South Carolina men’s basketball enters the season with something it hasn’t had in a while: a roster built with real financial muscle behind it.
That’s the view of ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg, who said Lamont Paris should finally have a workable hand to play after two rough seasons in Columbia. South Carolina has won just 25 games over that span since reaching the NCAA Tournament and winning a school-record 26 games in the 2023-24 season, and Greenberg pointed to the changing cost of roster-building in the NIL and revenue-sharing era as a major reason the program fell short.
According to a CBS Sports report released Oct. 21, the Gamecocks are spending in the $15.1 million to $17.45 million range this season. If that figure is right, it would mark an increase of more than $10 million for USC men’s basketball. Patrick O’Rourke, a Washington, D.C.-based CPA who runs the nil-ncaa.com website, estimated the Gamecocks’ 2025-26 roster budget, including revenue share and third-party NIL, at about $4.5 million - likely near the bottom of the SEC.
“Your investment equals expectation,” Greenberg told The State at SEC Basketball Tip-off on Oct. 13.
“There is a cost of doing business. And this is the first time since Lamont has been there he has a fighting chance.
“They are getting resources to recruit the type of players that people have in the league to give you a chance to compete. (Lamont) didn’t forget how to coach.
He is a terrific communicator and terrific coach. They have legitimate size, positional size, shot making.
I would take everything he has done in the past and put a grain of salt on it. It just hasn’t been fair.
“Just looking at his roster, he will have a chance to compete in this league. You don’t have a chance if you don’t get guys that are competitive enough.”
Paris has rebuilt the roster again, bringing in 12 new players, most of them transfers. He also went international, adding Juan Fernandez from Argentina, Aleksas Bieliauskas from Lithuania, Hugo Lopez from Spain, Jakub Necas from the Czech Republic and Mathias Alessanco from Brazil. Alessanco will miss the season with a torn ACL, though Greenberg noted he is regarded as a possible NBA Draft pick in the future.
Fernandez has already played professionally overseas. Necas spent time at Duquesne, and Bieliauskas played at Wisconsin.
Greenberg singled out Necas as a player with some edge, calling him “The guard from Duquesne (Necas) has a little dog in him. He has an edge to him, which good teams need to have,” and said Fernandez could become a central piece of the offense.
“Fernandez could be the hub of your offense. His versatility is so interesting.
He can pass and they can play through him. They played on this stage, especially internationally, and have the physicality and maturity that equates to winning.”
Among the other players expected to matter are transfers Cam Heide from Purdue/Texas, Shane Blakeney from Drexel, Davion Hannah from Alabama and Kory Mincey from George Mason, along with freshman Marcus Johnson.
Greenberg was especially high on Heide, saying, “I love Heide. The thing about Heide is he knows exactly who he is.
He defends, he makes shots, is a good cutter and he has won,” Greenberg said. “That (2023-24) team was hard to play against because they were tough to match up with and defend.
“This team has those traits, and it starts with the kid from Duquesne. ... You are getting guys that understand what you need to do to win.”
In Other News...
South Carolinas Biggest Pre-Paris Takeaway Is Hard To Ignore
No. 1 South Carolina got a first look at its new-look group in an exhibition win over Benedict, rolling 113-34 while easing back into game action ahead of a demanding opener. The biggest development for Dawn Staleys team was the return of Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins, both back after missing last season with injuries, while freshman Jerzy Robinson added a double-double in her debut.
Jerzy Robinsons immediate impact only added to the sense that the Gamecocks have plenty of depth to sort through before they head to Paris for the season opener against No. 20 Maryland on Nov. 2. With key pieces healthy again and a promising freshman already pushing for minutes, South Carolinas early depth chart figures to be one of the more interesting storylines in the days leading up to that trip. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Faces A Huge SEC Test After Its Florida Breakthrough
South Carolina gets right back into the spotlight October 24, when Tennessee comes to Williams-Brice Stadium for a nationally televised SEC matchup on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. The Gamecocks are trying to turn the page after snapping a three-game losing streak with their win over Florida, a result that gave the season a needed jolt and kept the home crowd engaged in the kind of game that can reset a teams trajectory in a hurry.
Tennessee brings a very different kind of challenge into Columbia after beating Alabama and keeping its College Football Playoff hopes alive. For South Carolina, this is the sort of measuring-stick game that can say plenty about whether the Florida breakthrough was a one-off or the start of something steadier, and with the league race still taking shape, the stage at Williams-Brice should be as loud as it is revealing. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina Has Two Tennessee Game-Day Twists Fans Will Notice Fast
The Gamecocks had a few early signs that this afternoon could feel different before the first snap even settled in. South Carolina opened with a touchdown pass from LaNorris Sellers to Mazeo Bennett and was already ahead 7-0 in the first quarter, while the team also leaned into the moment with black helmets, jerseys and pants. Former South Carolina tight end Hayden Hurst handled the pre-game chant, adding another layer of energy to a home-field atmosphere that has plenty to monitor beyond the scoreboard.
There are still some lineup notes worth keeping an eye on as the game unfolds. South Carolina will be without defensive back Quaysheed Scott because of injury, but center Carter Miller is back in the mix, which gives the offense a little more stability up front. The betting line also moved in the Gamecocks favor, a reminder that this matchup had already started to draw attention before the opening drive delivered its first jolt. [Read more 🡒]