It’s easy to see why Frank Martin and the Gamecocks are high on what the Gamecocks have this season.
South Carolina returns over 70 percent of production from last year’s 18-win group, including four starters, but there is one starting spot up for grabs this preseason in the center role.
The Gamecocks lost Maik Kotsar to graduation and will be looking to fill his role with likely one of two players in Alanzo Frink or Wildens Leveque.
“I have to start thinking along those lines saw to whether I want to start the game with a power lineup or I want to start the game with a smaller, physical lineup,” Frank Martin said. “I’m not sure where I’m at with that.”
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The question isn’t whether either will play—both guys are going to probably get significant minutes this season—but which one is on the floor when the ball is tipped.
They each bring something different with Frink, a junior, the veteran of the two and a more physical player while Leveque, the tallest player on the roster at 6-foot-10, a longer big man.
Both have starting experience as recently as last season with Frink starting 12 games in place of the injured Justin Minaya and Leveque starting eight games, two of those in SEC play.
“I know we’re going to play both ways, but I don’t know what’s best for the team from the how do we start to how we sub into the game,” Martin said. “Guys coming in off the bench, not all of them are good coming off the bench. You have to make sure the guys coming off the bench are he kind of players who excel in that role. That’s very important.”
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Martin said he’s been pleased with both guys in the thick of it for the starting job, and the decision on who starts will be made in the lead up to the Gamecocks’ exhibition Wednesday against Coker (6:30 p.m., SEC Network) and the first regular season game against Liberty (Saturday, 4 p.m., ESPN News).
Leveque said this preseason he’s feeling at ease with his role and exponentially more comfortable than he was this time last year as a freshman. Last year he averaged 2.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.5 blocks per game.
He had the fourth-highest offensive efficiency on the team last year (104.6) and the highest offensive and defensive rebound rates on the team.
“Just really confident. I enjoy helping out the freshmen big and staying in my role and trying to be vocal in practice,” Levque said. “As a sophomore I have more experience and I’m just really excited about it."
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Frink, after fighting through injuries as a freshman, averaged 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds last season but closed the season strong.
Over his last four games he averaged 12 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game while shooting a whopping 73.9 percent from the field.
“I’m trying to help the freshmen out and explaining, doing how they taught me about being more physical, rebounding and the things Frank likes and the things he doesn’t like,” Frink said. “I’m trying to help them with the ropes and trying to be more vocal with the whole team in general.”
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