What to watch for tonight in Lamont Paris’ first taste of USC-Clemson rivalry
Lamont Paris doesn’t hate Clemson. Not yet. Maybe in time he will, or maybe he won’t.
The first-year South Carolina head coach — and Ohio native — knows how much the USC-Clemson rivalry means to both programs and to the state in which he’s now residing. But with just one game under his belt, Paris is much more focused on getting his Gamecocks to adjust to his style of play.
“(The rivalry) doesn’t do anything specifically for me,” Paris said after Thursday’s practice. “I want to build a team. I want to win all of them, and so I’ll approach this game like I do any. I’ll talk to our guys about approaching the game like we do any other.
“But it’s great for the fans. The fans are a little more excited and juiced up. Maybe there will be another couple thousand people that show up in this game because it’s the rivalry, so that’s always great. It’s fun.”
After narrowly defeating visiting S.C. State 80-77 on Tuesday, the Gamecocks will host the rival Tigers at Colonial Life Arena at 7 p.m. Friday. It’ll only be the second time in 171 meetings that the schools face off in November — an unusually early test for both teams.
Brad Brownell’s Clemson team is coming off a season-opening win over The Citadel, in which veterans Chase Hunter (23 points) and Hunter Tyson (19 points) paced the team in scoring. Coming off summer knee surgery, Clemson star P.J. Hall didn’t play in the Tigers’ first game and appears unlikely to suit up Friday as he works his way back to full health.
For the Gamecocks, Paris said Thursday that he expects Illinois transfer forward Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk to be available in some capacity after he sat out the season opener due to a leg injury. Bosmans-Verdonk was not wearing a boot during Thursday’s practice.
Paris also said point guard Meechie Johnson is progressing from the leg injuries he suffered during Tuesday’s win. Johnson was able to re-enter the contest after both injuries. Both players seem on track to play, although it’s possible their minutes could be limited, and Paris said he wants to see how they respond on gameday.
After allowing 77 points to the Bulldogs, defense has been the area of emphasis for the Gamecocks leading up to Friday’s rivalry clash, with Paris working to simulate game situations and teach the intricacies of his system.
Though much of USC’s roster is new, there’s still a level of excitement from players to perform well against their Upstate rivals. Former Cardinal Newman star and current Gamecock guard Chico Carter Jr. is one of the players who wants to put on a show for his hometown.
“Growing up in Columbia, everyone wanted to be at the Clemson-South Carolina game,” Carter said. “So this means a lot for the city. And being from the city, it means a lot to me.”
Next four USC MBB games
- Nov. 11: vs. Clemson, 7 p.m. (SEC Network Plus)
- Nov. 17: vs. Colorado State/at Charleston Classic, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
- Nov. 18: vs. TBD/at Charleston Classic)
- Nov. 20: vs. TBD/at Charleston Classic)
