South Carolina opens a new season Tuesday with a fresh look, a fresh roster and the same old preseason skepticism hanging over it.
The Gamecocks were picked to finish last in the Southeastern Conference in the preseason media poll, but coach Lamont Paris brushed that aside as they prepare to face Stetson in Columbia, S.C.
"It's completely irrelevant to me," South Carolina coach Lamont Paris said. "My approach as a coach and the amount of film I watch and the amount of time I spend in preparing and all those things and my staff are all going to be the same.
"However, it can be a motivating factor to our players. And on the day that we need it the most ... I’ll remind them what some people, who probably have never seen them practice, certainly not as a group, have never seen them practice as a group have prejudged them based on what they did at the school that they were at before."
South Carolina has rebuilt around a new group after losing leading scorer Meechie Johnson Jr. The incoming pieces include four-star freshman Marcus Johnson, Meechie Johnson Jr.’s cousin, and transfer guard Kory Mincy. Mincy arrives with some proven scoring punch after ranking 11th in the Atlantic 10 last season with 14.3 points per game and shooting a career-best 38.9% from 3-point range.
That kind of production is badly needed. South Carolina finished last in the SEC last season in scoring at 74.9 points per game, field goal percentage at 43.4% and 3-point percentage at 31.1%.
Stetson comes in having already played once, dropping an 85-72 decision at Clemson on Monday. Even so, the Hatters showed some fight by outscoring the Tigers 48-36 in the second half.
"We are excited about the challenge in front of us," coach Donnie Jones said of Stetson's schedule in a news release. "It will be one of the toughest nonconference schedules in college basketball, but we see that as an opportunity to grow, test ourselves and prepare for what we know will be another demanding ASUN season."
Collin Kuhl led Stetson with 20 points against Clemson, while Magnus Entenmann added 16.
The Hatters finished 12-21 a year ago, but they did show flashes in October when they hung with preseason No. 1 Florida in an exhibition, trailing by only two at halftime before losing 85-68.
Kuhl will be a central figure again after averaging 13.1 points and 6.3 rebounds last season. With guards Jamie Phillips Jr. and Ethan Copeland transferring out, Stetson will lean even harder on him. Kuhl also led the conference in shooting at 65.6% and was named preseason Atlantic Sun Player of the Year.
Stetson also wants cleaner possessions on offense. The Hatters led the Atlantic Sun in turnovers last season at 12.5 per game, though they limited themselves to nine giveaways Monday.
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