SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL
Frank Martin would be the first person to tell you he’s not the biggest advanced stats guy. He looks at the film and the final score and he gets the idea of “what guys are helping us win.”
But, as the Gamecocks get ready to enter SEC play, there is one stat that he says has to get better for his team to reach its potential.
“There’s one thing I’m still not happy with our team right now and it’s our inability to come up with the basketball when it’s not in possession of anybody,” Martin said. “Whether it’s bouncing off the rim or bouncing on the floor, we don’t come up with those. I’ve told the team this and they better pray we keep nine or 10 bodies healthy. If we get back to where we’re at 12, 13 or 14 bodies, it’s going to be live charge drills, rebounding drills, loose ball drills.”
Also see: A way-too-early look on the Gamecock offensive line
Frank Martin-coached teams are especially known for their rebounding prowess. Before this year, in 11 seasons, Martin’s teams had an average offensive rebounding rate of 38.2 and an average national rank of 17th.
In the six seasons before this one at South Carolina, the Gamecocks had an average offensive rebound rate of 36.2 and an average rank of 27.8.
This year, the Gamecocks (5-7) have been outrebounded in six games so far this season and are 13th in the SEC in rebounding margin at plus-1.8.
They’re also 106th in the country in rebounding rate this year at 30.8 percent.
“That’s been a joke people talk about my teams, ‘Well they got no shooters, that’s why they rebound,”’ Martin said. “But you know what? We’ve been one of the best offensive rebounding teams throughout my coaching career. We’re not offensive rebounding right now. The rate that we get offensive rebounding, which matters—that’s a numbers thing—is always been really good. It’s not been good this year. That’s something we’re pushing to get better at.”
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The Gamecocks have a few players that can rebound the ball offensively at a high rate: Chris Silva is 260th in the nation with a 9.7 offensive rebound percentage while Alanzo Frink (16) and Justin Minaya (8.2).
The only problem is Minaya (knee) and Frink (ankle) are both out indefinitely.
Of the other seven players that are playing at least 32 percent of the team’s minutes, none have a rate over 5.7 (Maik Kotsar).
Also see: What the Gamecocks said after their win over NGU
There is one stat Martin does like about his team right now, and that’s how fast they’re playing.
The Gamecocks have an adjusted tempo of 74, which is good for 24th nationally and so far the highest mark of his coaching career.
“When we go home and we’ve played in a high possession game, I’m happy with how we played offensively,” Martin said. “When we go home and we play in a low possession game, I’m usually not in a real good mood whether we win or lose.”
