The Gamecocks are getting their best perimeter defender back.

Justin Minaya returned from his trip to get his cast off and will rejoin the Gamecocks' practice Friday, one step closer to getting him back to playing Saturday.

“He got back earlier today. Doctor’s cleared him to resume activities. He did some stuff on the court today," Frank Martin said on his call in show. "He’ll be in practice tomorrow. He’s got this wacky looking splint that he’ll have to play with and will have to be taped and padded. He’s got movement of the wrist and movement of four fingers.”

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Minaya rejoined the team Thursday afternoon for practice, going through a few drills with assistant Bruce Shingler.

The plan, Martin said, is for him to practice with the brace Friday before leaving for Nashville and make the determination on if he'll be ready to go Saturday in the regular season finale against Vanderbilt.

“They’ll decide whether or not, which starts with him being honest with our trainers and doctors, but they’ll decide and go from there," Martin said. "He was cleared for activity."

Minaya's missed the last nine games after injuring his thumb in a win over Missouri and the Gamecocks have gone 5-4 without him in the lineup.

Before he got injured, Minaya was playing arguably the best basketball of his career, averaging 11.2 points, seven rebounds and 2.6 assists in the final five games before getting hurt.

On the season he's averaging 7.8 points on 39.7 shooting with 6.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

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This is Minaya's second major injury in two years, coming back this season after a knee injury kept him out in all but five games in what became his redshirt freshman season.

South Carolina's game against the Commodores tips at 12:30 p.m. on the SEC Network.