Recruiting state of SC a top priority for new Gamecocks coach Lamont Paris
With a week left before an NCAA dead period begins, new South Carolina coach Lamont Paris is going to be a busy man.
Paris, who was introduced as the school’s 33rd men’s basketball coach on Thursday, had already be on the phone with potential prospects and plans to hit the road recruiting before attending Friday’s Gamecock women’s Sweet 16 game in Greensboro, North Carolina.
The NCAA recruiting calendar has a dead period from March 31 until noon April 7. After that, coaches can attend NCAA-certified events for evaluation for most of the spring and summer.
“It has been a busy couple days. My phone doesn’t stop ringing. I give priority to recruits and I have already hit the ground running with that,” Paris said during his introductory news conference. ”I have plans to get on the road (Friday) to see a potential prospect, a young man that would help us here.”
One stop will be at nearby Ridge View High School to meet with five-star prospect GG Jackson. Blazers coach Yerrick Stoneman said Paris plans to meet with Jackson on Monday. Paris spoke to Jackson parents on Wednesday. Jackson is the top-ranked prospect in the country for the Class of 2023 and the Gamecocks were one of his final six choices he released earlier this month.
Paris also has reached out to the family of Julian Phillips, according to former Gamecock Carey Rich. Phillips played at Blythewood before transferring to Link Academy in Missouri for his senior season. Phillips, a McDonald’s All-American, signed with LSU but announced he was getting out of his letter of intent after coach Will Wade was fired.
South Carolina wasn’t in Phillips’ final 10 schools but the Gamecocks are hoping to make a run at him. Tennessee and Auburn also are showing interest. His other final schools were Florida and Southern Cal.
Jackson and Phillips are two of several high-profile prospects in the state ranked nationally from the state with Lexington sophomore Cam Scott and Christ Church junior Jordan Butler among the others. Scott has been to several Gamecocks games this season.
“Recruiting is going to be a big part of what we do, and that starts here in the state of South Carolina,” Paris said. “My staff and I will know every young man from this state that has the potential to play at this level.”
But Paris also isn’t afraid to hit the transfer portal, something he did during his time at Chattanooga. There are nearly 600 names already in the portal. Last year, seven Gamecocks transferred away from the team and six players transferred in.
Paris had eight transfers on his 2021-22 Chattanooga team, which nearly upset Illinois in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The most high profile of the transfers was Silvio de Sousa, who came in from Kansas.
“Landscape of recruiting has changed. You got to adapt and use what is out there,” Paris said. “The transfer portal can be a great supplement to what you have going, particularly when you are getting started with something.
“But it takes a good mixture of older guys and young guys. You need some young guys that on the first day of practice, an older guy gave it to him really good. You have to accept your role and thrive in your role, and every role is important.”
Paris also will keep what he can on the current roster, but he said he won’t try and force a player to stay if he doesn’t want to. The coach said he would do his best to help anyone find a new landing spot.
South Carolina has one player in the transfer portal after Erik Stevenson went in Wednesday, and more will likely follow. Only graduate students James Reese and A.J. Wilson are out of eligibility.
Paris met with the team for the first time Thursday afternoon and plans on holding individual meetings in the coming days.
“Some guys aren’t going to like me because I’m a new guy and I didn’t recruit them. And some guys are going to get a chance to get to know me and say, ‘Whoa, this is a fresh start and I can thrive in this guy’s system,’ ” Paris said. “That’s just how it is sometimes. I won’t strong-arm a young man into staying here if it is not the best thing for him. He isn’t going to perform well and not going to buy in.”
This story was originally published March 25, 2022 at 8:10 AM.
