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Was Kotsar's clutch jumper the biggest basket in Gamecock hoops history?

Freshman Maik Kotsar is averaging 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds heading into the Final Four.
Freshman Maik Kotsar is averaging 5.9 points and 4.8 rebounds heading into the Final Four. (Chris Gillespie, Gamecock Central)

Until a few days ago, Tom Owens’ dramatic layup off a jump ball in the closing seconds of the 1971 ACC Tournament championship game, giving South Carolina a thrilling 52-51 victory over North Carolina, was widely recognized as the biggest basket in Gamecock hoops history.

Forty-six years later, we finally may have a new leader in the clubhouse.

The Gamecocks were holding a slim 65-63 lead with just under two minutes left when Sindarius Thornwell stole the ball from Florida’s Kasey Hill. Thornwell drove down the court to about eight feet of the basket when, surrounded by multiple Gator defenders, flipped a pass behind him to freshman Maik Kotsar positioned a foot or so inside the foul line.

Kotsar caught the pass and without hesitating rose up and nailed the mid-range jumper to give the Gamecocks a 67-63 advantage, making it a two-possession game with the clock running down.

Staggered by Kotsar’s bulls-eye rifle shot, the Gators never fully recovered.

“I just felt like it's going to go in, so I took the shot,” Kotsar laughed. “Nothing more to it.”

After that clutch basket, Florida was forced into fouling and USC drained 8-of-12 free throws down the stretch to keep the Gators at bay until Duane Notice guaranteed the Gamecocks cross-country trip to Phoenix for the Final Four with a breakaway dunk with 11 seconds left.

Notice’s clinching slam dunk made all the Sunday night highlights around the country, but it was Kotsar’s pressure-packed jumper that started the process of the Gamecocks sealing the deal.

“When he caught (the pass), everybody (on Florida) was like bring it on,” Thornwell said. “When he shot it, we said, ‘yes.’ I knew he was ready to play when on the second possession of the game he posted up and he called my name and yelled, "Sin, give me the ball." That’s when I knew Maik was ready to play and he was locked in. He made plays for us all night. He was prepared for the moment.”

Early in the Elite Eight contest, Kotsar set up in the low post with his back to the basket and called for the basketball from Thornwell. The senior fed the ball to the freshman from Estonia, who turned quickly and made a layup.

Head coach Frank Martin credited both players on how they executed the play.

“Everybody says we’re a one-man show with Sindarius, but here was a freshman and (Thornwell) trusted him enough on the biggest stage of his career to throw him the ball because he demanded it,” Martin said. “That’s the kind of trust our guys have in each other.”

The quiet-natured Kotsar hasn’t boasted much about hitting the game’s biggest shot, but he understands its importance. Had he missed, Florida would have likely possessed the ball with an opportunity to tie the score or go-ahead with a triple.

“I just saw it as a team effort,” Kotsar said. “Basketball is a team game. I like that had I not taken that shot, I would have dribbled out and somebody else like Sindarius or Duane (Notice) would have made the shot. Of course, I was expecting Sindarius to drive it (to the basket) because he’s such a good driver and finisher. At the same time, it was a good read by him because there were so many guys on him.”

Kotsar scored 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting and grabbed three rebounds in a career-high 36 minutes against Florida. Thus, he was on the floor for all but four minutes in the Gamecocks’ most important game in decades.

Kotsar played very well in the non-conference portion of the schedule but his performances steadily slipped as the SEC schedule rolled into early-to-mid February. He was pulled from the starting lineup after combining for four points and four rebounds in 32 minutes at Vanderbilt and Florida.

He returned to the starting lineup for the NCAA Tournament first-round game against Marquette.

“He played really well up until about four games into conference play and then he started to slip,” Martin said of Kotsar. “He got engulfed by how hard it is every single day. Towards the end of the year he started playing a little bit better. When I took him out of the lineup, he started to relax. The pressure of having to perform is not easy when you’re that young, especially on a team that is winning.”

Kotsar earned his way back into the starting lineup by first handling his demotion the right way, Martin said. He continued to work hard and practice hard, a necessary first step when you play for Martin.

“I didn’t put him back into the starting lineup because I felt bad for him,” Martin said. “He handled (the demotion) very well and practiced his tail off. When he practices well and plays well, he deserves to start. That’s why he went back into the lineup. He has progressively been playing better and better every game.”

Against Baylor in the Sweet 16, Kotsar’s chief responsibility was defending Bears’ top scorer Johnathan Motley, who needed 17 shots to score 18 points.

“He got no credit for the job he did defensively against Motley early in the game,” Martin said. “His willingness to throw his body around, guard ball screens, protect the low post and protect the rim got me excited again about what he was doing. I was not surprised by how aggressive he was.”

FINAL FOUR SCHEDULE (Sat. April 1)

South Carolina vs. Gonzaga, 6:09 p.m. (CBS)

Oregon vs. North Carolina, Approx. 8:49 p.m. (CBS)

(All Times Eastern)

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