The case for South Carolina’s Frank Martin as SEC Coach of the Year
March 08, 2019 THE STATE
It’s been more than a decade since the last time South Carolina had the SEC’s Coach of the Year.
Dave Odom took the honor in 2003-04 for guiding the Gamecocks to a 21-9 regular second record and a third-place finish in the SEC’s East Division. That team went 8-8 against league foes and became one of six SEC teams to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Dance might not invite the 2018-19 Gamecocks, but Frank Martin has built his case to join Odom, Eddie Fogler (1993, 1997 — SEC) and Frank McGuire (1969 — ACC) as the only South Carolina leaders to collect a conference’s top coaching honor in the modern era.
If the Gamecocks (15-15 overall, 10-7 SEC) beat Georgia (11-19, 2-15) on Saturday, they’re the No. 4 seed and will have a double-bye for next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. That in itself is an impressive accomplishment considering USC was picked in the preseason to finish 11th in the league. No SEC team has exceeded expectations by that many spots entering the league’s final day of games.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Whether due to injury, football responsibility or an eligibility issue, eight South Carolina players have missed a combined 119 games. This includes starters Justin Minaya (out since Nov. 18 with a knee injury), T.J. Moss (out since Dec. 18 with foot and ankle injuries), Maik Kotsar (missed losses to Virginia on Dec. 19 and Clemson on Dec. 22 because of a concussion) and A.J. Lawson (out since the end of the Alabama loss on Feb. 28 with a sprained ankle).
The Gamecocks beat Texas A&M by 17 on Tuesday in College Station by maximizing their seven available scholarship players.
“We’re down to three perimeter guys,” Martin told reporters afterward. “We’re having to play Maik Kotsar some at the three (small forward), but we’re playing a little bit more zone and we gotta figure out a way to save some legs. (Hassani) Gravett and (Tre) Campbell pretty much can’t come out of the game for us right now, so we gotta manage the game accordingly.”
Martin’s had masterful coaching jobs before — you might recall him guiding the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament win in 44 years en route to the 2017 Final Four — but this might be his best since taking over the dormant Carolina program in 2012. Of the 68 teams in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket projection, USC was wins over five of them.
Key absences, Chris Silva’s unexpected slow start and adapting a half-dozen new players to the system caused the November and December struggles. But from New Year’s Eve on, South Carolina is 11-8. It’s one of 26 Power 6 teams (a pool of 75) with double-digit conference wins.
(Note: Using the old RPI formula, the SEC ranks as the nation’s fourth-toughest league.)
“Given where we were at in December,” Martin said, “to know that in this league, as good as it is, we figured out a way to play on Friday and get that double-bye, it’s a tremendous accomplishment for these kids.”
And for Martin. His toughest COY competition figures to be Ole Miss’ Kermit Davis (the Rebels were picked to finish last in the SEC, but have 19 overall wins), Tennessee’s Rick Barnes (the Volunteers have a shot to repeat as league champs), LSU’s Will Wade (the 10th-ranked Tigers are surprise lead leaders, though Wade could be in hot water with the NCAA) and Kentucky’s John Calipari (the Wildcats have 18 of 21 games).
There’s a good case for all five of them, but Martin’s, all things considered, might be the strongest.
March 08, 2019 THE STATE
It’s been more than a decade since the last time South Carolina had the SEC’s Coach of the Year.
Dave Odom took the honor in 2003-04 for guiding the Gamecocks to a 21-9 regular second record and a third-place finish in the SEC’s East Division. That team went 8-8 against league foes and became one of six SEC teams to make the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Dance might not invite the 2018-19 Gamecocks, but Frank Martin has built his case to join Odom, Eddie Fogler (1993, 1997 — SEC) and Frank McGuire (1969 — ACC) as the only South Carolina leaders to collect a conference’s top coaching honor in the modern era.
If the Gamecocks (15-15 overall, 10-7 SEC) beat Georgia (11-19, 2-15) on Saturday, they’re the No. 4 seed and will have a double-bye for next week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. That in itself is an impressive accomplishment considering USC was picked in the preseason to finish 11th in the league. No SEC team has exceeded expectations by that many spots entering the league’s final day of games.
But that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Whether due to injury, football responsibility or an eligibility issue, eight South Carolina players have missed a combined 119 games. This includes starters Justin Minaya (out since Nov. 18 with a knee injury), T.J. Moss (out since Dec. 18 with foot and ankle injuries), Maik Kotsar (missed losses to Virginia on Dec. 19 and Clemson on Dec. 22 because of a concussion) and A.J. Lawson (out since the end of the Alabama loss on Feb. 28 with a sprained ankle).
The Gamecocks beat Texas A&M by 17 on Tuesday in College Station by maximizing their seven available scholarship players.
“We’re down to three perimeter guys,” Martin told reporters afterward. “We’re having to play Maik Kotsar some at the three (small forward), but we’re playing a little bit more zone and we gotta figure out a way to save some legs. (Hassani) Gravett and (Tre) Campbell pretty much can’t come out of the game for us right now, so we gotta manage the game accordingly.”
Martin’s had masterful coaching jobs before — you might recall him guiding the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament win in 44 years en route to the 2017 Final Four — but this might be his best since taking over the dormant Carolina program in 2012. Of the 68 teams in Joe Lunardi’s latest bracket projection, USC was wins over five of them.
Key absences, Chris Silva’s unexpected slow start and adapting a half-dozen new players to the system caused the November and December struggles. But from New Year’s Eve on, South Carolina is 11-8. It’s one of 26 Power 6 teams (a pool of 75) with double-digit conference wins.
(Note: Using the old RPI formula, the SEC ranks as the nation’s fourth-toughest league.)
“Given where we were at in December,” Martin said, “to know that in this league, as good as it is, we figured out a way to play on Friday and get that double-bye, it’s a tremendous accomplishment for these kids.”
And for Martin. His toughest COY competition figures to be Ole Miss’ Kermit Davis (the Rebels were picked to finish last in the SEC, but have 19 overall wins), Tennessee’s Rick Barnes (the Volunteers have a shot to repeat as league champs), LSU’s Will Wade (the 10th-ranked Tigers are surprise lead leaders, though Wade could be in hot water with the NCAA) and Kentucky’s John Calipari (the Wildcats have 18 of 21 games).
There’s a good case for all five of them, but Martin’s, all things considered, might be the strongest.
