SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS MEN'S BASKETBALL

Frank Martin walked up to the podium at SEC Media Days and started with his prototypical deep breath before starting into his opening statement.

It was an opening statement that detailed a lot of the positions on the team and ended with one strong tidbit: Martin is “extremely, extremely excited” about South Carolina’s freshman class.

He reinforced the topic later saying this year’s freshmen could be one of the best he’s coached in seven seasons in Columbia.

“I’m not saying we have freshmen that are going to play like (Michael) Beasley or Rose or one of those guys but it’s the most talented group of freshmen that I’ve had in my time at South Carolina top to bottom: competitiveness, smarts, athleticism, accepting coaching,” Martin said. “It’s the most talented group we’ve had.”

Also see: Live blog from SEC Media Days

The Gamecocks signed five freshmen in this year’s recruiting class. They have four guards—Jermaine Cousinard, TJ Moss, Keyshawn Bryant and AJ Lawson—mixed in with one frontcourt player in Alanzo Frink.

Of those, three (Cousinard, Moss and Bryant) are three-star prospects with Lawson the highest-rated player coming in as a four-star talent. Frink is currently not rated by Rivals.

Martin’s not been shy about saying how far along this group has been this preseason, saying earlier this week they were farther ahead in learning the team’s verbiage and lingo in the Gamecocks’ system.

They haven’t been perfect, he said but they’ve been able to hold their own in practice.

“From what I see in practice we like to compete,” Chris Silva said. “The young guys are messing up plays, but even though they mess up plays they’re competing. That’s the most important thing.”

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Martin’s seen that competitiveness already in just three weeks of preseason practice.

Martin did warn that this group maybe won’t be like some of the freshmen stars he’s coached at previous stops like Michael Beasley at Kansas State but said this group of guys has all the qualities needed to make an impact.

He credits a lot of that, and the young maturity, to some of the returning players being better equipped to lead and bring younger guys along this season.

He said it’s a different feel in the locker room with older guys helping and being in better places personally and in their game to help out.

“This group is real competitive. They’re more accepting of coaching,” he said. “I think it’s not so much them but it’s Chris (Silva) and Maik (Kotsar) and Hassani (Gravett) and Felipe (Haase) and Justin (Minaya). We have a core of guys in that locker room that are better prepared to hold the young guys accountable all summer and all preseason.”

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