Frank Martin's message to his team about the NCAA tournament
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin’s made a habit of not getting too far ahead of himself during a season. It’s always about what’s right in front of his nose. But, even he admitted that’s different with four games to play this year.
Sitting at 9-5 in the SEC with a chance to play themselves into the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks have a lot to play for with two weeks left in the season and at this point “you have an idea of what’s in front of you,” Martin said.
“The way I word it to our players is that there’s a lot of teams in the country that would like to trade with us with four games to go,” he said. “Actually, the majority of the teams would like to trade with where we’re at right now from a league standpoint from being in control of where you end up. A lot of people are scrambling for wins hoping to pass people. But, we have to win. It’s as simple as that.”
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If the season ended today, the Gamecocks (14-13, 9-5 SEC) are in line for the No. 4 seed and a double bye in the SEC Tournament and have played themselves onto the bubble with four conference games left.
Of their four games left, the Gamecocks have three games left against teams under .500 in the conference and a big game Tuesday against Alabama (16-11, 7-7 SEC) , which is considered an NCAA Tournament team right now.
Martin’s not talking to his team about these last four games and the tournament being “play-in games,” but does know if his team wins more than it loses down the stretch it could make the tournament.
“We’re in a good place right now. I don’t need to put undue pressure on our players. Chris (Silva), Hassani (Gravett) and Maik (Kotsar)? They’ve lived it. They know what the deal is; they know what to expect. The young guys, I need to make sure I give them perspective,” he said. “We’re in fourth place. If the thing started today we’re the four seed in the SEC. A lot of people would want to be the four seed with four games to play. Now you have to win.”
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Two of the remaining games are at home—Alabama and Georgia—with the other two—Missouri and Texas A&M—on the road.
Like it has all season, South Carolina will rely on a mix of older talent like Silva, Kotsar and Gravett, and youth in Keyshawn Bryant and AJ Lawson to win and hopefully punch a ticket to the Big Dance.
For freshmen Lawson and Bryant, it’s their first experience going through something like this and they’re relying heavily on those three veterans, all of whom have played in the NCAA Tournament.
“They tell us to stay level headed,” Lawson said. “It’s a journey, there’s going to be ups and downs but stay level headed and stay the course but keep practicing because practice makes perfect.”
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The Gamecocks began their season rough, going 5-7 in non-conference play before starting 4-0 in SEC play and now sit at 9-5 with four to play.
They’re now 4-3 in February with a road with over Georgia and a win against expected tournament team Ole Miss.
Martin understands that non-conference mark will factor into their tournament resume but thinks the Gamecocks’ SEC record and play down the stretch should be looked at first.
“Teams that win in February, that win in league play regardless of what conference you’re in—whether that’s the Big South or the SEC or the Big 12—those are teams that get better. At the end of the day, why do you value a win in November more than a win in February when it’s harder to win in February? I’ve never understood that,” Martin said.
“It’s not a fluke right now. We’re not 9-5 and in fourth place in the SEC because we had a couple breaks go our way. You could have say that after the first two or three games where we won at Vanderbilt or Florida. We’ve obviously sustained that. Well, we have to do that for four more games, and that’ll determine who we are.”