TheBadCock
Member
He has declared for the draft. Good luck to him.
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AJ Is Gone
- Thread starter TheBadCock
- Start date
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Good luck to AJ.
Unfortunately, I don't think he will be drafted. I also think there's not much he could do to improve his draft stock by coming back for his senior year.
Hopefully, he can get a deal to be a two-way player and work hard to make it.
Unfortunately, I don't think he will be drafted. I also think there's not much he could do to improve his draft stock by coming back for his senior year.
Hopefully, he can get a deal to be a two-way player and work hard to make it.
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doublea1971
GCF Top Poster
I agree with you. Unfortunately, I also didn't feel like he really wanted to come back to play for the Gamecocks last season, but likely did in the hopes of improving his draft stock. It was a somewhat surprising move, given the COVID situation. But I guess that no one really thought there would be an NBA draft back in April (or in August when their names had to be withdrawn). Was more of a "push" to see what the future would hold.
I truly wish AJ the best. He was a consistent player for Frank Martin and squad, and provided a lot of offense that we otherwise were missing.
His contributions will be missed next season, but as you note, I hope we'll see him continuing to play under a two-way deal. PJ Dozier showed that it CAN be done.
Even though AJ leaving makes sense, he makes the 8th player...all starters at one point or another...that want to leave Columbia, their teammates and not play for Frank Martin anymore...that's almost 70% of the entire team...this is the opposite of momentum...this is a team that is NOT having fun playing with each other or for their school and coach...I will simply never understand what people like about any part of the current program
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doublea1971
GCF Top Poster
@LBC... I'm fine with you having a beef with Frank Martin and wanting him gone, so feel free to post all the anti-Frank rants that you wish. I would, however, beg to differ on this section of your statement that I've highlighted above. You're creating quite the false narrative when you make that kind of a statement and do not qualify it. So I'm going to qualify it for you, just so that everyone in this forum sees that statement for exactly what it is...
2020-21 "Starts" statistics for players who are in the portal or leaving the team:
AJ Lawson - Played in 21 games/Started 21 games (So this one, you're dead on).
Justin Minaya - Played in 20 games/Started 19 games (Again, this one you're dead on)
Trae Hannibal - Played in 20 games/Started 0 games (hmmmm.... that doesn't seem correct, based on your hypothesis)
Jayln McCreary - Played in 17 games/Started 1 game (ok, so TECHNICALLY you're correct, but one game doesn't make someone an integral part of the starting 5. This is why I say it's important to qualify your statement).
TJ Moss - Played in 18 games/Started 5 games (this one can be given a little bit more credence, but... TJ started in games where Cousinard, Woods and Hannibal were not available. Frank was giving him a chance or was without a choice, and with one exception, TJ did not prove up to the challenge).
Trey Anderson - Played in 18 games/Started 1 game (again... you're TECHNICALLY correct on Anderson, but that single game start I've covered in great depth in other places in this forum... Trey lost his spot in the game immediately following his start (within 3 minutes) to NATHAN NELSON. What does that tell you?)
2019-20 "Starts" statistics for players who are in the portal or leaving the team:
AJ Lawson - Played in 31 games/Started 31 games.
Justin Minaya - Played in 22 games/Started 21 games
Trae Hannibal - Played in 26 games/Started 0 games (welp, I guess you can throw his name out for your statement above. He got ZERO stars in either season.)
Jayln McCreary - Played in 27 games/Started 0 games.
TJ Moss - Played in 30 games/Started 0 games.
Trey Anderson - Played in 8 games/Started 0 games.
The other two guys who make up your "8" are testing the NBA waters, and will in all likelihood return for another season. AJ did it, and PJ before him, and Chris Silva, and... you get my point. Just because you're upset with Frank Martin (which I get), and they're getting the opinion of an NBA scout, it doesn't mean that they "want to leave Columbia". Have you spoken with either of them to provide us with a scoop on their mindset? Guess what... I can say that I have done so. And I believe, based on my conversation with them, that you are completely off base in making that kind of a statement. Both are simply finding out how they can improve their game, so that they might become a drafted player in a future year.
Keyshawn, in particular has made enormous strides in his overall game. He's got some work to do on playing to his right vs. playing to his left, and he's got to work on a couple areas of his shooting mechanics, but he actually has a realistic shot at being drafted IF he works on the right things. He has the raw tools that the NBA likes.
You also say that "this is a team that is NOT having fun playing with each other or for their school and coach". Do you want to make the same statement about the 1000+ student athletes who are in the portal right now? A guy like Trey Anderson or a guy like TJ Moss can go play for a different school (like TJ Moss already has done), at a different non-SEC/Power 5 level AND be a starter. Do you fault them for trying to do so? I don't. In fact, I've been saying for quite some time that I would encourage both of them to leave the Gamecocks, simply because they aren't up to the SEC level of play in their skillset.
By my assessment of the last two seasons, only AJ Lawson and Justin Minaya have contributed to the team with meaningful minutes as starters. One is leaving for the NBA, the other is leaving in his 5th year of eligibility, having never been able to produce at the level of play that a 5th year Senior normally would be expected to (but with great ability and expectations to be able to do so). I think Minaya can prosper elsewhere if he's picked up by another team, given his health history.
