Three things Lamont Paris should do to hit the ground running at South Carolina
Pete Thamel reported last night that UT-Chattanooga coach Lamont Paris reached a five-year deal to become the next head coach at the University of South Carolina. A new hire is a whirlwind time for any newly appointed head coach. You have to deal with all the hassles that come with moving, creating a new staff, and entrenching your brand into a new area.
On3 discusses three things Lamont Paris should do to hit the ground running at South Carolina.
1. Recruit current players to stay
South Carolina finished fifth in the SEC last season. Only two players have exhausted their full eligibility off that roster. Lamont Paris could have a foundation of talent set if he can keep the players who have eligibility left. Last season’s leading scorers, 6-3 SG Erik Stevenson (11.6ppg) and 6-4 CG Jermaine Couisnard (12ppg), are eligible for fifth years.
All-SEC freshman Devin Carter will be a pivotal player for Paris to look to retain. A 6-3 wing, Carter averaged 10.5 points through his last 11 games. Starting 6-11 center Wildens Leveque, 6-6 wing Keyshawn Bryant, and 6-2 guards Jacobi Wright and Chico Carter were all in the rotation and have eligibility left.
It is never easy starting in a new job, but some pieces are in place if Paris can keep them on the roster.
2. Sit down with Julian Phillips and GG Jackson
Building a fence around your local borders is imperative in any head coaching situation. In a place like Columbia, South Carolina, there is talent that continues to flow through the city. There are currently two un-commited five-stars 15 minutes away from campus.
Julian Phillips is a 2022 McDonald’s All-American who recently de-committed from LSU. Phillips is a native of Blythewood, South Carolina, fifteen minutes away from the South Carolina campus. South Carolina did not make the 6-8 small forward’s top ten the first time around. However, a new staff with a new voice could be what is needed.
The No. 1 player in 2023 GG Jackson also lives about 15 minutes away from the South Carolina campus. This recruitment is a little different from Phillips’. Jackson told the previous South Carolina staff he was coming to play for them. His family’s relationship with the recently fired staff may make this recruitment more challenging. Jackson is a well-liked player who could usher other players into the garnet and black and long with him. While it may be a long shot, it is a shot Paris has to go all-in with.
3. Sit down with Columbia’s basketball community
Sure many people would talk about meeting with donors and fans; however, Lamont Paris will be behind the eight-ball with Columbia’s basketball community. Paris beat out Gamecock royalty in BJ McKie for this job. McKie had the full support of the men’s basketball alumni and the state’s prep basketball community (high school and AAU coaches). To no fault of Paris’, these people around the program and in the area feel slighted. The Columbia-area basketball scene is a very tight-knit group. It is a group that took South Carolina’s previous head coach Frank Martin ten years to start becoming a part of.
Getting to be part of the group may take some time, but we cannot say enough that putting a fence around your state is imperative in recruiting, especially in a state like South Carolina, where it produces top-50 players every year. While it may not be the first thing he does, it could be the most important. Paris will have to come in immediately and ingratiate himself into these communities and quickly build a working relationship.