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COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) - South Carolina basketball coach Frank Martin isn't backing down after some suggested he went too far with recent comments about his team.

On Tuesday, Martin cleared the air five days after he compared his team's effort to zombies in "Return of the Living Dead" and said he had never been more embarrassed as a coach than he was after USC's 64-46 loss to LSU on Valentine's Day.

Critics said Martin may have gone too far by coming down so hard on his players.

Martin says that is not the case.

"I don't throw my players under the bus. I threw the culture under the bus, I threw our approach under the bus. Don't ever say I threw my players under the bus," said Martin. "If you know anything about me, that's never happened in 28 years and it ain't happening yesterday, it ain't happening today, and it ain't happening the day they kick me out of here and out of this business. I still won't do it."

Martin has become increasingly frustrated in recent weeks after USC suffered near-historic blowout losses at Florida and Kentucky in the middle of a six-game losing streak.

The Gamecocks host Ole Miss Wednesday night, and Martin hopes his team can start taking steps toward embracing a culture of winning and acccountability he says didn't exist when he arrived last spring.

"I understand what it takes to win. My staff understands what it takes to win. Unfortunately, the kids that were here don't understand," said Martin. "We're trying to build a program. That doesn't happen by just showing up."

South Carolina is set to tip off with Ole Miss Wednesday at 7pm at the Colonial Life Arena.