Inside the relationship of the Gamecocks' big freshmen duo

SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL

It can be hard for freshmen to see the bigger picture during their first season.

That isn’t true for guys like AJ Lawson and Keyshawn Bryant.

The two Gamecock freshmen are two of the team’s lynchpins offensively, in part because they’re embracing Frank Martin and his philosophy.

“I tell (Bryant) and AJ all the time: you guys are going to get frustrated at times because we’re all over you to play better, but don’t lose sight of the fact that you’re playing 30 minutes a game,” Martin said. “That’s life as a freshman. Neither one fights it.”

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Through the team’s 21 games this year, especially through the first half of SEC play, those two freshmen have helped make the Gamecocks’ offense tick.

Neither player has missed a start against an SEC team with Lawson starting every game so far and Bryant starting the last 15 games.

Lawson has turned it on in SEC play so far. He’s played 78.8 percent of the Gamecocks’ minutes in SEC play and has the seventh-lowest turnover rate among players in the SEC with an offensive rating of 102.8.

Bryant is being used in 22.6 percent of the team’s possessions, has an offensive rating of 82.4, and is shooting over 50 percent from inside the three-point arc against SEC teams.

The two have been integral parts of the Gamecocks’ success and now Martin’s ready to see that development continue as more vocal leaders.

“We wouldn’t be where we’re at right now—better as a team, not record-wise, I ain’t into all that—but the progress we’ve made as a team without their willingness to take on responsibility, which is not easy to do at their age,” he said. “They’ve been willing to accept responsibility and take on challenges and grow. That’s allowed us to keep getting better.”

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But the bond that shows up and grows game after game didn’t just happen; this has been budding since the two first set foot on campus.

They’re roommates, which means they spend almost all of their time together on and off the court. Soon after arriving, they quickly became inseparable. There aren’t too many times where they’re apart during the day, and Martin jokes the two “never shut up” in non-serious situations.

Because of that, they’ve developed a great relationship off the court that’s now manifesting itself during the game. That comes from countless hours together as they continue to make each other better while going through their freshman year together in Martin’s system.

“It’s pretty easy. Coach Frank is always talking to me and Key, encouraging us to do more because he says we have the kind of potential to do that and more. When we’re down he always tries to bring us up,” Lawson said. “Coaching is easy with everyone on your side.”

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Now one of the biggest challenges for this young duo comes Tuesday night in arguably the most hostile environment they’ve faced to-date: Kentucky in Rupp Arena.

Frank Martin’s never won a game at Rupp, which is rated the eighth-hardest venue to play in and second in the SEC behind just Arkansas.

It’ll be a big challenge for a young Gamecock team with freshmen who grew up watching Kentucky, but they’re embracing it.

“I’ve seen it a lot,” Lawson said. “You see it a couple times on TSN. Watching on TV, I can see the environment. It’s hectic, a lot of fans screaming and cheering for their team. To play against Kentucky at Kentucky I feel like it’s going to be hard because the environment’s going to be crazy. I know that.”