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South Carolina

Tennessee's Rick Barnes makes case for Lamont Paris to be named National Coach of the Year

UVA BIO PICby: Mike Uva03/07/24Mike_Uva
Lamont Paris
© Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Despite No.17 South Carolina coming up short Wednesday night 66-59 against No.4 ranked Tennessee, it’s been a season to remember for the Gamecocks. So much so that Volunteers’ head coach Rick Barnes went out of his way to make a case as to why USC’s Lamont Paris deserves to be named National Coach of the Year.

“The job that Lamont has done here is amazing,” said Barnes, who was named the Naismith National Coach of the Year in 2019. “The turnaround — for them to go into the last game of the season with a chance to play for an SEC regular season title speaks volumes. He has terrific players but what he’s done is something he should be commended for.”

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With one regular season game to go, South Carolina is 24-6. The 24 wins are already tied for the fourth most wins in a season in program history, which comes a year after winning just 11 games overall. A win Saturday against Mississippi State would earn the Gamecocks a double-bye in next week’s SEC Tournament.

“I told him this and I believe it. If I had a vote I’d vote him for National Coach of the Year because I can’t imagine the SEC being any better than it is this year. For him to do what he did is remarkable.”

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Saturday’s game against the Bulldogs (19-11 overall, 8-9 in SEC play) is set to tip-off at 2:30 p.m. ET on the SEC Network.

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