Jason Cudd ran down the court at full speed. It was the first night of the SC ProAm and he was about halfway through his first game.

He finished his floor-long sprint, caught an entry pass, pump faked, went under a leaping defender, laid the ball in and jogged back down the court, not breaking a sweat.

The exchange, which didn’t seem like much in the moment, shows how far Cudd’s come physically in just one year at South Carolina.

“It’s a lot better. It’s a lot easier,” he said. “I’m not really as sore as much for as long. Now I’m used to the speed of the game.”

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At the same time last year, Cudd was participating in the same ProAm, huffing and puffing his way through a handful of games before really getting into the Gamecocks’ strength and conditioning program.

Since then he’s done a full 180, getting his body right heading into his sophomore season. It was a struggle, like it is for a lot of freshmen, getting used to the college game, but Cudd said the tide really turned after his first semester in December when the workouts became a little easier.

“It was hard,” he said. “Once you get used to it, it’s not so bad.”

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Cudd played in 23 games last season, averaging 1.3 points and a rebound while shooting 39.1 percent from the field.

It was streaky last season. He’d pick up double-digit minutes, picking up a season-high 16 against Alabama, but then there were times where he’d get less than five or not even play at all.

Heading into this season, he’s working on making his offensive game more consistent. That way, the true seven-footer can become a matchup nightmare in the SEC.

“Mostly it’s the same as last year: a lot of getting stronger and being able to compete with everybody in the SEC,” he said. “Just working on my jump shots and mid-range.”

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The Gamecocks are returning both starters in the frontcourt from last season in Chris Silva and Maik Kotsar, but there are still minutes to be won in the Gamecocks’ rotation off the bench.

There’s hope from Cudd, with his better-conditioned body and improved game, that he’ll be a bigger help than he was last year.

He’ll have to earn it, competing with Felipe Haase and newcomer Alanzo Frink, but he’s not shying away from it.

“Obviously I hope I can help out more,” Cudd said. “I love to help the team and it feels good when you’re out there doing well. Hopefully I can get some more minutes, earn them.”