How Carey Rich is still shaping South Carolina basketball after 30 years

No one understands South Carolina basketball quite like Carey Rich. That doesn’t just mean the South Carolina Gamecocks, either, but that’s certainly part of it. The program’s Special Assistant to the Head Coach has a unique grasp on all things basketball in the Palmetto State.

The former Gamecock captain played three seasons with his hometown program from 1992-1995 and owns top-15 all-time program marks in assists, assists per game, steals, steals per game, and assist/turnover ratio. He was the Gamecocks’ point guard as South Carolina transitioned into the SEC and helped mentor a freshman Melvin Watson before the Charleston native became an All-American and SEC champion. Rich is a Gamecock legend, point-blank. However, he “gets it” in a way that is bigger than just his alma mater.

Carey Rich also gets high school basketball in the state of South Carolina.

Between his playing days in Columbia and his current role on Lamont Paris’ staff, Rich’s involvement in the Columbia community and his work in basketball in his home state made him even more well-known than he was when he wore garnet and black. Helping to establish or grow major events like The Bash and the Peach Jam and working to push Columbia-area basketball programs to new levels of exposure, Rich’s name became synonymous with all things South Carolina basketball.

Over the last 30 years, when there’s been a major high school basketball game in Columbia, Carey Rich has been there. When in-state tournaments needed help getting off the ground, Rich worked the phone. When big-time talent in the state wasn’t being recruited like it should, the former Gamecock point guard helped to remedy the situation. Everywhere one looked around high school basketball in South Carolina, Carey Rich was there.

The relationships he cultivated in this state now are paying direct dividends for the program he loves.

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Earlier this week at Gamecock Basketball Media Day, Rich spoke with GamecockCentral about his role as the godfather of basketball in South Carolina.

Because of his one-of-a-kind relationship with the Gamecocks and with the high school programs in this state, Rich has headed up USC’s efforts to keep the best players in South Carolina, in South Carolina.

“When you look at the history of this program—outside of Frank McGuire—any time this program has had success, there’s always, always been a correlation to having players from South Carolina on the team. That’s been a big part of our recruitment efforts,” Rich explained.

Even McGuire’s teams, though, had some Palmetto State influence. All-time greats like Alex English, Zam Fredrick, Nate Davis, and Casey Manning were from South Carolina and played for McGuire.

Fellow assistant coach Eddie Shannon echoed Rich’s sentiments. Shannon told GamecockCentral that getting South Carolina-born players to play for the Gamecocks is, “100% something we try to do.”

A quick look at South Carolina’s best teams in recent memory illustrates Rich’s point. The top Gamecock squads of the last 30 years have been headlined by in-state talent. Sindarius Thornwell, PJ Dozier, Justin McKie, and Rah Felder all hailed from the Palmetto State and led the Gamecocks to the only Final Four in program history. The teams that made the NCAA Tournament as a 2-seed and 3-seed in back-to-back seasons in the 1990s were led by BJ McKie, Larry Davis, Melvin Watson, William Gallman, and a roster made up of about 50% South Carolina natives.

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This year’s group has an even greater SC flavor.

Eight of the fourteen players on the 2024-2025 roster are from the state. They didn’t all sign with the Gamecocks out of high school, but they’ve all found their way home eventually. Nick Pringle (Wofford, then Alabama) and Jordan Butler (Missouri) transferred in this offseason. South Carolina natives Collin Murray-Boyles, Zach Davis, Jacobi Wright, and Arden Conyers are returning players. Guys like Cam Scott and Weston Coggeshall are in their freshman year representing their home state.

Rich believes both Lamont Paris’ energy and the team’s success last year play a role in keeping in-state talents home. “I think it also helps when we win. There’s a direct impact on the entire local scene. There’s a level of excitement in Columbia because of [Coach Paris] winning.” The 2023-2024 version of the South Carolina basketball team tied a program record with 26 wins and finished tied for second in the SEC before making the NCAA Tournament. Paris’ work to turn around the program has young players around here excited about the possibility of being Gamecocks.

Paris’ Gamecock turnaround started before last season, though. There’s a reason Lamont Paris made Carey Rich his first hire after accepting the South Carolina basketball head coaching gig. Paris brought on Rich in the spring of 2022 before he even officially hired his assistant coaches. When The Captain came on board, he brought real credibility to the idea of winning with in-state talent because he lived it himself. Then, after his career ended, he continued fighting for it. Now, his enthusiasm for the South Carolina Gamecocks is becoming contagious.

In fact, in GamecockCentral’s conversations with the team at media days, the theme of representing South Carolina stood out.

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Junior wing Zach Davis can’t envision himself at a different program. The Denmark-Olar alum said, “I feel like, if you’re from South Carolina, why would you want to go somewhere else? You can represent this state and your family here. I feel like it’s a pride thing, you’ve got to take pride in it…I always wanted to play close to home. My mom had a heart problem, so I didn’t want her traveling to come to my games. So, she can come to every game. She hasn’t missed a home game, at all. That’s special. That means something to me…It’s just a blessing. Playing for kids I grew up with, kids who grew up watching me…It’s just a blessing.”

