Skip navigation
Favorites
Sign up to follow your favorites on all your devices.
Sign up

South Carolina loses second freshman to injury

Mississippi South Carolina Basketball

South Carolina coach Frank Martin talks to his players as they take the lead against Mississippi during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013, in Columbia, S.C. South Carolina defeated Mississippi 63-62. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)

AP

College basketball’s season opener isn’t for another three weeks, and South Carolina has already lost two of its four freshmen to injury. On Saturday, in a brief statement, the university’s athletic department announced that shooting guard TeMarcus Blanton underwent surgery on his left hip.

The injury occurred during practice, according to head coach Frank Martin.

Blanton, the 6-foot-5 Locust Grove, Georgia native, joined the South Carolina program as a three-star recruit, listed in the Rivals150 in the Class of 2014. He was looking to crack the Gamecocks back court rotation with Tyrone Johnson, Sindarius Thornwell, Duane Notice and Marcus Stroman, the four-star freshman point guard.

The press release listed no information on a timetable for Blanton’s return.

In July, South Carolina was forced to redshirt swingman Shamiek Sheppard after tearing the ACL in his right knee.

South Carolina finished second from the bottom in the conference standings with a 14-20 (5-13 SEC) record this past season. The Gamecocks open the 2014-2015 campaign on Nov. 14 against North Florida.

Follow @terrence_payne