Billy Donovan was hired as head coach of Florida March 27, 1996.

Around midnight that night, Frank Martin said his cell phone chirped with a message.  It was Donovan.  He told him he planned to come to his high school in Miami, Fla., the next day to recruit some of his players.

Two decades later, Martin and Donovan remain tight, a friendship forged from their earliest days in coaching.  Donovan plucked Anthony Grant, one of Martin's assistants at Miami Senior High, to join his staff at Marshall.  For 15 summers, Martin worked as a counselor at Donovan's basketball camps.  Two of his former players, Brent Wright and Udonis Haslem, became centerpieces of Donovan's first Final Four team. 

"If it weren't for Frank Martin, we wouldn't have played for the national title in 2000," Donovan told The Gainesville Sun. 

That friendship will be set aside Wednesday, when the Gamecocks become the next team to take their crack at Donovan's #4-ranked Gators (16-2, 6-0 SEC).  Pre-tip reads before the Gators and Gamecocks hit the floor (8:00 p.m. EST, Gamecock IMG Sports Network):

Inside The Efficiency:  Demolished?  Dismantled?  Pick any verb.  They all describe what Florida has done to SEC competition this year.  The Gators have won their conference games by an average of 26.5 points, the latest an 82-47 drubbing at Mississippi State.  The Gators' top seven players are juniors and seniors, and that chemistry shows:  Florida ranks 2nd in the nation in Offensive Efficiency, averaging 1.23 points per possession (PPP). 

"That ball never stops, which allows you to not get set defensively," Martin said at his Tuesday press conference.

But Wait, There's More:  Martin didn't call Florida "national championship good" for offense alone.  The Gators lead the nation in Defensive Efficiency, allowing a mere 0.8 points per possession (PPP).   They also rank second nationally in scoring defense (51.2 ppg). 

Florida Defense - NCAA Ranks

Defensive Efficiency                      0.8 Points Per Possession (#1 NCAA)

Scoring Defense                             51.2 ppg  (#2 NCAA)

Two-Point FG% Defense                39.0% FG  (#3 NCAA)

Fouls Per Game                              15.8  (#25 NCAA)

The Gators close gaps, stay between the ball and the rim, and rarely foul.  The Gamecocks picked a good time to have their best shooting game of the season, a 57.7% performance against Arkansas.  Can a player like R.J. Slawson, who just strung together the best two-game scoring stretch of his SEC career, make a difference down low?

Did You Know:  Before coming to South Carolina, junior Brenton Williams spent one season at Santa Fe Community College, a 2.5-mile drive from the University of Florida campus.  Williams went scoreless against Arkansas after posting 16 points in each of the last three games.

Stat vs. Stat:  The Gamecocks biggest strength will come under fire Wednesday.  The Gamecocks are one the best teams in the nation at grabbing offensive rebounds; Florida is one of the best teams at denying them. 

Rebounding Percentages

South Carolina                   Get 42.4% of available offensive rebounds  (3rd NCAA)

Florida                                Get 73.8% of available defensive rebounds (11th NCAA)

South Carolina has only faced one team that ranks in the top 100 in the nation in Defensive Rebounding % (Missouri, 67th).  Against a Florida team that only allows 39% shooting from two-point range, tenacious offensive rebounding may be South Carolina's salvation.

Bruce Almighty:  Martin understands why fans want to see Bruce Ellington score 20 points a night.  No player scores with as much kinetic flair as the Gamecocks' armor-plated, 5'8" dual-sport star.

Bruce Ellington (left) has locked down the opponents' lead scoring guard.

It's not that Martin minds it. He just doesn't need it.  Not when Ellington can affect so many more points on the other end.  In the last three games, Ellington has posted shutdown defensive performances against the opponent's leading scorer:

Player                           Avg. Entering Game            Points Scored

Kedren Johnson (VU)   15.9 ppg                                  3 pts.*  (0-6 FG,  0-2 3pt.)

Phil Pressey (MU)         12.2 ppg                                  6 pts.    (1-8 FG,  1-6 3pt.)

B.J. Young (ARK)         16.9 ppg                                  7 pts.*  (3-12 FG, 0-2 3pt.)

                                                                                     5.3 ppg, 15.4% FG,  10.0% 3pt.

*-Season-low

Ellington will likely draw the assignment on Boynton, the SEC's active leading scorer with 1,833 career points.

