SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL

For the first time since he probably stepped on campus, Keyshawn Bryant was quiet during practice Saturday.

Ever since he arrived on campus, Bryant’s vibrant personality is about the second thing you pick up on right after his freak-of-nature style of athleticism that earned him a key spot in last year’s starting lineup.

But, that athleticism is on hold right now for about four to six weeks with him recovering from knee surgery, which means his extroverted nature has taken a dip as he comes to grips with missing the first significant time since he started playing.

“This is the first time he’s ever had any kind of injury. He tried to be engaged in practice Saturday, but it’s hard…It’s a new experience for him,” Frank Martin said. “When you get hurt for the first time, five or six weeks when you’re told that, it seems like a long, long time. That tends to break your spirits a little bit. Before he knows it, those five weeks will be up and I’ll be down his throat again yelling at him and he’d wish he’s back on crutches.”

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Bryant had surgery on Halloween and will miss the next four to six weeks recovering from it, with Martin saying he’s an optimist and hoping Bryant is back sooner rather than later.

Missing four weeks would put him back Nov. 28, right before a big stretch against George Washington and Houston while six weeks would make for a Dec. 12 return date, three days before the Gamecocks play Clemson.

Quick return or not, it means the Gamecocks will have to play at least part of their non-conference schedule without their second-best returning scorer.

That means someone else has to shoulder some of the load, and it could ultimately end up being a handful of guys to do it. Bryant, who benefitted last season with Justin Minaya out with a knee injury, now gives another player a chance to step up early in the teams.

There’s the lineup that Martin trotted out for the exhibition—AJ Lawson, Jair Bolden, Justin Minaya, Alanzo Frink and Maik Kotsar— or Martin could opt for something smaller and quicker, which is what he experimented with this weekend.

Also see: What we learned from Saturday's win over Vandy

“I don’t know if it benefits anyone in specific. Our depth at guard is something we didn’t have last year. On Saturday, I spent a great deal of practice time with Jair Bolden, Jermaine (Couisnard) and AJ at the three perimeter spots,” he said. “Last year, it benefitted Keyshawn because all we had was Keyshawn. This year we have multiple guys so I’m kind of messing around with it.”

The Gamecocks have probably the most depth in the backcourt since Martin took over and it could play to their advantage.

They could also play Jalyn McCreary at a few different spots—he’s a stretch big who did some good things in last week’s exhibition—and another freshman who plays Bryant’s position has also impressed the coaching staff lately.

“Trey Anderson, I thought, had his best three or four days of practice leading into Saturday and he wasn’t very good Saturday,” Martin said. “Trey’s going to be a good player for us; he fell behind and he struggled, but he gained some ground last week. Maybe he’s the one who gets an opportunity with that.”

Also see: Inside Saturday's snap count

While the Gamecocks try to figure out a way to fill the void Bryant leaves, the sophomore is trying to take on a new role the next month.

He’s already earned the nickname Coach Key by his teammates and is doing his best to maintain the same energy levels he patented last season.

“He’s the same personality in the locker room. He might be sad he can’t play but he’s trying to keep positive spirits in talking to us on the sideline and being a coach now,” Lawson said. “He’s always talking, talking to me.”