We don’t hesitate to pay dues for the Frank Martin Fan Club. He grew into a good coach at Kansas State before South Carolina — a program with just nine NCAA tournament bids — lured him away. Four seasons later, he led the Gamecocks to the program first Final Four. It’s truly remarkable, but since that run, and even to some degree before that, the Gamecocks have struggled to find consistency.
Early on, Martin found a compatriot in Sindarius Thornwell, an in-state star he could use as a cornerstone for his rebuild. With Thornwell now in the NBA, Martin has been searching in earnest for the next leader of his program.