Can You (Not) Top This:  On the flip side, Ellington will likely be guarded by Florida's 6'5" junior Scottie Wilbekin, a leading candidate for SEC Defensive Player of the Year.  Arguably the SEC's best on-ball defender, Wilbekin held Texas A&M's Elston Turner, who had just exploded for 40 points against Kentucky, to 4 points on 1-of-10 field goal shooting.  In his next game, he straitjacketed Missouri point guard Phil Pressey, the SEC's Preseason Player of the Year, into a season-low 2 points and 10 turnovers.  A hard player to screen, expect Wilbekin to "chest up" Ellington, and whittle away at his energy on the offensive end.

Wilbekin, though, may have his hands fuller than normal.  In two career games at Florida, Ellington averages 19.0 ppg and 42.9% three-point shooting, his highest average against an SEC opponent.

Bruce Ellington Career at Florida (2g)

Points:                  19.0*

FG%                     48.2%*

3pt.%                    42.9%*

*-Career highs on road vs. SEC opponent (min. 2 games)

And Finally... Martin isn't the only Gamecock coach with fond memories of Donovan's summer camps.  Assistant Matt Figger also took turns as a counselor while coaching in the junior-college ranks.  It was there that he first met Frank Martin, which led to him joining Martin's Kansas State staff in 2007.

Our pre-game coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.  We'll see you in Gainesville.  -AD--

-    Students are encouraged to pre-request their tickets as we aim for 2,000. As pre-requested numbers approach 500 tickets, 1000, 1500, and finally 2,000 tickets, we'll be giving away prizes!

500 - Personalized, autographed Frank Martin Basketball
1000 - Under Armour prize pack
1500 - Observe a men's basketball practice and receive a behind-the-scenes tour
2000 -  iPad

-    Promotional booth on Greene St on Friday - stop by for a chance at more prizes!
-    Double Student Rewards for attendance (be sure you're signed up for Gamecock Social Rewards here)
-    Double Loyalty Points for attendance
-    Garnet Army T-Shirts (while supplies last)
-    Free Food for all students
-    President Pastides says he'll see you there!

Check out this week's Facebook Fan of the Week winner!  Adrian Mann of Lexington, SC, submitted this photo with the following description: 

Get your necks loose and your lungs ready.

The Arkansas Razorbacks (12-6, 3-2) bring their end-to-end, gasping-for-breath style to Colonial Life Arena Saturday to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks (11-7, 1-4 SEC).  After a narrow loss to Missouri Tuesday, the Gamecocks will look to stop their cycle of late-game heartbreak, and seal a second SEC win.

They're already off to a good start:  Arkansas has yet to win a road game, losing all five by an average of 12.8 points. 

Pre-tip reads before the Gamecocks and Razorbacks collide in Columbia (1:00 p.m. EST airtime, Gamecock IMG Sports Network):

The Tug-Of-War:  A basketball game has various states of equilibrium.  If a team struggles in one area, it can compensate in another.  If a player pursues one stat too vigorously, it could leave him underperforming in another.

South Carolina hangs his hat on relentless offensive rebounding.  Despite its small stature, the Gamecocks rank 3rd in the nation in Offensive Rebounding Percentage (42.2%). 

Arkansas, led by second-year coach Mike Anderson, excels in the open floor.  According to Synergy - and Luke Winn's excellent SI Power Rankings -- Arkansas ranks 8th nationally, getting transition baskets on 21% of its possessions. 

It begs the question:  will the threat of a fast break affect South Carolina's ability to offensive-rebound?  Might they sacrifice sending some players to the rim, so they can cover themselves for potential runouts?

Frank Martin has been down this road before, when his Kansas State teams battled Anderson's squads at Missouri.

"If our guys go to the glass, then Arkansas is going to have to stay in there and rebound, and not be able to leak out," he explained on "Carolina Calls." 

"In the past, the battles between Mike's teams and my teams have been who's going to be better at what they try to do.  We try to rebound.  They try to turn you over.  The games where we haven't turned it over and out-rebounded them, we've had success.  You either run everyone back or you got to go rebound.  I like to go rebound," he said.    

That tug-of-war - South Carolina's offensive rebounding versus Arkansas' quick-trigger transition - could decide a winner Saturday.  Freshman Michael Carrera, the Gamecocks' highest-percentage offensive rebounder, will need to bounce back after managing just one offensive rebound against Missouri.

"Hell" To Pay:  Anderson, a longtime Nolan Richardson assistant, has rekindled his boss' famed, frenetic "40 Minutes of Hell" style.  Using a blistering full-court press, the Razorbacks have forced 17.8 turnovers per game in league play, most in the SEC.  Junior Mardracus Wade is Arkansas' top turnover merchant (1.8 steals/game).

