SC’s top basketball players recently visited USC. Here’s what they looked for

When P.J. Hall watched, he focused on Chris Siva’s footwork. After Myles Tate watched, he picked Hassani Gravett’s brain.

The state of South Carolina’s best basketball players in the 2020 recruiting class are, naturally, high-priority targets for Frank Martin and the Gamecocks. The USC coach offered scholarships to the talented Dorman High School duo in June. A couple months later, both Hall and Tate came on the same unofficial visit to USC’s campus. Williams-Brice Stadium for the Gamecocks-Georgia football was the trip’s main attraction, but the two also did some studying at Carolina Coliseum.

Witnesses to a Frank Martin-run practice, Hall and Tate catered their experience.

Hall is a 6-foot-10 forward who was interested in how USC’s coach worked with the big men on the 2018-19 roster.

“One of my biggest problems is creating space in the post,” said Hall, who took MVP honors at Phenom Hoop’s SC Top 80 event on Sunday. “I sometimes post down too low. I was watching them create space and get open down low and stuff like that.”

Martin has long been a proponent of traditional post players. The game, he said during a news conference in May, is still won at the rim.

“And you win at the rim by protecting it and you win at the rim by scoring closer to the rim,” Martin said. “That creates opportunity from the 3-point line. “

Hall, who’s been offered by a variety of Power 5 schools, is seeking a college program that shares Martin’s philosophy.

“That means a lot to me,” he said. “If I go to a college and I don’t get any touches, obviously I’m not going to be happy. If we win, then I’ll be fine. But if you can play inside-out, that’ll kill everyone because nobody plays like that anymore. It’s all shoot 3s, shoot 3s, shoot 3s. But if you can penetrate, kick out, go back in and get another kick-out, you’re wide open after that.”

USC’s current shining example of the style is Silva, a 6-foot-9 senior coming off an All-SEC season.

“His footwork is incredible,” Hall said. “He’s a talent. He’s really good.”

Tate, a 6-foot point guard who paired with Hall last year to lead Dorman to a second consecutive 5A state championship, took in South Carolina practice from a different perspective.

“It’s very intense,” Tate said. “He makes their players pay attention to every detail. He wants things done his way. So if it’s not done his way, he just makes them disciplined. And that’s why they’re so good.”

Martin’s intensity was noted to the point that Tate asked a few USC players afterward about how they handle it. Tate was putting himself in Gravett’s shoes.

“If (Martin) were to get on me,” Tate said, “would it be normal to me? It’s normal to them. Hassani said he takes it all in because it’s all love. He’s making them better.

“I like the intensity he puts on players.”

Tate has been courted by the likes of Virginia, Clemson and Wake Forest. It’s a similar list for Hall, who’s scheduled to visit Georgia this weekend and Tennessee next month.

Recruiting will only pick up from here, but Tate and Hall already have distinct impressions of USC.

“Great family environment down there,” Hall said.

“I feel wanted there and I feel a lot of love there from all the coaches and everybody,” added Tate.