How Lamont Paris and his inaugural Gamecocks are trying to be ‘legacy setters’

Since he was hired as South Carolina’s men’s basketball coach in April, Lamont Paris has had the opportunity to pick Dawn Staley’s brain a few times.

Unlike Staley — whose star couldn’t be brighter coming off her second national title with the Gamecocks women — Paris is still finding his footing in Columbia. He’s only been a head coach for five years, all at Chattanooga, and he’s inheriting a USC men’s program that has made the Big Dance just once in the past 18 years.

“With Dawn, I’ve talked about what her process was, going from the proverbial — these are extremes — outhouse to the penthouse,” Paris said Wednesday during USC’s on-campus media day. “And (asking her) what that looked like and how important the community was in supporting her and getting some local players even.”

On the day he was introduced, the 47-year-old Paris said that his goal was to shape the Gamecocks men into an NCAA tournament-caliber team — and to do it sooner than later. With the season slated to start Nov. 8, Paris is not shying away from that vision for his Gamecocks program.

A longtime assistant at Wisconsin under the legendary Bo Ryan and his successor Greg Gard, Paris is accustomed to winning basketball and a winning culture. He’s still in the early stages of establishing that kind of foundation at USC, a team that returns just five scholarship players from last year’s 18-13 (9-9 SEC) team — none of whom served as everyday starters.

South Carolina fans grew impatient at the tail end of 10-year coach Frank Martin’s tenure, when the team failed to reach the NCAA tournament in the years after its historic 2017 Final Four run. With so many new faces, patience could be required early on for Paris and his staff. Paris acknowledged he doesn’t have the ideal personnel to do everything he wants to do basketball-wise, so adaptability from both coaches and players will be paramount.

So far, the head coach said he’s liked what he’s seen from his new players, especially in terms of their attitude and willingness to work.

“Any time you’re implementing a whole new system and changing philosophy, there are a lot of challenges that come with that,” Paris said. “So I really like where this group is in terms of trying to get accomplished the things that we value and are going to value and trying to get accomplished.

“I’m really happy with that, honestly, and they are really enjoying themselves and being around each other every day at practice. And so it’s been really fun to be around them and to watch them and to coach them.”

GG Jackson headlines new-look group

When the season tips off in November, there’s little doubt that all eyes will be on 17-year-old phenom forward GG Jackson.

Once ranked the top recruit in the 2023 class and once committed to Hubert Davis’ North Carolina Tar Heels, Jackson made national waves when he reopened his recruitment this summer and committed to the Gamecocks. A star at nearby Ridge View High, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward projects to be USC’s offensive and defensive focal point.

Paris said he’s been pleased by the aptitude and levelheadedness Jackson has shown in practices, despite the never-ending social media buzz he receives. Jackson can increase his aggressiveness on both sides of the ball, Paris said, but he’s proven to be a willing passer and a team player despite his five-star status.

For the Gamecocks to have success, though, they’ll need more than just Jackson. Throughout the summer, several newcomers have emerged as key players.

Guard Meechie Johnson (Ohio State), forwards Hayden Brown (The Citadel) and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (Illinois) and fellow freshmen Zachary Davis and Daniel Hankins-Sanford have all drawn praise from Paris and his staff.

“From the practices that we have now, I feel like everyone’s starting to jell and understand what we’re trying to do and know our defensive principles, offensive plays and all that,” Jackson said Wednesday. “Like if y’all went to see practice, y’all would be like, ‘Oh yeah, this team got something nice.’

“So it’s not just me. Meechie’s gonna play a big part. Hayden’s gonna play a big part. Benjamin, Daniel, Zach — everybody’s gonna play a big part.”

All indications point to Johnson getting the first crack at starting point guard for the Gamecocks after he primarily played off the ball in a reserve role at Ohio State. Known for his speed and raw talent, Johnson has surprised teammates and coaches in practice with his passing ability, vision and his knack for finding teammates in tight spaces.

At 24 years old and with a master’s degree in leadership, the 6-foot-5 Brown is already operating like an on-court coach and has established a foothold as a team leader, and his versatility and experience should be a boon for the Gamecocks. Meanwhile, the 6-foot-8 Belgium native Bosmans-Verdonk adds physicality to the post and moves well for a big man.

Fitting into the system

There’s a yin and yang to Paris’ on-court philosophy.

On offense, Paris preaches freedom. He aims to find each player’s greatest offensive tools and tries to emphasize those in his game plans. He wants players to feel loose and like they’re able to play to their strengths.

On defense, it’s a different story entirely.

“It’s really the opposite defensively,” Paris said. “There aren’t a lot of decisions to be made defensively. I find that works well. Everyone knows why the breakdown occurred and how to get better.

“... You have to know your coverages. You have to be disciplined. If it happens 1,000 times in one game, 1,000 times you do this — because it’s only a decision and a willingness to do that.”

That kind of defensive discipline is no doubt inspired, at least in part, by Ryan’s coaching tenets at Wisconsin. Ryan taught old-school, fundamentally sound, defensive-first basketball, and he created a winning culture through daily structure and consistency.

Paris said he wants South Carolina fans to feel the same way about their team as Wisconsin fans do. There’s an expectation to make the NCAA tournament among Badgers fans. Wisconsin fans in their early 20s know nothing but playoff appearances. That’s not the case for USC, and that’s something that Paris and his new players are trying to change.

“Everybody from top to bottom is in a new season, essentially,” Brown said. “We’re all trying to try to figure out what this culture is going to be built on. And I think there’s something unique about that, to be a part of something that is starting from the ground up. We can be legacy setters, right?

“Like, if 10 years from now, when this team makes the Final Four, this team right here will be able to look back and be like, ‘We set the foundation for what they have built.’ And I’m excited to be a part of that for Coach Paris and the rest of the staff.”