Justin Minaya jogged out to go through his typical pregame routine before the Gamecocks’ regular season finale against Vanderbilt.
He went through the same shots, went through the same different progressions, a smile never really leaving his face with the only difference a thick black brace protecting the thumb that kept him out for nine games this season.
About an hour later, as Minaya checked into the game to end his month and a half of rehab, a smile crept onto his face. If the Gamecocks want to accomplish some of their goals this season, that smile will need to stay there.
“It’s great to have him back. He brings a lot of energy,” Maik Kotsar said. “He’s more experienced than the other guys. He knows what Frank wants. Overall, he brings a little bit of everything.”
Also see: Instant analysis from the Vanderbilt loss
The Gamecocks ultimately wound up losing the game to the Commodores, effectively dropping them to the No. 6 seed in the SEC Tournament and putting NCAA Tournament hopes on life support.
An at-large bid seems unlikely at this point barring a run through the SEC tournament, but if there’s one player who can give the Gamecocks a boost in Nashville, it’s Minaya.
If you look up glue guy in the dictionary, Minaya’s face is etched next to it, and it’s his calming, consistent impact on the floor that gives the Gamecocks a chance in really any game they play.
“Just bring energy and do what I do best: play hard, talk, bring energy, play defense,” Minaya said. “We’re going to try and do our best and see what happens game by game.”
It’s easy to see the kind of team the Gamecocks (18-13, 10-8 SEC) can be with him on the floor.
He’s always in the right spot and it shows. Seconds after checking in he’d haul in an offensive rebound and start a fast break that ended with a Trae Hannibal transition bucket before forcing a steal and getting a run-out dunk and notch a lay-in on a backdoor cut.
Also see: What we learned from Saturday's loss
By the end of his first 17 minutes in about six weeks, he’d tally eight points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting, hit both of his free throws, haul in four boards and turn it over twice and notch a block and a steal.
“Energy. I mean, he goes out there in the second half and immediately doesn’t accept the guy catching the ball and comes up with a great steal for a breakaway. He gets an offensive rebound put back and outruns a guy for a lay up. Just tremendous energy,” Frank Martin said. “It wasn’t fair to expect him to play. I shouldn’t have as much as I did today. He provided energy and toughness at the rim for a team that’s playing with no energy and no toughness at the rim. I shouldn’t have played him as much as I did.”
Minaya hurt his thumb against Missouri Feb. 1 and missed nine straight games after undergoing surgery. He’d get his cast removed this week and jump right back into practice Friday before Saturday’s game.
He’d watch as his team went 5-4 without him.
“It’s been very hard. I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “I was just trying to stay focused. It happened today.”
Also see: Gauthier gives the latest
The Gamecocks are the No. 6 seed in the tournament and play Thursday against either No. 11 seed Arkansas or No. 14 Vanderbilt in the late game of the day (approximately 9:30 p.m. ET).
“We lost, yeah, but we have the next game to look forward to. Just take it one game at a time to give it your hardest because every game might be your last,” Kotsar said.
“We don’t concern ourselves with that. We want to get into the NCAA Tournament, but at the same time we’re taking it one game at a time. We’re trying to win the next game.”
