The same day the Gamecocks announced Alanzo Frink will miss the rest of the 2020-21 season Frank Martin delivered some good news Tuesday afternoon.

Big man Jalyn McCreary is back in practice and working towards being able to play Wednesday night against Georgia after dealing with another shutdown due to COVID.

“Jalyn practiced yesterday. He seemed OK. The expectation is for him to practice today and play tomorrow," Martin said. "He’s cleared the required medical exams that you have to clear whenever you’re coming back from being shut down."

McCreary played in one game since the team returned back from its initial COVID pause in early January, putting up six points in 18 minutes against Texas A&M.

He's missed the last three games, all losses, but the plan is for McCreary to be available.

The big question is how much McCreary will be able to do after missing a laundry list of practice time.

"I don’t know how productive he can be," Martin said. "He’s practiced three times since December 7. It’s hard to ask somebody that’s been in a competitive practice three times in seven or eight weeks to be successful as a player when you’re trying to figure out the conditioning part of it, let alone the success part of it and you’re doing it against a high level opponent in the SEC."

What McCreary's presence back does give South Carolina is another big body, something the Gamecocks are in desperate need of.

Right now there is only player 6-foot-8 or taller playing consistently right now in Wildens Leveque, and McCreary would at minimum give the Gamecocks some sort of big body who can come out and give the team a personality on the cour.

"We’re happy he’s there yesterday. He’s a charismatic young man everyone loves being around. Having him back is awesome.”