Arkansas' press isn't technical, or tactical, or loaded with principles.  It's meant to be simple, and chaotic, and panic-striking.  See ball, swarm ball, steal ball. 

But Arkansas has another impressive stat.  Usually teams that play a fast-paced, trapping style get reckless with the ball themselves.  Yet Arkansas also ranks 8th nationally in Turnover % Offense, throwing it away on just 16% of possessions.  According to kenpom.com, they're the only team in the top 25 in both TO% Defense (i.e., forcing turnovers) and TO% Offense (avoiding them).

Arkansas - Turnover Percentage (% of Possessions Ending in a TO)

Offense:              16.1%  (8th)

Defense               24.8%  (14th)

Valuing possessions will be key Saturday.  No "jailbreaks," as Martin called Missouri's runouts.  Fortunately, Carolina has improved dramatically in keeping the basketball, as the numbers below show:

South Carolina Turnover Margin

Non-conference:                -3.6        (14th SEC)

Conference:                       +2.6       (4th SEC)

Man to Stop:  Arkansas guard B.J. Young.  He may rank third in the SEC in scoring (16.9 ppg), but no team's offense flows through a single player more than Young.  A crafty, long-armed, 6'3" sophomore, Young leads the SEC, and ranks 46th nationally, in Possession Percentage (29.9%).  Also called Usage Rate, it's the percentage of a team's possessions that ends with a player a.) making a shot; b.) missing a shot that isn't rebounded by the offense; or c.) committing a turnover while that player is on the floor.

Arkansas runs very few ball screens compared to South Carolina's other SEC opponents, preferring an offense based around constant moving, cutting, and passing.  They like to spread the floor, and get perimeter defenders leaning and off-balance to set up driving opportunities.  Few players thrive in those conditions better than Young, who torched the Gamecocks for 27 points in a 76-65 win last year.

B.J. Young (photo courtesy:  WholeHogSports.com)

In terms of height, ball-screen usage, and driving habits, Young's game compares favorably to Vanderbilt's Kedren Johnson, whom the Gamecocks - Bruce Ellington in particular -- held scoreless from the field last Saturday.  Young is a more athletic, souped-up version of Johnson.  Can Carolina experience the same success?

And Another Thing.... Don't forget about 6'7," 240-pound junior Marshawn Powell, either.  A true inside-out threat, Powell has career averages of 23.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game against South Carolina.  He missed all of last season with an ACL injury.  Powell ranks second behind Young in scoring (15.4 ppg) and leads the Hogs in rebounds (5.4 rpg).

Kicking Glass:  Rebounding is a port of entry in Frank Martin's system.  Don't contribute on the boards?  Don't expect to last long.  Against Missouri's towering front line, both 5'8" Bruce Ellington and 5'11" Brenton Williams chipped in with career highs in rebounds.

If it feels like we've called out career highs often, you'd be right.  South Carolina's five returning backcourt players have set career highs in rebounds 8 different times this year:

Player                              Previous Career High   New Career High '12-13

Brian Richardson              5 vs. USC-Upstate            8 vs. Elon, 8 vs. Miss. State

Brenton Williams               4 vs. Florida                     5 vs. Missouri

Bruce Ellington                  8 vs. W. Kentucky            9 vs. Missouri

Damien Leonard               4 vs. Tennessee              5 vs. PC, 8 vs. SC St., 9 vs. Auburn

Eric Smith                          3, 10 times                       4 vs. S.C. State

The Redemption of Brenton:  Junior Brenton Williams looked adrift.  Through two SEC games, the Gamecocks' leading scorer had posted a grand total of 2 points.  Turnovers and timidity had limited him to 12 minutes, and reduced the Kissimmee, Fla., native to a shadow of his former self.

But Martin doesn't believe in abandoning a player.  Nobody goes into his doghouse - "I didn't have a dog growing up."  Every game - and more importantly, the practices in between - represents a new chance to earn playing time.

Williams has made the most of his new chance.  Since his slow start, Williams has scored 16 points in the last three games, steadying a backcourt in which Ellington has struggled to find his touch (23% FG in SEC play).

Brenton Williams (right) has scored 16 points in three straight games.

"He's playing aggressive again.  He got un-aggressive all of a sudden," Martin said.  "You can't succeed as a player if you're tentative out there."

Martin also credits a better understanding defensively with sharpening Williams' play on offense.

"The more attention to detail you pay to what we do defensively, the more patience I got with you offensively," he said.

With Arkansas ranking second in the SEC in scoring (79.6 ppg), Williams' scoring may be required Saturday.

