Young, old Gamecocks can bond on trip to Costa Rica

Consider it an extension of freshman orientation.

“A trip like this makes them have to spend time with each other,” South Carolina coach Frank Martin said. “Those freshmen and those seniors get a better understanding of each other.”

Martin’s Gamecocks practiced on Thursday in preparation for a trip to Costa Rica on Saturday. They’ll spend six days there, playing two games and holding one joint practice with the country’s national team.

The NCAA allows teams to take a foreign trip every four years, with 10 extra practices and a few games while they’re away. It’s an immense help to teams that are breaking in new faces, and the Gamecocks are taking advantage of it.

“My plan was to do this next summer,” Martin said. “But when we had that change in roster that we didn’t expect to have, then all of a sudden our team was going to become very top- and bottom-heavy in experience.”

With four underclassmen who were supposed to be here not around, Martin scrambled to fill his roster. He did, junior-college transfer Ran Tut being accepted into school on Thursday, but realized he had a problem.

Seniors Sindarius Thornwell, Duane Notice and Justin McKie deserved to have as good a team as possible after sacrificing so much over the past three years. Nobody else had more than two years of experience, and there would be seven new faces.

So Martin bumped up the trip and USC will be abroad for the first time since 2008. After several practices in Columbia and six days overseas, the Gamecocks have a head start on building team chemistry.

“I think the most important thing is getting the freshmen to learn everything,” Thornwell said. “These extra days of practice help them and get them better prepared when October comes around.”

Martin pointed out that chemistry isn’t always guys hanging out with each other every day. Each player has their own family, their own life, and can split from the team.

Martin will cede head-coaching duties to associate head coach Matt Figger on the trip, allowing him to spend more time on the bench during games. He can talk to players about basketball without being so concerned about winning the game.

The Gamecocks will put in some of their structures instead of straight freelance ball, because it’s a different world. Thornwell and Estonian Maik Kotsar are familiar with international rules, but the others aren’t.

“It’s officiated differently,” Martin said. “If you bleed, there’s a foul. If you don’t bleed, then keep playing. And you better not pout.”

NOTES: Five Gamecocks won’t play in Costa Rica. Sedee Keita (wrist) and Chris Silva (hamstring) will travel but not participate. Each will be fine for the season. Kory Holden isn’t eligible to travel or play after transferring from Delaware.

Rakym Felder and Ran Tut aren’t enrolled and can’t travel. They will be enrolled by mid-August and are cleared to play this season.

This story was originally published August 5, 2016 at 6:50 AM.