Lawson out for at least a week
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL
The Gamecocks will be without one of their star guards for two big games over their stretch run trying to vault themselves into the tournament.
Frank Martin announced Thursday that AJ Lawson, who's dealing with an ankle injury is out indefinitely and will miss at least two games dealing with that.
"My heart goes out to him for how hard he's worked to him help us to be a good basketball team. He rolled his ankle and they taped him and he's doing everything in his power to come back in," Frank Martin said on his call-in show. "We're down to six and a half because Alanzo's playing on that ankle and who walk-ons. We have to manage how we play them."
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Lawson injured his ankle late in the Gamecocks' loss to Alabama Tuesday, landing on it wrong with about eight minutes to play.
He left the game and did not return to the bench, having to be carried to the locker room.
With Lawson out, the Gamecocks have just seven healthy scholarship players and, if Alanzo Frink can't ply Saturday, the Gamecocks (14-14, 9-6 SEC) could be down to six scholarship players and two walk-ons Saturday.
Frink rolled his ankle before the game against Alabama and is still rehabbing from it heading into this weekend's game in the other Columbia.
"He still thinks he's a fat kid, so he tends to glide instead of stride when he runs. when you glide instead of stride and you'er trying to keep up with Chris Silva in practice it's hard," Martin said. "He was healthy enough to play but didn't seem excited enough to play. Everyone manages it different."
South Carolina travels to Missouri Saturday and Texas A&M Tuesday before finishing the regular season at home.
They've had their fair share of injuries this year, losing Justin Minaya, TJ Moss and Jason Cudd for the year while Jermaine Couisnard is ineligible to play.
Frink and Maik Kotsar are also players who have missed multiple games this year with injuries.
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From South Carolina media relations
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin announced on Thursday that rookie guard A.J. Lawson suffered a severe low left ankle sprain during the second half of Tuesday's contest versus Alabama. Lawson is listed as out indefinitely, and will miss at least the next two games. Lawson will be re-evaluated on Monday.
The SEC Freshman of the Year candidate is averaging 13.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, and a team high 3.0 assists per game with 18 double-figure scoring games this season. In league games, he is scoring 14.0 points, and dishing out 2.6 assists per outing.