seven to the Tigers and dropping four straight SEC openers, would be grand. But if it doesn’t happen, there are 17 games to play.

A win, though, would remove the “here we go again” thoughts.

Will the Gamecocks handle their success this year better than last year? Martin shrugged.

“I guess we’re gonna find out.”

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 5:36 PM.