South Carolina hosts Cleveland State Friday night, the first of three games in eight days.
1. We’re talking about practice
The Gamecocks had four full days of practice leading up to tonight’s game. Practice usually makes Frank Martin happy, and this week was no exception. With so many inexperienced players on the roster, Martin has said multiple times it restricts what he can do during games. That makes practice even more important.
“The more complicated you make things, the more guys get paralyzed because they have so much more in their head,” Martin said. “The simpler things are, the clearer things are, the more aggressive and the faster athletes play. Any time I feel like our team is getting bogged down, I immediately go back to the basics.”
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2. Missing Maik
Senior Maik Kotsar had the best offseason of his four years and looked poised for a productive final season. But he caught the head cold that hit the Gamecocks right before the season started and it threw his preparation into disarray. He has just eight points and five rebounds total and is 3-11 shooting through two games. Neither Martin or Kotsar is exactly sure why a cold has been such a disruption, but it has.
No one expects Kotsar to suddenly put up the numbers like he had against Mississippi State (25 points and nine rebounds) every game, but South Carolina isn’t overflowing with depth in the post and it gets even thinner when Kotsar isn’t producing. Ten points and five rebounds, slight increases from his sophomore numbers, would make everyone happy.
“Good things happening to him are good for his psyche,” Martin said. “He had a good practice (Tuesday). For this team to be as good as it can be, we need Maik to be who he was the first five weeks of practice.”
Kotsar is also a consistent defender, something that doesn’t show up in statistics, and something that takes on added importance while the Gamecocks’ group of newcomers, Jalyn McCreary, Wildens Leveque, Micaiah Henry, and sophomore Alanzo Frink try to find their footing.
“Kotsar doesn’t impress you with stats,” Martin said, “but he’s a stabilizer defensively because he can do so many things defensively.”
3. Keeping up with Couisnard
After almost two years of buildup, Jermaine Couisnard looked like a boom or bust player. Through two games he’s been… decent, neither boom nor bust. Couisnard is averaging 10.5 points,two assists, and two rebounds per game. He’s been a streaky scorer (which could apply to everyone on the team) who passes well and is strong defensively. The next step is to turn those flashes of strong play into consistent production.
“I’m kind of mad at him because he’s been too laid back,” Martin said. “Some guys get worried about, what if I miss a shot. He doesn’t care. He’s one of those guys that’s got a feel for basketball.”
4. Aces!
Like the rest of the college basketball world, Evansville’s upset of #1 Kentucky got South Carolina’s attention. Although South Carolina should know from experience, it served as a reminder that there are no guaranteed wins. The message is especially important for freshmen, who often think they can relax against certain opponents.
“Freshmen don’t understand the emotional roller-coaster the season begins,” Martin said. “People say, well we’ve got more talent. The games not just about talent. The game is about mental preparation, being able to control your emotions, about understanding how to do things and structure. It’s not just about showing up and hooping.”
5. Scouting the Vikings
“The NCAA was so mad at Kentucky, they gave Cleveland State another two years of probation.”
The Vikings are more than just the butt of Jerry Tarkanian’s most famous line (and who can argue with Tark the Shark given recent scandals), but that may be their most well-known contribution to the college basketball world.
The Vikings are 1-1 after a difficult offseason and start to the season. Former Georgia coach Dennis Felton was fired by the Vikings in mid-July after two seasons. His firing came on the heels of the Vikings’ two best players decided to transfer, and six others entered the transfer portal (though some ultimately returned). Dennis Gates, a Florida State assistant, was hired to clean up the mess, but bad luck has followed. The Vikings are 1-2 with a win over Division II Edinboro, and the snowstorm that hit the midwest forced them to take an almost 12-hour bus ride to Missouri State instead of flying.
Martin thinks Cleveland State is similar to North Alabama in terms of how they try to play.
“They try to spread you out and drive you,” Martin said. “Defensively it’s good for us to have two different styles in games because it makes you learn.”
The Ws
Who: South Carolina vs Cleveland State
When: Friday, November 15, 7:00 pm
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: SEC Network+
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