Lamont Paris makes case for South Carolina to be ranked in Top 25

Seriously, what more do the Gamecocks have to do? After beating Kentucky and Missouri to advance to 17-3 this week, South Carolina was the first team left off the latest AP Top 25 Poll.

A six-loss Alabama team made it in, so did a slew of other four and five-loss teams, as well as a couple of three and four-loss mid-major clubs. Yet, a South Carolina team that’s 5-2 in the SEC and scored a 17-point win over No. 10 Kentucky last week is still left out. Luckily, head coach Lamont Paris isn’t too worried personally about a number next to his team’s name.

“I think it’s a tremendous reward for (the players) honestly. That’s really the only thing that it is at this point,” Paris commented of the Gamecocks potentially being ranked in the latest top 25 after the win over Missouri Saturday.

“You know, maybe there’s someone that’s going to end up voting on the committee as to who gets in the tournament and who doesn’t, and maybe they’re swayed by the fact that we were in the top 25 at one point. But honestly, the main thing is for these guys,” Paris added.

He really used the question as a means to praise his players’ continued and consistent effort each time out.

“They worked really hard. They can’t control the schedule, they don’t have any say so in who we play. They go out there and whoever’s out there, they play. They’ve done that, and they’ve worked hard and they’ve won.

“Let’s think about it: one of the officials goes out in the middle of the floor with the ball and he throws it up — and they’ve done that 20 times this year and 17 times our guys have come out on top. So I think that’s to be commended and rewarded.”

While the team has accomplished plenty enough to warrant a spot in the top 25, it ultimately hasn’t come yet. But it will no doubt be a cool experience for Lamont Paris’ players if/when it does happen.

“In their minds, it’s a tremendous reward. Some of these guys have probably never been on a team that’s ranked before, and so, I think it’s significant,” the Gamecock coach explained, noting that it would be one more checkpoint reached by this feel-good 2024 group.

“We’re trying to grow and develop a program, and I think that’s part of it.”

Unfortunately, this was the week to be ranked for South Carolina, as they now face Tennessee and Georgia both on the road this coming week. Win those, though, and it’s possible the Gamecocks leap all the way into the top-15.