Lamont Paris encouraged by Gamecocks' point guards next season

Last season, the Gamecocks brought in Ebrima Dibba to handle a lot of the Gamecocks’ point guard duties and allow youngsters Jacobi Wright and Meechie Johnson to grow at their own rate there. 

When Dibba went down for the year before the season even began, it put South Carolina in a tougher spot. Johnson and Wright would have to grow into those roles as the season wore on. 

This year, the Gamecocks are in a better spot at the point for a few different reasons. 

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“I think if you have two guys at all times who are comfortable handling the ball and making decisions out there you’re much better off,” Paris said. “Most of the time we’re out there we’ll have two guys who’ve played point guard on the floor at the same time.”

The Gamecocks certainly had their ups and downs at the point guard spot and the offensive numbers reflected that. South Carolina ranked last in league games only in offensive efficiency (96.5), last in turnover rate (20.6) and 13th in assist rate (46.7). 

Because of that, South Carolina went out and landed point guard Ta’Lon Cooper out of the portal. The in-state prospect started his career at Morehead State before transferring last year to Minnesota. 

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In his only year with the Golden Gophers, Cooper was top 10 nationally averaging 6.3 assists per game. He also averaged 9.8 points and shot 37.8 percent from three.

Cooper finished top 15 nationally in assist rate and only committed 2.3 fouls per 40 minutes. 

He’ll add stability to the lineup while the Gamecocks have two other guys in Wright and Johnson who are capable there. 

Wright, a point guard coming out of high school, was playing his best ball down the stretch. Over the final 12 games of the year, Wright was averaging 10.8 points per game on almost 47 percent shooting. He shot 44.7 percent from three in that stretch.

He was averaging 2.1 assists to 1.4 turnovers per game. 

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“It’s going to be a variety of guys out there. Meechie will definitely play the point. Jacobi will play the point. Ta’Lon’s been playing the point his whole life. All those guys,” Paris said.

“The game has changed. It’s fun to say that or ask who’s going to be your quarterback or whatever position in any sport. If you look in the NBA, you’re going to find a hard time finding a team that does not have two guys who were full-time point guards when they were in college.”

Johnson shouldered a lot of the scoring load last season offensively, finishing the year averaging 12.7 points and 3.6 assists per game. He shot 36.1 percent from the field and 32.7 from three.

He’s currently going through the NBA Draft process and the Gamecocks currently expect him back next season.

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“Just supportive of anything he’s been doing. I know he’s had some workouts. But really supportive of what his long-term goals are and trying to navigate that and get a sneak peek at what he needs to continue to work on,” Paris said.

“It’s funny. You put yourself out there to say, ‘Do you love me or do you not love me?’ So he’ll get the information he needs and make a decision based on that. I do anticipate him back. But it’s part of the process is these days. We’re supportive of him trying to gather some information.” 

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