For the first five games of the season, South Carolina will look a little different than it will at the end of the month.

The Gamecocks will be without Keyshawn Bryant for the first five games of the season with the senior suspended for a violation of athletic department rules leaving South Carolina looking for a way to fill his projected minutes to start the year.

“He’s our leading scorer, leading rebounder on last year’s team and a guy who’s been here for three years,” Frank Martin said. The positive to learn how to play without him is he battled that knee in preseason. He went two weeks where he didn’t practice. We had to get guys out there to compete in practice.”

Bryant is coming off his best season in Columbia where he averaged 14.4 points and over five rebounds per game before testing the NBA draft waters and returning for at least one more season.

The wing, best known for his explosive and highlight-reel dunks will now watch the USC Upstate, two Asheville, UAB and Wofford games as the Gamecocks start the year.

There is a small benefit with Bryant having missed time this preseason with a knee injury, giving newcomers like James Reese and Erik Stevenson more minutes on the court.

“We have an extra older guard in there that should take on those minutes. We’ll be fine,” Martin said. “You just probably won’t see as many highlight dunks, but we’ll be fine.”

The good news for Martin and the team, though, is the return of Jermaine Couisnard back into the rotation after he missed some time—including the exhibition win over Benedict—after tweaking his hamstring.

Couisnard is expected to play a heavy role on this year’s team from a leadership standpoint and as potentially as the team’s starting point guard.

"You put Jermaine in the game and put James Reese on their point guard defensively and put Jermaine getting through screens back there. James Reese is an elite on ball defender; now Jermaine’s 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. Jermaine’s getting through screens and guarding people on the wings. Now when you drive the ball Jermaine’s the one rotating. So you’re getting a bigger, stronger, older player defensively in there,” Martin said after the exhibition.

“Offensively, Jermaine, there’s certain things to throw the ball into the post that Jermaine comprehends the two first year guys are trying to learn. And he’s 6-foot-4, 210 pounds. Jermaine has a comfort with how we play, so it’s easier for him to talk it. The other two guys are trying to figure it out. It’s hard to tell people what to do and help if you’re trying to figure things out. He’s more comfortable with that.”

Getting Couisnard back integrated into the system will “bring a sense of vet,” Stevenson said, and once Bryant gets back the offensive timing should continue to click as the season goes on.

The Gamecocks start things off Tuesday night at home against USC Upstate (7 p.m., ESPN Plus).

“They’re two vets in the program, especially Jermaine being the PG and another big guard out there who can guard and run the offensive system. Then Keyshawn’s just a freak of nature athletically so he gives you another aspect where he can play above the rim or if you stretch the floor out in transition or spacing the floor in the half court,” Stevenson said.

“Missing those two guys probably made things look a little rough early on but we definitely missed them and can’t wait to have them back to get meshed well as an entire team and entire staff.”

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