There is NOTHING Frank Martin can do about this year

I know it’s a tired cliché, but one that is applicable to the new Gamecock Basketball era under Frank Martin...it’s going to take time.  Yes, it would have been nice to grab a win at Mississippi State or over Auburn in Columbia this weekend.  They may end up being our best chances at a conference win.  Regardless, we all knew that this year was going to be one to forget.  

This program is the definition of rebuilding in every sense of the word.  Darrin Horn left us in a messy pile of puke and got out of town.  Thank goodness we were able to land someone like Coach Martin to come in and clean this up.  There was never a chance that this particular campaign was going to be noteworthy in a positive way and it has nothing to do with the Coach.  

I love Martin’s intensity.  There aren’t many of us at the home games but those who are there get their money’s worth.  I am careful to eat my popcorn the right way because if I don’t Coach Martin will come up to my seat to “Coach” me on what I’m doing wrong.  This is an intense man and you either love his honesty and candor or you are going to be miserable until we start winning.  

I will NOT denigrate any individual player who wears the Gamecock uniform, but I can admit that overall we are a terrible basketball team.  Nobody likes to lose and I wish we didn’t have to choke down this medicine again because we’ve done it before.  Dave Odom was too cold and Darrin Horn was too hot.  I think Coach Martin will be the one who is just right.  We have actually been very close a couple of times to having a consistent winner in hoops.  If Eddie Fogler hadn’t gotten sour with McGee and recruiting he may still be coaching today.  If George Felton could have made better personal lifestyle choices, he could have been a legend in Columbia. 

Will Coach Martin be in Columbia for at least 7 seasons?  To me that is the key at USC.  Can the fans and the administration be patient enough to get this man past that critical point?  If so, we’re going to go through some difficult losses and disappointing seasons.  Hopefully there will also be some unexpected success mixed in that gives us a bridge to the future.  

At some point you have to pick a horse to ride and not keep changing saddles.  My money is on Coach Martin and I hope the Gamecock Nation will have his back as we suffer through the clean-up.  Under him we will win our first significant NCAA Tournament games since Frank McGuire “retired.”  

What a great time to be a Gamecock!