Martin pleased where Gamecock hoops stands entering 2016-17
Frank Martin has put the bitterly disappointing conclusion to the otherwise fruitful 2015-16 campaign in the rear view mirror.
Over the past month or so, Martin has hired a new assistant coach, signed a promising seven-footer with superb defensive skills, accepted a transfer from a Delaware point guard and upgraded the Gamecocks’ non-conference schedule with two separate trips to New York City in November and December.
1. Bruce Shingler hired as assistant coach: An administrative assistant at Kansas State when Martin was coaching the Wildcats, Shingler has spent the past four seasons as an assistant at Towson, a school located a few miles north of Baltimore. Prior to that, he coached at Morgan State and in the high school and AAU ranks.
“Bruce is going to be great,” Martin said earlier this week in Greenwood. “I didn’t hire him because I know him. If that was the case, I would have hired him three years ago when I hired Perry Clark.”
The irony? Martin called the Towson coach four years ago and gave Shingler a strong recommendation, describing him as a rising star in the college basketball coaching profession.
“Bruce has been tremendous in his job,” Martin said. “He has a passion for people and kids and his passion to work is pretty powerful. I’m excited for what he is going to bring. He is going to help our guys, and that is what it’s all about.”
Shingler has extensive recruiting experience along the Atlantic coast from New York City to Washington, D.C. and should boost the Gamecocks recruiting efforts in those vital areas.
“Bruce will continue to help us in that department,” Martin said. “He was a high school coach in the area (Bladensburg (Md.) and coached AAU basketball there. When I hired him at K-State, he was in that pocket. Then he went back to Towson and has spent the last four years recruiting that area. That is important for us.”
2. Gamecocks sign 7-foot-1 center Khadim Gueye: Martin seeks a greater inside defensive presence next season and he took a step in that direction by signing Gueye, who resides in Bradenton, Fla.
“He is as big as a house. He runs. He’s a competitor. He’s an elite shot blocker. That’s something we needed,” Martin said. “We had the best two-point defensive field goal percentage in the SEC last season and he is going to add to that. He is going to bring tremendous value defensively. Based on how we use our bigs, he will fit in very well.”
Gueye is the fifth spring signee to be officially announced, joining Hassani Gravett (6-2, 180) Kory Holden, Rakym Felder (6-0, 195) and Maik-Kalev Kotsar (6-9). Last fall, 6-foot-9 four-star prospect Sedee Keita, a Greenville native attending the 22ft Basketball Academy in Philadelphia, signed with the Gamecocks. Gueye averaged 9.3 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last season at Victory Rock Prep.
“I like big guys,” Martin beamed. “Size is important.”
3. Kory Holden transfers to USC: The former Delaware guard is a rising junior, so he will have two years of eligibility left after sitting out next season due to NCAA rules. He averaged 17.7 points and 4.2 assists per game for the Blue Hens this past season, earning All-CAA second-team honors. He registered 12.4 points and five assists per contest in 2014-15 as a true freshman.
“Kory is multi-talented. He can score, shoot, pass and has a great feel for how to play,” Martin said. “I saw Kory in high school and liked him a lot. I never really pursued him in recruiting because the word was he wanted to stay close to home. But this time around, I did (pursue him). I took a chance. He loved hearing from me and the opportunity and absolutely loved his visit. He is a very good player.
Holden’s biggest adjustment going from the Colonial Athletic Association to the SEC? Dealing with bigger players all over the court.
“I don’t think it will be as big of an adjustment as most folks think,” Martin said. “The CAA has great guard play. The biggest change for guards coming into the SEC is size. All of a sudden, everybody is bigger. The centers are bigger, the guards are bigger. But he will make the adjustments that will allow him to learn and for me to learn about him.
“He’s a high level player. When he sits out this year, having to practice every day against Sindarius (Thornwell), Duane (Notice) and P.J. (Dozier), he will get used to that high level size. As a coach, I’ll get a head start in coaching him, so I’ll understand what makes him go as a person.”
4. Gamecocks beef up non-conference slate: USC was criticized for its soft non-conference schedule after being unjustifiably spurned by the NCAA Tournament selection committee. Several teams Martin scheduled last summer for 2015-16 failed to have the seasons many analysts expected because of transfers or other reasons, so USC’s strength of schedule was lower than expected.
The Gamecocks will make two trips to the New York City area to face Syracuse (Nov. 26) and Seton Hall (early December) at the Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden, respectively. In addition, USC will travel to Memphis and South Florida for the back half of home-and-home series. They host Clemson at Colonial Life Arena.
“Good teams want to prepare for a championship and want to play teams that will challenge their mettle,” Martin said. “Now we’re getting to that place. When I call the good teams, they tend to pick up the phone and say, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this and try to figure out where it fits on the schedule.’ My goal is to consistently have a Top 10 schedule in the country.”
NOTES:
-- Who will be the leaders next season: Martin expects three players to step up – Thornwell, Notice and Justin McKie, all seniors in 2016-17. Dozier should provide leadership as well. “Those four guys have to really carry the torch when it comes to (leadership),” Martin said.
-- Martin is optimistic about the 2016-17 season for one principal reason – the Gamecocks are very experienced at the guard position, a common trait shred by most winning teams at the upper Division I level. “In basketball, if you want to be good, you need to have experience at guard,” Martin said. “If you don’t have experience at your guard spot, you’re in trouble. I don’t care how good your center is. That’s what we have right now. That’s because your guards start your defense and your offense. The most minutes coming back on the team is from our guards, so we’re in a very good place.”
