Recap: What South Carolina basketball said ahead of SEC Tournament

Following their first practice in Nashville for the SEC Tournament, three South Carolina players, as well as head coach Lamont Paris, met with the media.

Below are some takeaways from what each had to say, as well as links to watch each interview.

The Gamecocks will play their first game of the SEC Tournament on Thursday against Arkansas at 3:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network. Be sure to tune into the GC Live postgame shows that GamecockCentral will be airing live from Nashville immediately after every SEC Tournament game.

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Lamont Paris

– Being named SEC Coach of the Year will have his name on it but really it has his players’ sweat and equity on it too. That also includes his coaching staff. When talking about the award, he directed all the attention back to the team.

– Isn’t worried about his team being satisfied with what they’ve already accomplished. Paris said, “There were times where I had to push buttons earlier in the season in order to get guys to do this or not do that. But at this point, they’re so locked in and motivated. I think they recognize that what they’ve done is pretty special.”

– Has been very pleased with how this team has handled adversity this season. Pointed out that one thing that really impresses him about this group is going from being an 11-win team a year ago to a team this year who only dropped back-to-back once in the regular season.

BJ Mack

– His message to the younger players who’ll be playing in their first conference tournament is to treat it like another game. It’s a bigger stage than the regular season but mentality you need to treat it like it’s another game.

– Continues to find motivation from people doubting them heading into the SEC Tournament. Mack said, “We still have people doubting us. Even in the tournament, there’s people who don’t think we’ll make it far. People see the run we’re making and they think it’s a fluke so we keep using that as motivation.”

– Looking back on his decision to transfer to South Carolina in the offseason, Mack said it came down to finding a place he’d feel comfortable — both with the coaching staff and with the team. Paris told him that he’d be able to “play his game” if he became a Gamecock while also having the opportunity to help out other players by being one of the leaders on this team.

Meechie Johnson

– Remembers the feeling of ending the season last year and the looks on the faces of seniors as well as GG Jackson. He uses that as motivation as they try to send this group of seniors out on a high note.

– Like Mack, Johnson feels that there are still people out their doubting South Carolina. Shared a story that on Tuesday night, “Still being doubted. People still don’t believe we deserve to be where we’re at,” said Johnson he was walking through Broadway, here in Nashville, after grabbing some pizza. People started asking him if they were really as good as how they looked against Tennessee or not. “They don’t know about us so I feel like every game we come out we have to make a statement.”

– Remembers some people thinking he “was stupid” after deciding to transfer to South Carolina. But he believed in what Paris envisioned, which is why he was one of the first players to commit to him once he took over the program. Added that Paris deserves all the recognition he’s receiving and believes he’s only going to receive more in the future.

Ta’Loon Cooper

– Said both Vanderbilt and Arkansas played well in transition offensively. Regardless of who they play tomorrow, they need to do a better job of taking that away from them. (**Gamecocks will play Arkansas after the Razorbacks def. Vandy 90-85 in OT on Wed. evening).

– With a quick turn around and not a lot of time to scout/prepare for teams in the SEC Tournament, he calls this a great opportunity to prepare them for the NCAA Tournament.

– How did Paris get this team to buy in so quickly? “He keeps it real” with them. If you’re not gonna play defense then you’re probably not gonna play much.

Recapping Wednesday at the SEC Tournament for South Carolina

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