For Frank Martin, it’s a good problem to have.

As he prepares his team for the start of the season—an exhibition Wednesday against Coker and the first regular season game Saturday against Liberty—the Gamecocks’ head coach thinks there are plenty of guys worthy of starting as the season starts.

“I told our team they’ve done their job. They’ve made my life really difficult heading into the first game of the weekend,” Martin said. “Heading into our Saturday they’ve made it really hard on me. We’ve got multiple guys past five that deserve to start. I have to figure out how to manage that.”

A concrete conclusion won’t be settled Wednesday in the exhibition with Martin still tinkering with the lineup, but he only has three days until the games start counting for real and said there are close to double-digit guys on the roster who have played well enough to start.

“I told the players the other day the one thing that’s going to be fun about this team is I think every game it could be a different name that gets credit for a positive result,” Martin said.

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There seem to be the no-brainers in the lineup, but the competitions have centered around who starts at point guard and center. Martin updated the center competition here, but spoke some this week about the guard play he’s seen in practice.

Last year the Gamecocks started Jermaine Couisnard, but Martin mentioned seeing some “really, really” good things from Seventh Woods as well this preseason.

“He’s playing with aggression. He’s not being passive. He’ll have a couple moments where he gets a little casual. Every time he gets casual he hears my voice in the background,” Martin said. “He’s a great teammate. He’s had some really, really good moments in practice. he’s been everything I’ve expected him to be.”

Woods, who was recruited heavily by South Carolina coming out in the 2016 class, is coming off a sit-out year after transferring to Columbia last season.

Him getting on the court seemed like a longshot at times this offseason with COVID and Woods dealing with a degenerative muscle disorder called Rhabdomyolysis.

“I’m eager to get out there, man,” Woods said. “With all the uncertainty around it lead up to this and to have it set in stone on Wednesday feels great. It feels great to have that game set.”

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Wednesday will get to be Woods’s first action at South Carolina playing for his hometown university.

“I think he’s excited to wear that Gamecock uniform and represent our team, his school and his community. Back in the summer, it’s great to say stuff. Now we’re in such game mode and team mode and its’ about winning,” Martin said.

“Deep down, two three years for now, I hope I can sit back and smile because Seventh got the success he deserved at the collegiate level…Selfishly, I want him to have basketball success as a player. Not just from a winning standpoint but from a production standpoint.”

The battle has been fierce, from all accounts, with Couisnard, AJ Lawson, Woods, Trae Hannibal and Woods all getting reps in practice and pushing each other.

Couisnard and Lawson are the incumbent guards, but Woods said his role right now “still up in the air” and should be solidified this week.

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“It’s been a battle everyday,” “Every day in practice we’re competing with a guy that wants the same thing. He’s pushing me. AJ pushes me every dah. TJ, Jermaine, Trae, we all push each other. Having that core group just makes it easier to go out there and compete.”

Martin said Hannibal’s taken another step this preseason and has a “completely different” mindset and playing with better pace and instead of trying to play “150 miles per hour.”

“His three best practices in a uniform here, not where he’s made great plays, his three best practices meaning he played the right way consistently were all last week. Heading into this week I’m excited. He’s got a toughness about him,” Martin said.

“He’s got a great spirit about him. As he continues to connect his God-given gifts with who he is as a person by allowing information to go into his head and be able to process and grow, he’s going to be a great, great player here.”