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COLUMBIA, S.C. — His team lost by 15 points to No. 1 Kentucky, but South Carolina coach Frank Martin had no issues with his team’s effort.
“Sometimes the bear gets you and sometimes you get the bear. Today the bear got us,” said Martin.
That was mainly due to UK’s defense limiting South Carolina to just 22 percent shooting from the field. The Gamecocks had just four field goals in the last 24 1/2 minutes after taking a 24-23 lead late in the first half.
Martin said his freshman point guard, Marcus Stroman, “freaked out” against the UK defense. He was 1-for-7 from the field and had two assists in 26 minutes.
“I told my freshman point guard after the game that I told you for two days that if you drive them early on the first or second pass, you get swallowed by their size,” Martin said.
The South Carolina coach explained it was just not UK’s interior players with great size, but that the perimeter players also were big.
“The guy guarding him in 6-6 or 6-7. I can’t see to pass. You are swallowed up by that size and that’s why they are good. They are so big at every spot and they are also so athletic,” Martin said.
He said “our job is to go beat Kentucky” but he says it is not easy.
“I respect the heck out of John Calipari,” Martin said. “I have heard people say he can’t coach. What a joke. In this day and age where all kids are about themselves, he takes kids and gets them to sacrifice and play for one another as well as anyone in the country.”
Martin said the value of having experienced players back off last year’s team that played in the national title game makes a difference, too.
“Now there are little breakdowns they had last year that they don’t have any more,” Martin said. “Kids have been through it and understand and Cal does not let them get away with it. They come off the bench with talented freshmen who understand what it takes because they practice against those guys every day.”
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