Martin still tinkering with lineups as season approaches

South Carolina got over its first hurdle in the 2019-20 basketball season, and now comes the next test before the regular season starts in less than a week.

With the Gamecocks done with their exhibition, Frank Martin is tasked with settling on a starting lineup, which is something he’s still not sure about as the season approaches.

“Where am I at with the starting lineup? I’m still, I’m not—today’s the first day I tell anybody to get on a certain team,” Martin said. “Before this, they put themselves on certain teams and I just run practice and try to teach. Today’s the first day where I say, ‘You, you, you and you: get on the court.’ I told them before the game that whoever I’m starting today doesn’t mean that’s the way I’m thinking. I’m trying to figure out who I can play together and who plays better where.”

Also see: Instant analysis from Wednesday's exhibition win

Martin is a coach who, once a lineup is set and working, doesn’t like to deviate from it and likes to have players settle into roles so they can prepare and get ready a certain way.

Last season, after injuries finally settled down, it took a while for Martin to really settle on a consistent starting lineup with Tre Campbell, AJ Lawson, Keyshawn Bryant, Maik Kotsar and Chris Silva.

He has a lot of options with arguably the deepest team he’s had since arriving at South Carolina, and Martin’s still weighing options.

“I have to figure that out. I’m not there yet, and I might not be there through the month of November. I don’t know,” I have an idea of how I want to do things when North Alabama comes in here,” he said. “I got an idea of what guy I want in the game at the end of the game, but I don’t know how I’m going to manage it to get to that point.”

Also see: A few key takeaways from the hoops exhibition

The Gamecocks started a somewhat unique lineup last night with the typical expected guys out there—AJ Lawson, Maik Kotsar, Justin Minaya and Jair Bolden—but had sophomore Alanzo Frink at the power forward spot.

It was a little deviating from what was expected—they brought in graduate transfer Micaiah Henry who was expected to play significant minutes—but Frink was incredibly consistent in his 13 minutes.

He’d finish with nine points on 3-of-5 shooting and had a game-high eight rebounds.

“Here’s the thing with Alanzo: I think you saw some things he did that can really, really help us. He’s got real good hands, has great feel for how to play. Alanzo’s biggest challenge is focus; to stay engaged and not take plays off,” Martin said. “That’s what gets him in trouble. He’s made tremendous progressing in that department. I thought he was the most consistent big in practice leading into this game leading into practice and that’s why I started him.”

Also see: Getting a behind the scenes look at Vanderbilt

But just because Frink started Wednesday doesn’t mean he’ll be in the first five come Nov. 6 when the Gamecocks host North Alabama.

Because they’re so deep on paper, they have options even without Keyshawn Bryant for the first six weeks of the year.

They could play small with Justin Minaya at the four and a guard-heavy lineup, or big with Henry and Kotsar manning the post, or stick with the balance of space and speed with Frink and Kotsar. Whatever it is, there will be a least a little clarity come next week.

“We just come in and work everyday,” Frink said. “Whenever our name’s called, just be ready.”