If there was ever a game I tagged as a must-win for South Carolina, yesterday's game was it. The Gamecocks could ill-afford a loss to Florida. Not only would the loss been their third in a row, but resume-wise, it would not have looked good. Also, psychologically, it would've been hard to recover from.
Michael Carrera has just been unbelievable for this team. He continues to make big shot after big shot. Oh, he also rebounds (20 points, 15 rebounds). Duane Notice and Sindarius Thornwell were their normal selves and they need to continue to play at that level down the stretch.
I also said that this team would need Laimonis Chatkevicious again this year. Are his numbers going to wow you? No, but he had a presence. The most important thing about his presence was the mere fact that Frank Martin stuck with him. He didn't snatch him as quickly, and, as a player, I'm just telling you, it helps your confidence immensely. A player plays with more confidence when he knows that the coach has confidence in him. It doesn't matter what classification or what level, to include the NBA, confidence is everything and when you don't have it, you can't play at a high level.
This game was huge for the Gamecocks and it was very telling in the personnel changes. After the game, Frank said that he reopened positions in practice and the guys that responded were the ones that he rewarded. Naturally, the guys who are older will respond to it better because they've been through it.
My translation is simple. Because of the meaning and possible implications of this game, Frank went with the seven guys that he trusts the most. He went with guys who he thought understood exactly what he needed, which is understandable. Here's why. Two guys that had been buried in the doghouse -- Chatkevicious and Marcus Stroman -- returned to play valuable minutes. Both players played much better. Simply put, a lot rode on yesterday's game.
Conspicuous by their absence were freshmen PJ Dozier and Chris Silva. Neither impacted the game on either end. Hopefully, from a confidence perspective, they're still locked in because, just like you needed Stroman and Chatkevicious, those two, who helped the Gamecocks win some games this year, will be needed again.
In closing, the Gamecocks needed this win to feel good about themselves. It was an electric crowd that produced great energy. The veterans played like vets and played with the sense of urgency that's been lacking the last two games. I expect that momentum to carry on to Wednesday night as they get the opportunity to avenge an earlier loss against Tennessee.
P.S. I had the opportunity to meet Will Muschamp and his entire staff at halftime as they hosted recruits. I watched some of the game in the back with them and shared great conversations with Coach Muschamp and running backs coach Bobby Bentley.
ALSO SEE: USC-Florida Photo Gallery
Get news alerts with the new Gamecock Central app. With the app, you have the option to receive free notifications for football, baseball, men's basketball and women's basketball.
LINKS: App Store - Google Play
Last edited by a moderator:
