More Day 4 Pro Am photos and final observations
Maik Kotsar - If there's anybody on South Carolina's roster that needs a do over, it's Maik Kotsar. After showing such promise as a freshman during South Carolina's tournament run, Kotsar's performance has been fairly pedestrian ever since. As a junior, Kotsar tallied the fewest points of his career, finding himself in Frank's doghouse for the better part of last season. Being the last member of the Final Four team, Kotsar could play a pivotal role for the Gamecocks this upcoming season. With so much youth, leadership will be critical as the team finds its way through the early part of season and into SEC play. If Kotsar can somehow channel his inner Michael Carrera and have a breakout senior season, he could find himself leading his team back to the promised land. In order to do that, he'll need to toughen up and provide the inside presence that the Gamecocks will be without now that Chris Silva has moved on. While Kotsar won't need to average in double digits scoring, he'll definitely need to work on his defense and improve his 4.7 career rebound average.
Jermaine Couisnard - Jermaine Couisnard, while still classified as a freshman, is anything but. Having to sit out a season really lit a fire for him, and has caused him to play with a chip on his shoulder. In addition to Lawson, Minaya, and Bryant, Couisnard provides an ability to score that the Gamecocks haven't seen in quite some time. Teams will be forced to defend equally, which will give the Gamecocks several options when in their half court offense. Couisnard is a kid that can score from anywhere on the court, and also has good enough court vision that he can penetrate and find the open guy for three. There's a lot to be excited about here.
Alanzo Frink - While Alanzo Frink isn't quite yet polished, he's much better at this stage than he was a year ago. His progress will be vital as the Gamecocks will be without a proven post player. If Kotsar is able to elevate his game, Frink should benefit by coming off the bench until he becomes more refined. While I like the progress he's made, I feel like it won't necessarily be a good sign if he gets too many minutes too soon.
Keyshawn Bryant - I admit it...last summer I was completely wrong about Keyshawn Bryant. That's how misleading these leagues can be. While they're a great gauge at seeing what players have to offer, they also offer little to no organization on the court. Some players benefit from playing within a system, and the discipline that comes with such. Bryant is a shining example of a players who excels with good coaching in a structured setting. His improvement from last summer to the actual season was as good as any player I've ever witnessed. This summer, he was a much more confident player and showed lots of improvement with his outside shot. While it's still somewhat erratic, it's much more controlled. What's scary is that Bryant hasn't yet realized just how good he can be. If he can develop on the defensive side of the ball, Bryant could be a difference maker.
Wildens Leveque - Wildens Leveque is easily the most skilled big man the Gamecocks have had in recent memory. I don't mean that as an insult to any of the previous players on the Gamecock roster, but Leveque has a very high basketball IQ, and has obviously been well coached. This can only benefit the Gamecocks who will be looking for someone to establish themselves as the main post player this season. I'm not ready to appoint Leveque as the savior just yet, but the tools and maturity are there.
Trae Hannibal - Without sounding like too much of a broken record, Trae Hannibal shouldn't be able to do the things he does. He's as athletic player as there is on the roster. For the older crowd, Hannibal is almost a combination of Melvin Watson and Larry Davis. He can leap out of the gym, and for his size and build, that just doesn't seem possible. If Hannibal can develop his outside shot, watch out. He has above average ball handling skills and is also an effective passer. He's also not your typical point guard because he can also finish on the scoring end of an alley. While he'll experience his share of freshman growing pains, he's already well ahead of the curve.
T.J. Moss - Unless T.J. Moss can really define his role, he may find himself the odd man out. Moss has great range when he's hot, but he also will need to know when and when not to shoot. With so many scorers on the roster, he won't need to shoulder the load. He'll need to be more of a facilitator, and I feel like that is where he will really need to improve. As with everyone, he'll probably earn his minutes more based on what he does on the defensive side of the ball.
Jalyn McCreary - Jalyn McCreary reminds me a lot of what Bryant looked like a year ago. He's extremely athletic, but will need to work on becoming a better basketball player. McCreary will be counted on to provide meaningful minutes this season, so his progress will be vital if the Gamecocks hope to survive a grueling SEC slate. While I still consider McCreary to be somewhat of a project player, he is far ahead of previous projects such as Khadim Gueye or Jason Cudd.
Seventh Woods - Even though Seventh Woods will sit out this season, don't underestimate how valuable a role he'll play as a veteran who's experienced far more than any other guy on South Carolina's roster. Also, this will be good for Woods to reinvent himself as a player within Frank's system. Having a player of this caliber to practice with the team as they prepare will only prove valuable.
Jair Bolden - While I've said other guys could be the key guy for South Carolina this season, Jair Bolden is my #1 key guy. He's spent a year with the team after transferring and also has experience after starring for two seasons at George Washington. Before transferring, Bolden was a go-to guy for the Colonials. It's also important to remember that, theoretically, this should be Bolden's senior season, so he provides a maturity that this team will need. As previously stated, I'd love to see Bolden come off the bench as a sixth man, but with his skill and maturity, it might be hard to keep him out of the starting five. Regardless, Frank has a lot of pieces to play with.
Trey Anderson - Trey Anderson's role will be more much like that of McCreary. Both guys will be counted on to provide minutes off the bench, but both also have a ways to go to log valuable minutes. In Anderson's case, he'll need to understand his role defensively as soon as possible and could possibly be counted on as a situational player.
A.J. Lawson - What else really needs to be said for A.J. Lawson? Lawson's summer was spent testing NBA waters and representing Team Canada in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. He's predicted to be a lottery pick in next season's NBA Draft, so needless to say, all eyes will be on Lawson. While I don't expect Lawson to duplicate what Ja Morant was able to do, I hope to see him play as hard as Morant did to earn his #2 selection. Interesting side note, Lawson's freshman season was eerily similar to Sindarius Thornwell's.
Mike Green - Mike Green's commitment was met with a little skepticism being that it was on April Fool's Day. The real fools might be the schools who failed to offer a kid who averaged over 26 points a game and led the country with a 54% 3pt shooting clip. The knock, of course, is that Green played in a private school league, but that didn't seem to bother some other kid named Zion. Green chose to walk on with the Gamecocks even after receiving scholarship offers from USC Upstate (alma mater of Denver Nuggets SG Torrey Craig) as well as Charlotte.
Micaiah Henry - Micaiah Henry spent three seasons at Tennessee Tech, having his best season as a junior averaging 9.7ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 1.8 bpg. The 6'9" grad transfer will provide some much needed depth underneath this season as the Gamecocks look to replace all defensive player and athletic freak Chris Silva. It's worth noting that Henry ranked 2nd in the conference with 1.8bpg as a junior in addition to being ranked 7th in FG% at .582.