South Carolina’s Struggles Run Deeper Than Just Missed Shots
COLUMBIA - There’s no single reason the Gamecocks are stumbling through SEC play - it’s a combination of issues that are starting to pile up.
Let’s start with the offense. South Carolina built this year’s attack around the three-point shot, banking on a roster full of guys who could knock it down from deep.
But when your team ranks 297th nationally in three-point percentage, that strategy turns into a liability fast. The Gamecocks are launching threes, but they’re not falling, and that’s a tough foundation to build wins on.
Inside the paint, it’s not much better. South Carolina lacks a consistent presence down low - no big man who can reliably control the glass or protect the rim.
That forces the Gamecocks to lean on speed and athleticism to get to the hoop. But that only works if you can beat the size and strength of SEC opponents like Florida, and right now, that’s not happening often enough.
Then there’s the point guard situation, which has become a glaring concern - not necessarily because of the numbers, but because of the absence of a true floor general. Three weeks ago, Gamecock legend Tre Kelley took to social media with a pointed message: go get a point guard. That kind of public callout from a respected alum doesn’t happen often, and it struck a chord.
It’s not hard to see why. After missing on a true PG in the transfer portal this year - and the year before - South Carolina has been trying to piece together the position by committee.
That’s a big shift from last season, when Ta’Lon Cooper, a former Dorman High School standout who came in from Minnesota, gave USC exactly what it needed. Cooper was a steady hand, averaging three assists for every turnover, running the offense with poise, and stepping up in clutch moments.
He wasn’t flashy, but he was reliable - and that mattered.
This year, the Gamecocks brought in Jamarii Thomas from Norfolk State. He’s a talented scorer, no doubt, but he’s more of a shoot-first guard than a traditional distributor.
The plan was to spread the ball-handling duties among Meechie Johnson, Mike Sharavjamts, and freshman Eli Ellis. All three have shown flashes, but none has emerged as the kind of player who can consistently organize the offense, call the right play, and take over when the game demands it.
Head coach Lamont Paris laid it out before the season: “A lot of things we do, the decision-maker ends up being the guy that actually didn’t bring the ball up. I think there’s a lot of value in having a multitude of guys that can make plays and make decisions.”
And to be fair, the numbers don’t look awful on paper. South Carolina averages 14 assists per game - good for 182nd in the country - and sits 96th in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.375.
But stats can be misleading. A well-placed pass doesn’t count for much if the shot doesn’t go in.
And a smart drive loses its value if it ends in a missed layup or a trip to the free throw line instead of a bucket.
What’s missing is that one player who sets the tone - the guy who directs traffic, gets teammates in the right spots, and knows when to take over. Right now, that leadership by example is inconsistent.
The timing couldn’t be worse. South Carolina is coming off the worst loss of the Paris era - a 47-point home defeat that left fans stunned and the team searching for answers.
The Gamecocks sit at 2-6 in SEC play, and while they’ll face LSU on Saturday, the crowd might not be much of a factor. Snow on the ground in Columbia tends to keep folks home, and blowout losses don’t help ticket sales either.
But there will be one familiar face in the building. Tre Kelley - the same one who called out the need for a point guard - will be back on campus as USC honors its back-to-back NIT championship teams from 2005 and 2006.
If the Gamecocks find themselves in a tight one against LSU and need a little PG wisdom, they won’t have to look far. One of the best to ever do it in garnet and black will be watching.