Lamont Paris balances winning now and building for the future

South Carolina has struggled in its first year under new coach Lamont Paris, but the head coach has kept things on an even keel even amidst a six-game losing streak. Paris knows there are things to be gained even during a challenging beginning to his tenure, but he remains committed to building for the future.

In fact, that’s what it’s all about for him.

“It’s a balancing act, it is, because you do, you have to win games,” Paris said. “Your job is to win games. And so you have to prepare to win, you have to put the guys in the best position to win, you have to make substitutions in a way that’s going to allow us to have the best chance to win. This guy’s playing well, this one’s not. This guy’s got good energy, that one doesn’t. This one’s defending well today, this one’s not.”

South Carolina is just 8-14 so far, while having just one conference win (albeit a good one, on the road at Kentucky).

Still, Paris sees a lot of what he’s doing as a coach as critical. End results haven’t been what the Gamecocks want them to be so far, but he’s looking further ahead.

“You’ve got to continually do that, but at the same time, that’s why there’s moments even during those games where I’ll still call timeouts or I’ll still make sure we get the matchups or we’re still going to press even though people might think the game is out of reach, right?” he said. “It’s a mentality that you’re developing. It’s a way of going about your business that you’re developing. It’s a culture that you’re trying to develop. It is. It is.”

Building for the future is the focus

If there’s one thing Paris believes beyond the shadow of a doubt, it’s his vision for the program.

He’s looking beyond just wins and losses in Year 1.

“It’s an interesting dance that you’re doing just because you are trying to win games at all costs, but at the same time I see the future,” Paris said. “I’ve been there. I see the future and I know what it’s going to look like when our expectations have changed and we’re winning on a consistent basis. So I play for the long, I play the long game as well.”

South Carolina will be back in action on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET with a home date against Arkansas. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network.