Lamont Paris talks balancing long-term vision with short-term struggles

There’s no question South Carolina basketball is in a tumultuous transition period in Lamont Paris’s first season. 

The Gamecocks are off to their worst start in SEC play since 2014. They’re riding a six-game skid in SEC play with a top-20 KenPom team, Arkansas, coming to Columbia Saturday. 

It’s undoubtedly the toughest stretch for this program in a while, something Lamont Paris has tried balancing while keeping the big picture in mind. 

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“It’s a balancing act, it is. You have to win games. Your job is to win games. You have to prepare to win and put guys in the best position to win. You have to make substitutions in a way that is going to allow us to have the best chance to win,” Paris said.

“But at the same time, there are moments during those games where I’ll still call time out or make sure we still get the matchups or make sure we’re still going to press even though people make think the game is out of reach. It’s a mentality you’re developing and a way you go about your business that you’re developing. It’s a culture you’re trying to develop.”

The Gamecocks are tracking for their worst season of the KenPom era, which dates back to the 2001-02 season.

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In those 22 seasons, the Gamecocks have only finished below No. 200 nationally once–2013, Frank Martin’s first season–and has posted at least 10 wins every season. 

KenPom projects South Carolina to finish 9-22 this season and 2-16 in the SEC. It’s numbers-wise certainly a tough first year for Paris, who had a similar situation at Chattanooga. 

After going 22-43 in his first two seasons there (10-26 in the SoCon), he went 65-29 in his final three seasons (33-19 in the league) with a tournament berth in 2022. 

That experience is something he falls back on during a trying first season at South Carolina as he tries to lay the foundation for hopeful success down the road. 

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

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But, despite a long-term vision, it doesn’t make the losing any easier. The Gamecocks have lost six straight and, if they lose Saturday, would be the longest in-conference losing streak since 2003. 

Of those six games, five have been by double figures with two by 20-plus points.

“Nobody wants to lose six or seven games in a row and you’re right there to win these games. But we have a ton of young players and new faces. It’s a completely new staff. There are no excuses. A lot of other teams do too. With that being said, you have to lift a brother up. A lot of people might be down in a slump,” Meechie Johnson said.

“The goal is to pick them up and move on to the next game. That’s all you can do. Like coach always says, ‘The games are still going to be there. We have to show up and still have to play. If y’all want to go out and get embarrassed every time, that’s on ya’ll. If we want to lift somebody up, go out there and compete and try to win that’s on you too.’ that’s where we’re at: just lift people up and keep going.” 

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The Gamecocks were off Wednesday before practicing Thursday and Friday for the Razorbacks (3:30 p.m., SEC Network). The goal is to find some sort of recipe for success down the stretch in league play. 

“Every day is a new day like every hole is a new hole. If you’re hanging your head because you had a triple bogey or three bogies in a role, the chances of you birdieing the next is luck only, maybe,” Paris said 

“If you take all the factors into account, make a good, solid decision and plan on hitting on a good shot and concentrate the way you’re capable of your chances go up of having a par or birdie on the next hole. That’s the mentality you have to have in order to persevere through some pretty trying times.”

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