Before Chris Silva scored 27 points and grabbed eight rebounds to guide South Carolina to its most important win of the season, he did something far more valuable for the Gamecocks.
USC was holding its final pre-Vanderbilt practice Friday when “one of our point guards,” as Frank Martin put it, messed up.
“Didn’t run what they were asked to run,” said the Carolina coach.
Martin could have gone off – blown his whistle, chewed out the unnamed player, caused his own scene – but he didn’t have to. His 6-foot-9, 223-pound junior forward took the opportunity for himself.