Why Frank Martin, South Carolina still recruits without a scholarship available
March 27, 2019
THE STATE
If a South Carolina basketball player is transferring this off-season, the USC coach has yet to be informed.
That’s the way Frank Martin put it Tuesday during a news conference at Colonial Life Arena.
“If someone’s leaving,” Martin said, “they haven’t told me.”
Martin began exit interviews with the Gamecocks on Monday and will continue that until early next week with Tre Campbell, Hassani Gravett and Chris Silva — Carolina’s departing seniors.
“Next week we’ll have a team meeting with all the returning players and we start our weight room sessions and our individual instruction that take us to the end of the semester sometime, third week of April, I think,” Martin said. “That’s the last time we’re able to do stuff on the court with the guys.”
As of now, those guys are rising senior Maik Kotsar, juniors Jair Bolden and Felipe Haase and sophomores Keyshawn Bryant, A.J. Lawson, Alanzo Frink, Justin Minaya and Jason Cudd and redshirt freshmen T.J. Moss and Jermaine Couisnard. Incoming freshmen Trae Hannibal, Wildens Leveque and Trey Anderson are expected to arrive in June.
All together, that’s 13 scholarships, the max for a Division I program.
But that’s not going to stop Martin and his staff from continuing to scout the open market for transfers or traditional high school seniors.
“You do your university and your team a disservice if you stop recruiting,” Martin said, “and then everyone goes home in May and they get away from here and they get around family and friends and they got convinced like, ‘Hey, you’re probably better off at this other school.’ And then they call compliance and they put their name on the famous (transfer) portal.”
The final of three USC players to transfer last spring came April 16 with David Beatty. Later, Rakym Felder (for violation of team rules) and Brian Bowen (to go pro) left, creating a variety of openings.
It made for a busy spring, but one where the Gamecocks gained the likes of Bryant (committed June 2) and Lawson (committed June 26). That duo started and averaged a combined 22.4 points per game this season as USC went 16-16 and finished fourth in the SEC.
The 6-foot-6 Lawson, an All-SEC freshman team selection, could at least test the NBA Draft waters this spring.
“He’s the one guy that, right now, has possibilities,” Martin said of Lawson. “But we’re in the fact-finding information stage to see if it’s something that if it would be worth his time.
“The problem is the following: If you can do it, why not do it? If you lose eligibility, then I understand. But if you can declare and go get workouts and get real information in person, why not do it? Who’s getting hurt by that?”
Silva went that route last year and returned for an All-SEC senior season. Lawson isn’t popping up on any popular mock drafts this year, but his name has surfaced for the 2020 draft.
Players have until April 21 to put their name in for the NBA Draft. A final decision to go pro or come back to school is May 29.
Transfer season, however, doesn’t have set deadlines. Jeff Goodman posted to WatchStadium.com on Tuesday a list of 350 transfers already available.
“When we recruit guys,” Martin said, “our vision is for them to be here for as long as they want to be here, No. 1, No. 2, have eligibility or are good enough to become a pro. That’s the vision. Having to re-recruit scholarships that are open a year after signing somebody is not fun.
“We don’t want to spend 10-12 months developing somebody and getting to know them as a person and then having to replace them with a brand new person a year later. It’s not the way it works. We don’t recruit at this time of year and say, ‘Ohh, this guy’s better than the one I got. Let me push this one out and take him in.’ I’m not saying other people don’t do that. Frank Martin does not do that.”
SOUTH CAROLINA 2019-20 SCHOLARSHIP BREAKDOWN
SENIORS
F MAIK KOTSAR
JUNIORS
G JAIR BOLDEN*
F FELIPE HAASE
SOPHOMORES
G A.J. LAWSON
W KEYSHAWN BRYANT
W JUSTIN MINAYA*
F ALANZO FRINK
C JASON CUDD*
FRESHMEN
G T.J. MOSS*
G JERMAINE COUISNARD*
G TRAE HANNIBAL
W TREY ANDERSON
F WILDENS LEVEQUE
*REDSHIRT
March 27, 2019
THE STATE
If a South Carolina basketball player is transferring this off-season, the USC coach has yet to be informed.