So all of the above to say this... you're welcome to say whatever you want (it's a public forum after all). But if you're going to make the kind of statements you did, make sure that you're adding the FACTS behind the statements. Otherwise, someone like me is going to challenge you on them as an anti-Coach Frank Martin rant.
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Now do Cousinard and Bryant...who have both declared...indicating they both want to leave if possible...the 7 and 8 that make it the almost 70% of the team I mentioned...and then who's left? Those 'starters' that are left if all who want to leave do leave.
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doublea1971
GCF Top Poster
@LBC I'm not 100% certain I understand your reply.
If I'm reading you correctly, here are the remaining "starters" who will return in 2021-22:
Wildens Leveque: Played in 21 games/Started 15
Seventh Woods: Played in 18 games/Started 13 (May or may not return for another COVID season of eligibility)
Alanzo Frink: Played in 3 games/Started 3
Tre-Vaughn Minott: Played in 8 games/Started 3
oh, and there's Nathan Nelson: Played in 15 games/Started 2.
Each of those names above started in more games than 3 of the names you referenced in your original post (Hannibal, McCreary, and Anderson). Moss qualifies (barely) for more starts than Frink, Minott, and Nelson. So if you want to go back to your OP, and if you include Cousinard and Bryant as returners, you have 7 guys who return who have more starts than most of those players who are leaving.
Again, I'm not certain what your reply meant, so I may be reading too far into what you were pointing to. We've got 4 guys who are potentially returning (in Cousinard, Bryant, Leveque, and Woods) with more starts than 4 guys who you reference. The only way that your math works out is if only Leveque returns to the team.
Help me understand what I'm missing that you're pointing to, other than you don't like Frank Martin.
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Do we know yet if Frink will actually be able to play for us next season?
doublea1971
GCF Top Poster
Based on what I've heard Coach Martin say, he's expecting that. There's been no clarification on what the "medical issue" was though.
Frank had to go with a smaller line-up and our season basically went over the cliff without Frink to anchor the paint.
Hopefully we get him back or Frank has a Plan B if it doesn't happen.
doublea1971
GCF Top Poster
It seems, in hindsight, that last season was going over the cliff with or without Frink. But I do hope that Alanzo returns. He's such a physical presence. If you utilize two guys like Frink and Minotte at the same time, that's some big bodies to have to maneuver around. If both of them add to the offensive portion of their games (providing more than 5 PPG), then that's even better.
And if you include Cousinard and Bryant...two starters...who were both left at home during the SEC tournament...not on the bench...not with their teammates...but at home...as part of some cryptic 'coaching decision'...in the who also want to leave group...you have almost 70% of the team that WANTS to leave...half have already.
And just to clarify...Trae Hannibal was basically the 'sixth man'...first man off the bench most of the time...such a key roll in the game of basketball that the NBA gives out an award for the best one every year. Hannibal averaged almost 17 minutes a game...over 40% of every game...put up similar numbers to Cousinard...a starter who also wants out...was BY FAR our best free throw shooter and had a higher 3 point shooting % than any of the 'starters'...by almost twenty percentage points higher than the next best guy...Lawson at 35% with Hannibal at almost 54%.
And yes...I do not like Frank Martin as a coach. And yes...the fact that 70% of his current team either wants to leave or has already left is part of the reason. Add to that the fact that we have been to a singe NCAA tournament in almost a decade under his watch...have a losing conference record...and an overall record hovering right above the 50% mark, etc. and I'm openly not sure what people see in all the constant screaming and pouting.
I do really like the incoming recruiting class...which I think saved his job...unfortunately there is ample evidence to suggest that this class won't remain intact long enough to learn 'the system' or accomplish much once they get here
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I don't think that declaring for the draft necessarily means a player wants out and/or doesn't want to play for Frank any more. If you have any hope at all of making the NBA, you should absolutely put your name in and get the feedback on what you need to do to improve your prospects. Now, if Jermaine and Keyshawn put in for the draft and entered the transfer portal (like Justin Minaya did), then we have a different conversation about their future.
I understand being discouraged about so many kids transferring out. Unfortunately, that's just part of the system now. Kids can easily transfer high schools and switch AAU teams and that's definitely taken hold in college basketball. If they can find a better opportunity, regardless of the reason, they're going to take it and move on.
I understand being discouraged about so many kids transferring out. Unfortunately, that's just part of the system now. Kids can easily transfer high schools and switch AAU teams and that's definitely taken hold in college basketball. If they can find a better opportunity, regardless of the reason, they're going to take it and move on.
It's easy to understand things with players' decisions since the rules with the transfer portal have been relaxed. It's probably the best reason for putting them back in place ASAP.
I personally think the NCAA needs to go the other way and go back to not allowing Freshmen to play in their first year at a school, but that's just me.
I personally think the NCAA needs to go the other way and go back to not allowing Freshmen to play in their first year at a school, but that's just me.