Super secret scrimmages aren’t just commonplace in college basketball, but a time honored tradition with teams meeting up before non-conference season starts for a day of practice and scrimmage.

Last season the Gamecocks hosted Illinois team with Big 10 Freshman of the Year Kofi Cockburn and all-league guard Ayo Dosunmu, and by Frank Martin’s account Keyshawn Bryant outplayed both.

Martin said the forward who’s known for destroying basketball rims and anything else in the way was the best player on the floor that day.

It was hard for him to show that last year, battling injuries for the majority of the season, but this year he’s finally showcasing that.

“I’m real proud of him. He’s grown as a player. He’s put in work to improve as a player,” Frank Martin said. “He’s made some mistakes defensively and offensively over the last three weeks but his voice has continued to get louder and stronger in a positive way. It’s not in a, ‘I do this and you don’t,’ way. It’s like, ‘C’mon, I need you do to this to help me.’”

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It’s been a rough year for South Carolina, battling numerous COVID shutdowns and its worst season winning percentage-wise since Martin took over, but Bryant’s been a bright spot during a tumultuous year.

Bryant’s game was largely predicated his first two seasons by cutting and getting into the lane and dunking on anything and everything in the paint on his way to the hoop.

This year, though, his game has taken another step forward en route to a career year.

Bryant is averaging 14.3 points per game, a career high, with his best career shooting percentages right now hitting 48.2 percent from the field and 19.2 percent from three.

The lanky 6-foot-6 wing also has career highs right now in: offensive rating, effective field goal percentage, steal rate, rebounds per game and player efficiency rating.

“Because he’s shown that growth, I can’t pull back the reigns and tell him to do less. I have to let him go and let him do more. That’s what he’s been doing,” “That’s what Keyshawn’s earned. I have to turn him loose,” Martin said. “As he continues to work on his game and take ownership of our locker room and our team and responsibility I have to allow him grow physically along with the way he’s grown personally.”

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Yes, Bryant is getting more minutes and involved in more possessions this year than any in his career, which is in part the uptick in numbers, but he’s making the most of his increased role.

His playing much more efficiently with a 19.1 player efficiency rating—the best of his career—with career highs in offensive win shares, offensive box plus minus and total box plus minus.

But one of the things he’s doing is more intrinsic to the team as he tries to hold the team together through an arduous season.

“I think it’s my personality: stay positive at all times, Bryant said. “When you’re having tough times you need somebody to be positive. I feel like I should be that guy on the team to keep us positive.”

It’s been a difficult year for South Carolina with wins hard to come by and COVID running rampant through the team in December and January, but Bryant has tried his best to keep the team positive and engaged.

The vocal leadership is something not something part of Bryant’s game the last two years. And, even through a tough season, Martin’s liked what he’s seen personality-wise from Bryant.

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“This is why I coach. I don’t coach for wins and losses. Never have and never will. Keyshawn Bryant used to never say a word. He’s become our team leader in the last two weeks. His positivity, his voice and his guidance has given me a voice to follow now,” Martin said.

“Everyone thinks coaching is about winning and losing games. No. That’s what you guys judge me on. I don’t worry about that. I worry about why I coach, which is to see guys grow as people.”

The Gamecocks (6-13, 4-11 SEC) will need Bryant’s leadership with one game left. South Carolina is 2-8 in its last 10 games with one regular season game left at Kentucky before the SEC Tournament.

“Just try to stay positive. You have to try and keep guys’ heads up and spirits positive. It’s not over yet,” Bryant said. “We have one more game left in the season and we still have the tournament.”