Free & Easy:  The frontcourt trio of Lakeem Jackson, R.J. Slawson, and Laimonas Chatkevicius has enjoyed a free-throw shooting renaissance:

Player                                   Started                               Since

Lakeem Jackson                    7-29       (24.1%)                 7-13       (53.8%)

R.J. Slawson                          16-25     (64.0%)                 13-16     (81.3%)

Laimonas Chatkevicius          2-6         (33.3%)                 8-8          (100.0%)

And Finally...  Chatkevicius and freshman Mindaugas Kacinas brought their own cheering sections to Missouri.  Kacinas' host family at his high school, Word of Life Traditional School, made the five-hour trek from Wichita, Kan., to watch him play.  So did neighbors of Chatkevicius' host family - the Klaipeda, Lithuania, native spent two summers playing AAU ball for a team based in Kansas.

Now that we're prepared, we hope you are as well.  Our pre-game coverage begins at 1:00 p.m. EST on the Gamecock IMG Sports Network.  See you at Colonial Life Arena.  -AD--

The tweet, sent at 8:32 p.m., immediately sparked Gamecock fans' curiosity:

@GamecockRadio:  Frank Martin told me tonight that he played the offensive line coach in the movie "Any Given Sunday."

That's right.  "Any Given Sunday," the Oliver Stone-directed, Al Pacino-starring, 1999 film-turned-basic-cable staple about the fictitious Miami Sharks.  Before he rose to small-screen stardom as a successful college basketball coach, Frank Martin played an extra in the film when it shot on location in Homestead, Fla.

Not all stories - especially one as far-fetched as this - can be explained in 140 characters.  So here's the backstory from Coach Martin himself:

At the time, Martin was working as a high school coach in his native Miami.  His athletic trainer, who had signed up to play a referee in the movie, approached him in school one day.  The football players in the movie - all of whom were actual ex-football players - were grumbling.  They hated the actors who had been cast as coaches, believing they were inauthentic.

The directors asked Martin's athletic trainer if he knew any real coaches who could fill the roles.

"He said, 'Hey, they want new coaches.  Are you interested?'" Martin said.

It was after basketball season, so Martin figured why not.  He ended up spending eight days on set, playing the Sharks' offensive line coach during the film's game scenes.  (No word on whether this makes Martin part of Al Pacino's coaching tree, too.)  The days lasted from 6:30 in the morning until 8 o'clock at night, and Martin remembers them mostly for standing around between scenes.  He recalls earning somewhere betwen $100 and $200 per day.  He didn't receive a credited role, either, which explains why he doesn't appear on any IMDb.com page. 

Incidentally, the man who choreographed the football scenes in "Any Given Sunday," Mark Ellis, is the brother of Gamecock football radio voice Todd Ellis.  The two re-united at Thursday's edition of "Carolina Calls."

Now for the second-most popular question:  can you see Martin in the film?

Good luck.  The final cut melded him into the background of most shots.  He says his staff has tried to spot him for ages, to no avail.

Although it might require a change to the movie poster.    -Andy Demetra

Catch up on the day's buzz about the Gamecocks! In today's edition: check out this week's home events; welcome new football assistant coach Deke Adams; men's basketball fought hard in a close game against No. 22 Missouri; Swimming & Diving return to CSCAA rankings at No. 23; Baseball 2013 season ticket booklet released; baseball is ranked No. 11 in preseason poll; check out our Facebook fan of the week; and more!

GAMECOCKSONLINE.COM NEWS

Football. Deke Adams Named to Coaching Staff

Men's Basketball. Missouri Outlasts South Carolina 71-65

Baseball. Baseball Weekend Scrimmage Schedule

Baseball. Perfect Game USA Ranks Baseball No. 11 In Preseason Poll

Softball. Previewing the Gamecocks in 2013: Defense

Swimming & Diving. Gamecocks Return To CSCAA Rankings At No. 23

Track & Field. Gamecocks to Host Midweek Meet, Women Break into Top 25

Equestrian. Start Time for Texas A&M Meet on Feb. 23 Changed

General News. Video - Gamecocks Host Boy Scouts Event

GAMECOCKS AROUND THE WEB

Football: Former UNC assistant takes over Gamecocks' defensive line (GreenvilleOnline.com)

Football: Podcast: Deke Adams on 107.5 The Game

Football: 13 for '13: Jadeveon Clowney reinvents Heisman hyperbole (CBSSports.com)

Men's Basketball: Cloninger: Learning how to win (GamecockCentral.com)

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