South Carolina basketball: Frank Martin addresses status of NBA draftees

Two South Carolina basketball players are testing the NBA waters.

This week, South Carolina head coach Frank Martin took to the media for the first time since receiving a contract extension. The coach will walk the sidelines in Columbia for a tenth season in 2021, and the success of that campaign could largely rely on the decisions of three key contributors from last year’s roster.

Forward Keyshawn Bryant and point guard Jermaine Couisnard have both entered their names into the NBA draft discussion. As we’ve seen in past years, the process allows players to train with professional organizations and receive feedback on either their draft stock heading into the event, or areas that need improvement with another year of play. As long as the player doesn’t sign with an agent, he will have the opportunity to return to college for another season.

That’s the situation that Bryant and Couisnard currently find themselves in. Bryant was maybe the team’s most improved player in 2020, posting career highs in points (14.4 ppg), rebounds (5.4 rpg), and shooting (48% from field). He was the Gamecocks’ second leader scorer, and has the size and athleticism to be featured in today’s NBA.

Couisnard also averaged double figures last season, though he did see a dip in production. After a breakout freshman campaign saw him post 12.1 points per game, the point man’s scoring dropped to 10.1 per contest in 2021. His shooting sank to just 30% from the field and he seemed to struggle with consistency in a sophomore slump. Still, he led the team in assists for a second straight season, and finished second in steals.

Frank Martin addressed the draft process and his expectations for the future regarding the two team leaders.

"“I have unbelievable relationships with Jermaine and Keyshawn, and their families. Every indication is they are exploring to get information. The rules are there to allow it, why not do it? They are in workouts (here) every day. Every indication is they will play for us next year.”"

Assuming that neither will receive grades high enough to be considered for this year’s draft, it’s safe to bet that they’ll be back in college for the 2021 season. We’ve seen a number of players transfer out of the program this offseason, but that doesn’t appear to be the case for Bryant and Couisnard. Getting these two back next year would provide a huge boost to the South Carolina lineup, and go a long way in helping the Gamecocks get back on track.

There’s a third player that could flirt with a professional decision, and that’s leading scorer AJ Lawson. Lawson has paced the team in scoring each of his first three seasons on campus, culminating with a career high 16.6 points per game as a junior. He’s shown flashes of having NBA talent, and was widely regarded as a legitimate prospect entering his sophomore, but struggles with consistency have led to his draft stock slipping.

While his teammates have the option to enter the draft with no consequence, Lawson doesn’t have that luxury. The guard has already been through the process twice, and entering a third time would mean he’d be foregoing the rest of his college eligibility, according to NCAA guidelines. This is likely the reason that we’ve heard very little on Lawson’s future to this point, as he’s balancing the pros and cons of making a jump to the professional ranks. His head coach is in the dark, too.

"“AJ doesn’t get a, ‘if it doesn’t work out I’ll go back year’ this year. Once that decision is made it’s one way or another. It’s careful. The last couple years it can be reckless and there’s a safety net. Right now there is no safety net. When he makes a decision it’s all in. There’s no turning back.”"

Lawson has a huge decision to make in the coming months on whether he’ll return for a senior year or give the pros a shot, be that in the NBA or overseas. A return would obviously be welcomed, as he’s the team’s most legitimate scoring threat, but time will tell.

While he’s uncertain on Lawson’s status, coach Martin doesn’t expect to see much more attrition from the roster’s remaining players. Alanzo Frink, Tre-Vaughn Minott, and Wildens Leveque have given every indication of returning for 2021, and the Gamecocks might get sixth-year graduate transfer Seventh Woods back for another year, too. Woods tore his groin at the end of last season, and is getting healthy before making a decision on his future.

"“I’m planning on them being here. They are telling me they are going to be here. If for some reason they go home and change their minds it’s the new world we’re living in. We have five in the transfer portal. Here’s what’s crazy, that’s the low end in college basketball this year.”“[Seventh] is trying to get healthy before making a decision. He’s been in college for five years. He’d much rather try to pursue a professional career, but he’s not in a place to make that decision yet. For seniors (with that free year) not counting towards your 13 scholarships there is no rush to make that decision.”"

There’s a chance that the Gamecocks could have Lawson, Bryant, and Couisnard all back in 2021, though Lawson might be a longshot. Woods, should he return, wouldn’t count against the scholarship limit, meaning he’ll have no impact on the status of the four incoming transfers. And being able to get Frink, Minott, and Leveque back next year would help bolster the front court.

Things looked bleak for the program just a few short weeks ago, as the Gamecocks saw five players enter the transfer portal following a 6-15 season. Fast forward to mid-April and it’s now looking like the roster could be better, and much more experienced than that Gamecocks have seen in recent years. Frank Martin took full responsibility for the failures of last season, but he’s done a great job thus far in trying to right the ship.