Maik Kotsar wasn’t in the building Dec. 19 when South Carolina lost to No. 3 Virginia. He was away from Colonial Life Arena, recovering from a concussion suffered at practice a day earlier.
Frank Martin was frustrated that evening. His Gamecocks had lost the third of what became a four-game losing streak. A tough non-conference schedule was reaching its peak and a veteran forward’s absence wasn’t helping matters. He referenced Duke’s Zion Williamson playing through a bloody nose in a game against Princeton and compared it to Kotsar’s situation.
“Zion, blood flow and everything, was a lot more intense than our guy,” Martin said.