COLUMBIA, S.C. — As South Carolina waits to see if it will receive an invitation to the NIT, the subject of Frank Martin's future in Columbia was a topic at the SEC Tournament and this morning on the local sports talk shows in Columbia.
The Gamecocks scored just 17 points in a 73-51 loss to Mississippi State which dropped their record to 18-13. Carolina finished the regular season 9-9 which was a tie for fifth in the final standings after being picked to finish 11th in the SEC preseason media poll.
So as everyone waits to see what becomes of Martin's annual review with athletics director Ray Tanner, the coach gave a state of his program during his post-game news conference at the SEC Tournament in Tampa.
"We have signed some really good players," Martin said, referencing 3-star power foward Daniel Hankins-Sanford from Julius S. Chambers High School in Charlotte and 3-star point guard Zachary Davis from Denmark-Olar High School in Olar, South Carolina.
"We obviously signed two, and there's one that I can't talk about right now that is a really good basketball player. And then you have to rely on what my career has shown people is that I tend to help players get better, so all the guys that are in our program take a step forward and improve, and so I'm excited. I'm excited. I couldn't be happier than what I am right now, and I'm excited for all those guys. I'm excited for what our team can be next year."
The unnamed player which Martin is not allowed to mention by name per NCAA rules is of course, GG Jackson, the top-rated power forward in the class of 2023 according to Rivals. At last week's Class AAAAA state championship game in Aiken, Martin watched Jackson lead Ridge View to that program's first state championship on the 5A level. Martin is also recruiting Lexington shooting guard Cam Scott who is a 5-star prospect as a shooting guard.
Critics of Martin's tenure will point to his one NCAA Tournament appearance in his 10 seasons, although that one trip to the Dance lasted until the Final Four in Glendale, Arizona.
Supporters of Martin will point to South Carolina's spotty history in the NCAA Tournament and how Martn's first two years were spent building the program back up after the four years of the Darrin Horn era, along with a controversial snub in the 2015-2016 season when an NCAA Selection Show watch party with fans turned into a disappointment and disbelief.
Martin has a track record of surpassing preseason expectations and his teams usually finish in the upper half of the SEC which was the case again this season. Will that be enough to keep Martin for the 11th season or beyond? The answer, unlike last year's long-drawn-out process, should come in the next week or so based on what we are hearing.