SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS FOOTBALL

This summer was a little different than summers in year’s past for Frank Martin.

After spending the last few quiet months putting the final touches on his current class entering the season, Martin came into the summer with his 2019 class already put together after the addition of Micaiah Henry in May.

“Henry hadn’t been on campus because he was waiting to graduate but we knew who our team was going to be,” Martin said. “The last two years I’ve been scrambling into July trying to complete our roster. I couldn’t ask for the guys to be any better than they’ve been the whole summer.”

Also see: Team scoop after the Hilinski injury

Henry was the last scholarship player added—Seventh Woods came into the fold later as a walk-on—and that was in May, which is a few months earlier than when the classes the last two years have been finalized.

He joins a class complete with four scholarship freshmen in Trae Hannibal, Wildens Leveque, Trey Anderson and Jalyn McCreary along with walk-ons Mike Green and Woods.

Henry, while the most experienced of the newcomers on this year’s team, does come in at a little bit of a disadvantage compared to the other members in the class.

While the entirety of the freshmen enrolled at the end of May or in June to spend the summer in the Gamecocks’ strength and conditioning program, Henry couldn’t arrive until right before the fall semester started at the end of August.

Henry had to finish classes at Tennessee Tech so he could graduate and officially complete the transfer to South Carolina.

While Martin said he doesn’t think it’ll matter once the season starts, him arriving a few weeks later than the freshmen did take its toll early in preseason workouts.

Also see: Trying to add context to the season-opening loss

“It mattered the first day in the weight room. It mattered the first day in conditioning,” Martin said. “Everyone was in a certain place and he was next to the garbage can. He’s also older; he’s a man. He’s been through college; he understands what the day-to-day path is. He’s a college graduate, so you’d like to think learning college basketball should happen quicker.”

Henry comes to South Carolina after a career year where he started 30 games and averaged 9.7 points and 4.7 rebounds a game with a 57.9 effective field goal percentage.

It’s always interesting with a graduate transfer coming in since he only has one year of eligibility left and he’s trying to make the most of it while having to learn Martin’s scheme and complex defensive system.

Martin’s not worried about Henry catching on, but did relay the message he has to get up to speed and do it quickly.

“He’s talented. But, like all graduate transfers, he’s got to be on the same page with me from day one,” Martin said. “I say it all the time: you’re a math student. Don’t get left behind because if you’re on chapter one and everyone else is on chapter nine, he’s got to be on the same page with me from day one.”