Lamont Paris named ESPN Coach of the Week

Lamont Paris has South Carolina men’s basketball on a complete 180 after finishing last in the SEC last season. He was named Jeff Borzello’s ESPN Coach of the Week after beating Mississippi State on Saturday.

He has the Gamecocks red-hot entering conference play with a 13-1 record. There is a lot to be excited about in Columbia.

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But there is still plenty of work left to do for Paris and his squad to make it to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large. South Carolina made its first step towards that goal with its first win in the conference opener.

Starting SEC play undefeated is always a good thing. The Gamecocks will have another tough test on the road at Alabama Tuesday night.

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Alabama enters the game at 9-5 on the season with top-five losses to Purdue, Arizona, and Creighton. The Tide are also undefeated in SEC play after squeaking by Vanderbilt by three points.

Oats’s team has been guard-heavy with offensive production. They are led by senior guard Mark Sears who is averaging 19.4 points per game. He had 21 points in their win over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

The Gamecocks will be Alabama’s first real test at home since it lost to Clemson 85-77 back on Nov. 28.

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The Gamecocks are beginning to gain attention on a national level. If Paris can beat the Tide and continue his run into the SEC, the sky is the limit.

South Carolina’s matchup with Alabama can be streamed on SEC Network or listened to on 107.5 The Game.

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