That’s the way Frank Martin put it Tuesday during a news conference at Colonial Life Arena.
“If someone’s leaving,” Martin said, “they haven’t told me.”
Martin began exit interviews with the Gamecocks on Monday and will continue that until early next week with Tre Campbell, Hassani Gravett and Chris Silva — Carolina’s departing seniors.
“Next week we’ll have a team meeting with all the returning players and we start our weight room sessions and our individual instruction that take us to the end of the semester sometime, third week of April, I think,” Martin said. “That’s the last time we’re able to do stuff on the court with the guys.”
As of now, those guys are rising senior Maik Kotsar, juniors Jair Bolden and Felipe Haase and sophomores Keyshawn Bryant, A.J. Lawson, Alanzo Frink, Justin Minaya and Jason Cudd and redshirt freshmen T.J. Moss and Jermaine Couisnard. Incoming freshmen Trae Hannibal, Wildens Leveque and Trey Anderson are expected to arrive in June.
All together, that’s 13 scholarships, the max for a Division I program.
But that’s not going to stop Martin and his staff from continuing to scout the open market for transfers or traditional high school seniors.
“You do your university and your team a disservice if you stop recruiting,” Martin said, “and then everyone goes home in May and they get away from here and they get around family and friends and they got convinced like, ‘Hey, you’re probably better off at this other school.’ And then they call compliance and they put their name on the famous (transfer) portal.”
The final of three USC players to transfer last spring came April 16 with David Beatty. Later, Rakym Felder (for violation of team rules) and Brian Bowen (to go pro) left, creating a variety of openings.
It made for a busy spring, but one where the Gamecocks gained the likes of Bryant (committed June 2) and Lawson (committed June 26). That duo started and averaged a combined 22.4 points per game this season as USC went 16-16 and finished fourth in the SEC.
The 6-foot-6 Lawson, an All-SEC freshman team selection, could at least test the NBA Draft waters this spring.
“He’s the one guy that, right now, has possibilities,” Martin said of Lawson. “But we’re in the fact-finding information stage to see if it’s something that if it would be worth his time.
“The problem is the following: If you can do it, why not do it? If you lose eligibility, then I understand. But if you can declare and go get workouts and get real information in person, why not do it? Who’s getting hurt by that?”
Silva went that route last year and returned for an All-SEC senior season. Lawson isn’t popping up on any popular mock drafts this year, but his name has surfaced for the 2020 draft.
Players have until April 21 to put their name in for the NBA Draft. A final decision to go pro or come back to school is May 29.
Transfer season, however, doesn’t have set deadlines. Jeff Goodman posted to WatchStadium.com on Tuesday a list of 350 transfers already available.
“When we recruit guys,” Martin said, “our vision is for them to be here for as long as they want to be here, No. 1, No. 2, have eligibility or are good enough to become a pro. That’s the vision. Having to re-recruit scholarships that are open a year after signing somebody is not fun.
“We don’t want to spend 10-12 months developing somebody and getting to know them as a person and then having to replace them with a brand new person a year later. It’s not the way it works. We don’t recruit at this time of year and say, ‘Ohh, this guy’s better than the one I got. Let me push this one out and take him in.’ I’m not saying other people don’t do that. Frank Martin does not do that.”
SOUTH CAROLINA 2019-20 SCHOLARSHIP BREAKDOWN
SENIORS
F MAIK KOTSAR
JUNIORS
G JAIR BOLDEN*
F FELIPE HAASE
SOPHOMORES
G A.J. LAWSON
W KEYSHAWN BRYANT
W JUSTIN MINAYA*
F ALANZO FRINK
C JASON CUDD*
FRESHMEN
G T.J. MOSS*
G JERMAINE COUISNARD*
G TRAE HANNIBAL
W TREY ANDERSON
F WILDENS LEVEQUE
*REDSHIRT