Lamont Paris looking for aggression as South Carolina enters second half of SEC play

Coming out of the team’s lone midweek break from SEC play, South Carolina enters the second half of its conference schedule still chasing its first win.

The offense has struggled with holding on to the ball in its last six SEC games. The Gamecocks have turned it over 105 times over the last six games.

For head coach Lamont Paris, a lot of fixing the flow of the offense comes from getting the offense to go through Jamarii Thomas and Collin Murray-Boyles.

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Through the season’s first 22 games, Murray-Boyles and Thomas lead the Gamecocks in both points and assists. Murray-Boyles averages 15.5 points per game alongside 8.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists. Thomas sits right behind him in the stat sheet averaging 13.2 points and 2.5 assists.

During his appearance on Carolina Calls Thursday evening, Paris said he wants the duo to play more aggressively. He also said he wants to see Murray-Boyles and Thomas shoot around 20 and 15 shots per game respectively.

Saturday’s game against Texas A&M was the first game of what is a “hard reset” on Murray-Boyles’ aggression. In the loss, he posted 22 points alongside six assists and seven rebounds. This was the second time in conference play he has scored 20 or more points. Murray-Boyles totaled 25 in the loss to No. 1 Auburn on Jan. 11.

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Getting the ball out of the hands of what Paris described as “finishers” like guards Jacobi Wright and Morris Ugusuk and into the hands of Thomas when it comes to running the floor is something Paris wants to see on the court.

The players shouldn’t take it personally, it’s just not a situation they perform well in, Paris said.

Paris said he understands that telling the duo of Thomas and Murray-Boyles to ”step on the gas” is going to lead to turnovers. However, Paris does not see 16 turnovers between them a game.

The pair have combined for 17 turnovers over the last three games. Thomas did not record a single turnover against the Aggies but picked up five in back-to-back games against Mississippi State and Georgia. Murray-Boyles has recorded at least two turnovers in every game in SEC play so far.

Part of what Paris believes can help Murray-Boyles play more aggressively on offense is spacing the floor out. Paris knows movement on offense will help space that floor.

“When four guys are standing in the paint, he’s gonna be aggressive to take bad shots,” Paris said. “… I think just getting Jordan (Butler) out there (on the perimeter) and maybe Zach (Davis) playing some at the four.”

In the loss to Texas A&M on Feb. 1, Butler’s lone shot attempt was a made three-pointer early in the opening half.

The loss of Myles Stute, sidelined indefinitely with blood clots in his lower left leg, isn’t helping the South Carolina offensive struggles.

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Stute averaged 5.4 points per game alongside 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists in his 14 appearances this season.

“This is where Myles Stute’s injury is a significant, significant disadvantage to our team,” Paris said. “… He just knows how to get the floor spaced properly when a guy like Collin is out there.”

Paris compared the way Murray-Boyles likes to play to LeBron James early in his career.

‘He’s just an unselfish guy,” Paris said. “It’s a blessing and a curse … I think Collin is cut of a similar cloth that way, I think he gets just as much joy helping somebody else figure it out versus himself.”

After the Texas A&M loss, Paris was not afraid to point out to Murray-Boyles while reviewing film that there were four or five more times that he could have taken shots.

“The default now is to score,” Paris said. “… Any time he touches the ball I want his default to be to try and score.”

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