COLOMBIA – The question: Did South Carolina stop being a male basketball coach who took the Gamecocks to the 2017 Final Four because he can’t consistently participate in the NCAA Tournament, something that no coach did at school?
This is what faces the heads of the USC after the Gamecocks ended a season of 6-15 with a resounding splat, 76-59 for Ole Miss in the SEC tournament on March 11. It has been an incredibly difficult year, the COVID-19 pandemic forcing three breaks that swept seven weeks into the season and coach Frank Martin contracted the disease twice.
USC has long since passed the pass to coaches because of COVID-19. The school dismissed football coach Will Muschamp in November and separated from swim coach McGee Moody on March 8. Gamecocks will also be looking for a new male football coach after Mark Berson retires at the end of this season.
With only two years left on his contract and no extension coming, Martin’s future is being debated: The 2017 Final Four and 153 wins against nine years without a participation in the NCAA Tournament.
Eddie Fogler took the Gamecocks to two consecutive NCAA tournaments in the 1990s and won a SEC regular season championship (but he never won an NCAA tournament game).
But Martin posted four winning seasons on the SEC, when the four coaches who preceded him had three in 21 years combined.
“This year was a complete show, you know what, from day one. I hope you know where I am, me and my family. And at the end of the day, I will visit my bosses, who I respect a lot, when the season is over, ”said Martin. “Everyone knows that I had countless opportunities to leave and I chose not to speak (for other schools). If I am wanted, this is what I want to call home. “
But there has been no progress since that magical race for the 2017 national semifinals. The past three years have not been close either, although last year’s team would likely qualify for the NIT if there was a postseason.
Martin inherited a show from Darrin Horn that had little or no chance of making it into the postseason for at least his first two seasons. His fourth team was the first Power-5 team with wind 24 to not enter the NCAA Tournament in at least 14 years. Martin and Frank McGuire in the 1970s are the only two USC coaches to win an NCAA Tournament game.
But is it time for a change?
USC athletics director Ray Tanner, who spoke twice about Martin’s program during monthly visits to a Columbia radio station, mentioned just that. When clarifying that it is necessary to “take a look behind the scenes”, he mentioned the record for appearances in the postseason.
“I know the program is in better shape now than it was when it got here, in many ways,” said Tanner. “But you’re still going to have the analysis, whether internally or externally or fans or whoever can say, ‘Well, they did a tournament, if they don’t make it this year, in nine years.’ And those are the real data. “
Factors to consider:
COVID
Martin’s two fights with COVID-19 caused his hair to fall out (he ended up shaving his head) and stealing his energy. The team took three breaks due to the virus from December 8 to January. 14
The team’s trademark defense has been atrocious, Gamecocks are the last in the SEC in defense of scoring. It is also one of the worst shooting teams in the league.
Different players have lost games at different times, recently due to injuries. Pivot Alanzo Frink is the most notable, playing three games, but none since Dec. 8, claiming on Jan. 26 that he was out of season for “medical reasons”.
The fall of 2021
Despite losing Maik Kotsar, an All-SEC performer, the Gamecocks returned AJ Lawson, Jermaine Couisnard and Keyshawn Bryant.
Lawson was divine. Couisnard has been in a free fall all season. Bryant has been the spark of the team and has grown in its leadership role, although it has not helped in the victories.
A 72-66 victory at Florida No. 22 on February 3 left Gamecocks 5-6 and restored hope. They lost the next six games and have won one game since then.
Four Post-Finals
Without the core of this Final Four team, the next team naturally stumbled, but there were parts to build.
The problem was that Martin had to continue plugging holes created by unexpected problems, like five players being arrested for crimes involving a compressed air gun in 2016 (four ended up leaving) and the talented but troubled Rakym Felder.
“It doesn’t mean we recruit bad kids, but we recruit people who don’t fit who we are,” said Martin before the season. “We were very young again. After that, we made two graduation transfers. Then you lose them and become young again. It is a combination of all these things. “
The defeats to the worst teams outside the conference schedule did not help either. The Gamecocks were 17-16, 16-16, 18-13 and then 6-15 this year after the Final Four season.
1 in 9
Martin has been to an NCAA tournament for nine seasons. The USC as a program has been to nine tournaments in 81 years (not counting 2020, as there was no tournament).
His best period was four consecutive years from 1971-74, the only four appearances in McGuire’s 16-year tenure. They have had a repeat performance since then, in 1997 and 1998 under Fogler.
The purchase
Martin’s contract was deservedly overhauled after the 2015-16 season, and again after the Final Four. His original purchase would have paid him 66 percent of his remaining guaranteed salary if he was dismissed without cause; which has been changed to 100 percent.
He will receive a debt of $ 6.5 million if the USC dismisses him this year. During a pandemic crisis and having already paid $ 12.9 million for Muschamp to leave, plus the salary and the possible purchase of a new coach contract, can the USC pay for it?
Of course, Martin and USC could also agree on an agreement to save the term “fired”.
The answer?
Were the team’s difficulties this season mainly related to COVID-19? Has USC gone as far as it can with Martin?
Martin will not retire and it is doubtful that he resigns without some kind of agreement. He spoke this week of his desire to stay.
“Where’s the university? It is not for me to answer, because I am not them and I am not talking to these people right now, ”he said. “When you build things without cheating, it takes time. You know that I fixed this program and I know what is not working this year, but the program has not broken. We fixed a bad situation once, we will fix it again. “
Change or more of the same?
Fresh or old?
The debate started when the clock struck zero on Thursday night in Nashville.