South Carolina Basketball: Lamont Paris disrespected by coaching rankings

South Carolina basketball fans are hoping that the 2023-2024 season is a step in the right direction for their favorite team. The Gamecocks tied a program record with 21 losses last season, but fans are hopeful that head coach Lamont Paris can take a critical step forward in his second season in Columbia.

This week, Busting Brackets released their yearly preseason ranking of every Division-1 head coach in men’s college basketball. Lamont Paris came in as the second-lowest SEC coach in the rankings at #102, ahead of only Vanderbilt’s Jerry Stackhouse.

Heading into last season, the preseason list had Paris ranked at #89, so he is trending in the wrong direction after a tough first year in garnet and black.

Former South Carolina basketball coach Frank Martin was 49th on the list, and several candidates for the vacant Gamecock job last offseason (Pat Kelsey, Bob Richey, Matt McMahon, Dennis Gates, Sean Miller, etc.) finished higher than Paris. Clemson coach Brad Brownell placed 44th on the list.

The Gamecocks have recruited better so far under Paris than they did toward the end of the Frank Martin era in Columbia. 5-star GG Jackson was a late addition in the ’22 cycle right after Paris was hired, and Carolina brought in top-100 player Collin Murray-Boyles in the 2023 class. Top-150 players Trent Noah (2024) and Hayden Assemian (2025) are committed to the program, as well.

Paris and the South Carolina basketball coaching staff have also done pretty well for themselves in the transfer portal. Hayden Brown, Meechie Johnson, BJ Mack, Stephen Clarke, Myles Stute, and Ta’Lon Cooper were all big additions to the Gamecock roster over the last two offseasons.

If Coach Paris can continue his strong work in recruiting the high school ranks and the transfer portal, the product on the court will get better, and he will be higher on this list next preseason.