Martin pleased with seeding, close proximity for NCAA Tournament
Last March’s heartbreak turned into this year's happiness for South Carolina.
Not only are the No. 7 seeded Gamecocks participating in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 with a 22-10 overall record, they have to travel just 100 miles up the road to Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, where they face No. 10 seed Marquette in a first round game Friday at approx. 9:45 p.m.
The game will be televised by TBS with the crew of Brian Anderson, Chris Webber and Lewis Johnson handling the broadcast.
The winner of that matchup plays Duke or Troy in the second round on Sunday. Last weekend, the South Carolina women’s team won the SEC Tournament Championship in Greenville.
The Gamecocks last played at Bon Secours Wellness Arena 16 months ago when they beat rival Clemson. Even though it was technically a Clemson home game, thousands of USC fans showed up for the game.
“Our fans will come. The ones that can get their hands on tickets will be there,” head coach Frank Martin said Sunday night. “We have a chance to do some special things. I’d much rather get on a bus and go an hour and a half than get on a plane and travel six hours. Anytime you have to change time zones, it’s an adjustment.
“We’ve played in that building and we’ve won in that building. At least some guys on our team have. Having the security blanket of knowing your friends and family are with you makes it powerful. When you have to go across the country, you don’t know what you’re getting into. It’s a whole lot better. The less you travel, the less stress on the team.”
Most bracketologists had the Gamecocks heading to Buffalo or Salt Lake City or Sacramento as a No. 8 or No. 9 seed. Instead, they’ll stay in the Palmetto State as a No. 7 seed, a reward for a solid season even though the Gamecocks lost six of their final nine games.
The Gamecocks’ seeding proves they were solidly into the tournament regardless of how they finished. The Gamecocks were No. 26 on the complete seed list released by the NCAA.
“I’ve coached NCAA teams and I know when I have one,” Martin said. “I’m extremely proud of the committee for respecting our team and its accomplishments and rewarding our guys for the schedule they played and the teams we played.”
Martin last coached in the NCAA Tournament in 2012 when Kansas State reached the second round. Days later, Martin was named coach of the Gamecocks.
“It’s been a grinding five years,” Martin said. “It’s fun to be a part of it again. There’s nothing like the NCAA Tournament. It’s an unbelievable experience. I’ve told our players, ‘Don’t just be happy to be in it.’ Be focused and prepared to make a run now that we’re in this exclusive group.
“There are no free passes handed out to get into this tournament. You earn your way into this thing. Contrary to popular belief, we didn’t limp to the finish line. We actually played some real good teams and fought our tails off, which has prepared us for postseason play.”
What was Martin’s reaction when he first saw ‘South Carolina’ pop up on the TV screen and he realized they would be playing in Greenville?
In his view, the Gamecocks got the best of both worlds – they got a decent seed and are playing close to home.
“It was a powerful moment for me,” Martin said. “When the show started, I thought we were going out West as a No. 8 or 9 (seed). Not because that’s what the analysts were saying, but based on my experience and our numbers and our record, I thought we had lost some games that would have helped us stay closer to home.
“Had we stayed in the East, I thought we would be a No. 10 seed just to keep us East. When I saw the 7 (seed) and South Carolina come up next to it with that beautiful block ‘C’, at first I didn’t realize that was us. It was a powerful moment. It’s been a fun ride.”
The eight teams playing in Greenville are South Carolina, Marquette, Duke, Troy, North Carolina, Texas Southern, Arkansas and Seton Hall.
As soon as the matchup with Marquette was announced, Gamecock coaches and support personnel scurried to find tape of the Golden Eagles, which finished 19-12 overall and lost to Seton Hall in the quarterfinals of the Big East tournament.
Former Duke player and assistant Steve Wojciechowski is wrapping up his third season as head coach of Marquette, which ranks among the top 3-point shooting teams in the country.
“Wojo and I have become friends over the years,” Martin said. “Offensively, Marquette can score with the best of them. I’ve watched them play live because of my friendship with Wojo. They are a very good team. I just told our guys that every team in this tournament has earned their way through winning. Winning is hard, so everybody is battle tested. It’s going to be fun.”
The SEC got five teams into the NCAA tournament, two more than last season: South Carolina, Kentucky, Florida, Arkansas and Vanderbilt.
“I’m extremely proud of the SEC and the other coaches in this league,” Martin said. “Coming down the stretch, we were 6-6 in our last 12 games. But we lost to NCAA (Tournament) teams. We didn’t lose to bad teams. Being a part of it in the past kept me sane because I know how it works.”
2017 NCAA MEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT (East Region)
1. Villanova
2. Duke
3. Baylor
4. Florida
5. Virginia
6. SMU
7. South Carolina
8. Wisconsin
9. Virginia Tech
10. Marquette
11. Providence/Southern Cal (First Four)
12. UNC-Wilmington
13. East Tennessee State
14. New Mexico State
15. Troy
16. Mount Saint Mary’s/New Orleans (First Four)
