Lamont Paris' coaching methods delivering results for players in summer practices
No stone is left unturned when it comes to Lamont Paris. Every little detail of the game must be correct. That’s how he operates.
In Tuesday’s open practice, Paris didn’t just sit back and watch things happen. Instead, he was very involved in every facet of what was happening on the court. If he saw something wrong, he would quickly let players know and show them how to correct it.
It’s not like Paris coaches how he does just for the sake of coaching. There’s a reason behind his methods. It’s proven to have worked. It’s why South Carolina was able to go from 11 wins in his first year to 26 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth in year two.
“Some of this stuff is new for guys that haven’t been in our program, we’re detail-oriented. I think it’s what has helped us achieve some of the things that we have,” the third-year head coach said. “Just the concept of the difference between winning and losing in so many games this year will come down to something that was really controllable and had really more to do with concentration than anything. Just getting guys to start to realize that at an early point.”
While Paris will definitely let you know if something’s up, he won’t blow a fuse for the most part. Rather, he’s more focused on instructing the right way to do a drill or make a certain play happen. And that’s something the players can certainly respect.
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“You definitely have to appreciate it because you want to play for a coach that wants to see you get better, but who also demands the best out of you,” freshman guard Cam Scott said.
For Scott, this is his first time going through college practices. The former four-star recruit was the highlight commitment from the high school ranks and figures to play a big role for the Gamecocks this season. To be able to have Paris as his coach, it’s taught him a lot about the game.
“Just being able to grind those out, grind out all the mistakes early has been amazing,” Scott said. “He’s showed me a lot of things that I could really use to help develop my game. It’s helped me played a lot more freely, helped me get myself open, as well as my teammates. So it’s just making the game a whole lot easier.”
Even for the more experienced players, they’ve been through plenty in their careers and seen a lot. But there’s just something different the way Paris goes about his business as a coach.
“Just playing the right way,” transfer guard Jamarii Thomas said, explaining what he’s learned from Paris so far this summer. “All the places I’ve been, I’ve kind of not been to able to do what I want and play my game. I can play my game here but it’s like playing basketball the right way.”