Davis isn’t the only player who feels blessed to wear the name “South Carolina” on his chest.

Transfer sophomore Jordan Butler, who played his high school ball at Christ Church in Greenville, spent one year at Missouri before coming back to the Palmetto State. He calls his return, “A blessing, honestly…It was something I never really thought about when I was in high school. I didn’t really think about how important it would be to represent my home state…Being able to see my family at the games and relatives at the games, people I knew growing up at my games is going to be really big for me.”

Lexington High School product Cam Scott, who flipped his commitment from Texas to South Carolina, said pride in his home state was responsible for the change of heart in his recruitment. “When you have your state across your chest, you will play with a different type of pride.” When Scott announced his commitment to the South Carolina basketball program, many (rightfully) assessed that Rich played a big role in that decision.

Star sophomore Collin Murray-Boyles said at SEC Media Days that Paris and the draw of playing at home another year made the decision to forego the NBA Draft last offseason an easy one. “Why wouldn’t I come back? [Lamont Paris] is a great coach. I just think this is the place for me. South Carolina is always going to be my home.” The future NBA Draft 1st-round pick reiterated that point at Gamecock Basketball Media Day, as well.

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South Carolina natives now care about their state’s flagship program, something that hasn’t always been the case. It means something in this state to be a Gamecock again.

So much of that is a credit to Carey Rich.

Both senior guard Jacobi Wright and redshirt freshman wing Arden Conyers noted the difference in the team’s local perception. Wright reflected, “I think it’s more normal now to stay home and play basketball for [your school.]” Conyers, a Columbia native, said, “Growing up, I would be coming to games…now that I’m grown up, it’s just crazy. [Representing this state] feels like a dream. I take that with pride. I’m very fortunate. I want to put on for the city.” Wright, the only player leftover from the Frank Martin era, also added, “I want to push the next group of guys to stay home and play for their home school.”

For sustained in-state pride to take root, Rich understands that convincing young people the value of staying home isn’t the only battle worth fighting. Reminding adults of the pride they have in their community is essential.

Said The Captain, “For a guy who has been around the program, part of the program—officially or unofficially—for 30+ years, I have a very unique perspective. What I mean by that is this: I know the national perception of South Carolina basketball, and I know the local perception of South Carolina basketball…the one thing I’ve always challenged myself with is creating excitement among adults in this town. That excitement trickles down…If [the adults] are not excited, they’re moving the young players off of that path of being excited about South Carolina basketball.”

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Rich’s assessment is correct. For years, the best players in South Carolina chose other schools. From 2003-2021, the Gamecocks signed the top player in-state just four times. Mike Holmes (2007), Damien Leonard (2011), Sindarius Thornwell (2013), and PJ Dozier (2015) were the only ones. And Thornwell only sort of counts as he left for Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior season.

Frankly, several of USC’s coaches during that time didn’t seem to care much about in-state recruiting. The community, in kind, turned on the program and steered players away from South Carolina. Most of the state’s top players were leaving the Palmetto State altogether. They often headed to rival schools in the states of North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, or Tennessee. However, that is changing.

Since Rich was hired, Carolina has signed No. 1 in 2022 (GG Jackson), 2023 (Collin Murray-Boyles), and 2024 (Cam Scott). No class of 2025 prospects seems destined for major college basketball, but the Gamecocks are involved with several in-state talents in 2026 and beyond. Rich was involved with USC before joining the staff, but now that he is on board in an official capacity, his influence is only growing.

The players on this year’s team seem to have a genuine appreciation for one another. After practice on Monday, no one left the court. Players got up more shots or rebounded for their teammates who were getting in extra work. Impromptu dunk contests and two-man shooting drills continued long after the assistant coaches began talking to the media.

C-Money (one of Rich’s player-given nicknames) commented that the after-practice occurrence was an everyday reality. “Relationships” was the operative word for Rich, and those relationships were on full display. Just as he has always done, the Gamecock great has helped cultivate relationships within the South Carolina basketball program—relationships from player to player and relationships between players, their school, and their community.

Back in 2018, the Southeastern Conference honored Rich as an Allstate SEC Basketball Legend. He earned the honor on the court, but he certainly has lived up to the distinction since hanging up his sneakers. His last game for South Carolina came in 1995, but he never really left the program after that point. The Gamecocks are much better off because of that fact.

Carey Rich, Lamont Paris, and the Gamecocks open up the 2024-2025 season in less than two weeks. South Carolina will welcome the North Florida Ospreys to Colonial Life Arena on November 4th for the season opener. Tip-off is at 7:00 p.m., and fans can tune in on SEC Network+ or the ESPN app.

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