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Injury updates to McCreary, Minaya

The Gamecocks might be out one of their bigs moving forward with Jalyn McCreary's status still unknown as South Carolina gets ready to face Mississippi State Wednesday.

McCreary, who left the game with a head injury and, while still not great, is improving steadily.

Photo by Katie Dugan
Photo by Katie Dugan
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“He’s Looney Tunes. He’s got Tweety Bird and Bugs Bunny confused right now," Frank Martin said. "He’s better today. He wasn’t doing well yesterday. When I mean well, it’s not like he’s in dire straights. He got whacked in the head pretty good.”

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McCreary played well in the first half, putting up eight points on 4-for-5 shooting before crashing into a camera man sitting under the baseline.

He didn't return to the bench after that.

“In college basketball, why is there a guy with a camera sitting where he’s sitting? We’re down a player because we have people sitting on the baseline for a college basketball game,” he said. “Now this kid making a basketball play gets hurt because of that. Come on, man…That’s always bothered me. I’ve never said anything because nothing’s happened. Well guess what? Something happened.”

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With him out, Martin said the Gamecocks need more from two bigs like Alanzo Frink and Wildens Leveque but could also use Trey Anderson some against the Bulldogs.

Frink and Leveque combined for three points on 1-for-3 shooting with four rebounds, a turnover and four fouls apiece.

Anderson has only played in eight games this season, averaging 2.8 minutes per game. He's 0-for-7 on the season (0-for-3 from three) and his only points have come off free throws.

"He's a good sized kid that's really, really active. Getting to the right place and ball handling are two things that I don't want to say he's struggled with but other people have done a lot better than him. It's not that he's doing anything wrong, but other people are doing things better. Down Justin, everyone slides over a seat. Now if we're down Justin and Jalyn, everyone slides down another seat. He's grown as a player. He has the ability to shoot and rebounds the ball. He's active," Martin said. "Why not? Throw him out there. We believed in him to offer him a scholarship."

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Martin did give an update on Justin Minaya as well, who is out indefinitely with a thumb injury.

Minaya hurt his thumb against Missouri and has missed the last four games after having surgery at the beginning of the month.

He's scheduled to get his cast off the first week of March with Martin saying there's a chance he could still play if the ligament heals properly.

“They’ll re-evaluate the healing of the ligament. We wouldn’t know anything until then," he said. "Once that re-evaluation takes place, the way it’s been explained to me, then the option of Justin and trying to cast the thumb to where he still has wrist movement is on the table. It’s pending on what that early March re-evaluation tells the doctors.”

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