Martin talks about signing 'competitor' in Trey Anderson
SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL
When the Gamecocks started to build their 2019 recruiting class, he had a checklist he went by.
First was a point guard and, after that, a big man with some athleticism.
Both of those were checked off on national signing day with Trae Hannibal and Wildens Leveque, so Frank Martin started his search for the third and final piece on the list.
“Once we had our point guard in place in Trae Hannibal and had our big guy in place in Wildens Leveque, which I thought going into next year athleticism and size on the front line in another point guard were the two most important things for me going into next year’s class,” Martin said. “I started saying, ‘We need size that can really shoot the basketball.’”
Also see: What Frank Martin said in his weekly press conference
The Gamecocks focused their attention on getting a physical wing player that can shoot, and it didn’t take them long to find him.
South Carolina signed three-star wing player Trey Anderson (Woodstock Academy/Woodstock, Conn.), making him the third official signee in the 2019 class two weeks ago.
Anderson labels himself as a shooter and in his last season at Mater Dei Catholic (Calif.), he averaged 16.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and shot 46 percent from the field, 35 percent from three.
Martin said despite even with his skill set, Anderson is also a physical wing that fits well into the Gamecocks’ brand of basketball.
“The one thing we didn’t have is a guy that is a shooter at that spot. For whatever reason, there’s always a label that if you’re a shooter you’re not a very tough kid. I don’t know why people correlate one with the other,” Martin said. “He’s got toughness. He’s a competitor, he’s got length.”
Also see: Which candidates can South Carolina flip?
Anderson is the third signee in the class, joining Hannibal and Leveque. Currently the Gamecocks have a full roster next season with 13 scholarship players signed, which means unless a current player transfers, this will be the team Martin takes the floor with next season.
Martin got everything he wanted on his checklist, with Anderson checking that third and final box.
“He shoots it on the move, which is the other thing I really liked. I’m excited. I’m excited for the roster we’re putting together,” Martin said. “The three guys we signed, they fit who we are. Now once they get here, everything has to work out. But we’re excited about them.”
