5 South Carolina players suspended before NIT game
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) South Carolina coach Frank Martin has suspended five Gamecock reserve players for what he called a ''conduct issue.''
Backup guards Marcus Stroman, Jamall Gregory and TeMarcus Blanton, and reserve forwards Chris Silva and Eric Cobb were suspended indefinitely by Martin.
The school announced the suspensions Tuesday night, about 90 minutes before the Gamecocks (24-8) started NIT play at home against High Point.
Stroman and Silva had seen the most action of the suspended players. Stroman, a sophomore point guard, averaged 14.8 minutes a game this season.
Silva, a 6-foot-9 freshman, started six games in the middle of the season until eventually falling behind senior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius. Silva averaged 13.3 minutes a contest.
