Two weeks ago Frank Martin’s phone buzzed and one of his former player’s names popped up on the screen.

It was Sindarius Thornwell, texting him about an opportunity he thought he had to get back into the NBA.

The two spent the next couple weeks discussing what could happen if Thornwell ultimately got picked up by a team and ultimately he did, signing a free agent deal with the New Orleans Pelicans.

“He reached out to me two weeks ago and said, ‘I think something’s getting ready to pop for me,'” Martin said on the JB and Goldwater radio show. “We’ve been speaking pretty consistently for the last two weeks trying to get him as mentally prepared as he can be to go into some bubble to go play professional basketball.”

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Thornwell will serve as a replacement player for the New Orleans Pelicans as the NBA restarts this month at Disney World in Florida.

He joins a Pelicans team with top-overall pick and fellow South Carolina native Zion Williamson that’s currently 10th in the Western Conference and pushing to be in the league’s playoffs.

This isn’t Thornwell’s first stint in the NBA; after being drafted No. 48 overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, he was traded to the Clippers and spent two seasons there, playing in 137 games while averaging 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.7 minutes.

He spent the first part of this season with Houston’s G-League team where he averaged 9.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.

“He’s in a great frame of mind. He’s always been a guy that just wants an opportunity. I hope that God blesses him with success while he has this opportunity so it can present itself for another contract either in New Orleans or with some other team,” Martin said. “It’s his moment, his opportunity and I’m extremely excited for him.”

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Thornwell came to South Carolina and turned into one of the program's all-time greats, helping lead the Gamecocks to a Final Four as a senior and earning SEC Player of the Year honors as well.

As a senior he averaged 21.4 points per game, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists and finished his career earning All-Freshman, All-SEC and All-Defensive team honors (twice).

The Pelicans restart their season July 30 against the Jazz trying to vie for one of the final playoff spots.

“I can only imagine as NBA players where you’re used to getting on charter flights and staying at luxury hotels and sleeping all day and going in and performing at night then getting on a plane and doing it again,” Martin said. “Now you’re going to be in an empty gym basically isolated from the world just playing ball. It’s a different animal.”

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Martin also told the JB and Goldwater show the Gamecocks just finalized their 2020-21 non-conference schedule and that should be announced sometime over the next few weeks.

South Carolina had to add two other games, he said, and all the contracts have officially been signed now.