COLUMBIA - Lamont Paris is heading into a season where the expectations are no longer subtle.
South Carolina athletic director Jeremiah Donati made that plain at the end of last season, when he said the Gamecocks deserve a winning men’s basketball program and followed it by stressing the need for stronger investment. His statement came shortly after The Post and Courier first confirmed Paris would return in 2026-27.
“I understand the frustration and disappointment following the results of the past two seasons. To reach our goals, it will require an increased level of investment across the program that matches these expectations.
We are committed to making these critical investments,” Donati said. “Alongside these investments, it is my expectation that we will see significant improvements in the short term.”
Donati did not spell out an ultimatum, but the message was clear enough. South Carolina backed Paris, then backed him again with more money to build this year’s roster. In today’s college basketball landscape, that matters.
Paris said at SEC Tipoff, “When you don’t have quite as many resources, it’s not quite as stressful, but it’s not quite as … you’re not in quite as many battles,” Paris said at SEC Tipoff. “We were in a lot of battles this year.”
That resource boost helped Paris bring in 12 new players, though only half of the full 15-man roster is expected to play major minutes. The Gamecocks also enter a tournament picture that is friendlier than it used to be, with the NCAA field now at 76 teams and as many as 68 Power-4 teams able to make the cut.
There are signs the roster can hold its own. South Carolina won all three of its exhibitions, including two open games and one closed scrimmage, and the team got offense from three newcomers: international pro Juan Fernandez, Duquesne transfer Jakub Necas and freshman Marcus Johnson. The defense, too, is starting to settle in.
Still, the preseason respect was limited. The Gamecocks were picked 16th in the SEC preseason poll, which fits the program’s recent reputation more than it surprises anybody. South Carolina was picked 11th the season after reaching the 2017 Final Four, a reminder that this program has rarely earned the kind of benefit of the doubt that some others get.
Paris’ own résumé is part of the conversation now. He has made the NCAA Tournament once, matching three of the other five USC coaches who have ever done it.
His first two seasons were rough by any standard: last and second-to-last in the SEC. His first year came with the roster mess he inherited after USC rushed to fire Frank Martin, and his second year tied the school record for single-season wins.
The larger issue is the standard Donati set. South Carolina is asking for more now, and Paris has the funding to chase it. Whether that turns into the kind of jump the program wants is the question hanging over the season.
The pressure is not unique to Paris, either. The Gamecocks’ struggles in football and baseball over the last two years have only sharpened the scrutiny around the department. But Paris can only coach the team in front of him.
The history is not especially forgiving, either. South Carolina has won one championship in 35 years in its current conference, and one in 18 years in one of its former leagues. The Gamecocks have reached 10 NCAA Tournaments out of 85 held.
And the standard is only going to tighten from here. After this season, the expectation for Power-4 coaches will be even harsher: if you are not getting to at least one of every two tournaments, you’re gone.
Schools that can fund roster building through the transfer portal and year-to-year investment will have a real edge. South Carolina is trying to be one of them.
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