South Carolina basketball: Frank Martin pleased with Jermaine Couisnard's return to starting lineup

If there’s one position in the backcourt South Carolina’s lacked consistency, it’s been the most important one.

Between injuries, player struggles and having to rely heavily on two true freshmen, the point guard has been an adventure through the first 24 games of the year.

Against Georgia, they got consistent play there, led by Jermaine Couisnard, and the results followed.

“Against Georgia, he did not shoot the ball well. Yet his voice was unbelievable. When Jermaine is good he doesn’t shut up. He doesn’t shut up with things that matter, not things that don’t matter. Right now he’s fully engaged, his mind’s in the right place,” Frank Martin said. “Having a senior, a three-year starter at the point is a world of difference on any basketball team.”

But the biggest question is now is if Couisnard stays in South Carolina’s starting lineup over the final six games as he did in a 12-point win over Georgia.

Couisnard, individually, plays better when he’s starting while the team offensively plays better when he comes off the bench. The Gamecocks are 6-3 with him in the starting lineup, 5-5 off the bench.

In nine starts this season, Couisnard is averaging 10.6 points on 43.8 percent shooting (35.9 percent from three) with a 23-to-35 assist to turnover ratio.

Comparatively, he’s averaging 9.4 points on 34.7 percent shooting with 30 assists to 18 turnovers.

South Carolina is averaging 94.2 points per 100 possessions with him in the starting lineup, 99.4 coming off the bench. The Gamecocks are allowing just 90.9 when he’s starting but a whopping 102.4 as a reserve.

When he’s playing well, the Gamecocks typically win. When he doesn’t, they struggle. Martin’s pleased with how Couisnard is approaching things after coming back from injury.

“He’s a good player, man,” Martin said. “Him not being healthy and his body betraying him and coming off the complicated things he’s been through the last year and a half has made it hard for him to be at peace to have the success he’s capable of having. He’s in a good space right now.”

If Couisnard continues to start, the Gamecocks will still rotate in and pair him with Jacobi Wright and Devin Carter.

Both have spent chunks of time at the point, starting there at different times during the season. Carter’s started seven games at the point, averaging 8.9 points on 31.6 percent shooting.

He’s been much better statistically coming off the bench but gives South Carolina another ball-handler to play with Couisnard.

“At the end of the day my vision has always been since 1990 to play the game with as close to two point guards as you possibly can,” he said. “Playing Devin at the point predominantly for the last month or so has made him understand the game a certain way. It’s made him understand the importance of structure.”

South Carolina (14-10, 5-7 SEC) is entering an incredibly pivotal stretch of its season. They have five of their six games against teams clumped around them in the SEC standings.

Martin is pleased with his ball-handlers right now and thinks the better Couisnard plays the better the team can be. 

“Now Jermaine is playing well again. He’s confident, at peace with himself. Now you can play him and Jermaine, him and Cobi, Cobi and Jermaine,” he said. “It’s the closest thing we’ve had all year where we can play two guys at the same time with a point guard skillset and mindset.”