How the Gamecocks are building a ‘fun brand of basketball’ with 3-pointer attack
Myles Stute spent roughly 20 minutes on the court after Tuesday night’s game against Notre Dame. Just him, an empty Colonial Life Arena, a team assistant and a few basketballs. Stute was shooting in the paint and beyond the arc.
Over and over again, the ball smacked the paint and echoed across the quiet arena. Stute was 0-for-5 shooting on Tuesday, scoring a lone point from a free throw in the win.
“We’re just going to do whatever it takes to get there,” Ta’Lon Cooper said when asked about Stute’s extra practice. “Then he’ll come in and start putting shots out there again. That just shows the particular type of player he is.”
In Friday night’s 89-67 win over George Washington, Stute scored 11 points, the most since scoring 12 against Grand Canyon just before Thanksgiving. He smiled at the crowd, pumping his fist and flashing three fingers at every GW timeout.
The whole Gamecocks squad was doing it, too. USC scored a school-record 18 3-pointers against the Revolutionaries, blowing the season-opening seven treys out of the water by halftime.
It was like flipping a light switch.
The South Carolina men’s basketball team, at its core, is a 3-point shooting team. Head coach Lamont Paris has said it from Day One: This year’s Gamecocks are a group of sharpshooters.
After six games of a handful of well-planned 3-pointers, Paris’ roster made it very clear to everyone inside Colonial Life Arena: Everyone in garnet and black can shoot.
And good luck to anyone trying to stop USC when those shots start raining down.
“You’re going to have some games where they’re not going in, and there’s games where (you) live by the three and die by the three,” Paris said.
Meechie Johnson proved his long-distance range throughout last season. With the nine new faces on South Carolina’s roster, who knew what to expect?
Then BJ Mack demonstrated he’s not only a big man in the paint, but he’s got an eye for long-range shots. The duo alone combined for 90 points in the last two games, with 42 points coming from 3-pointers. They’re 14-of-29.
That’s 48% through two games by just two starters.
Ta’Lon Cooper scored 14 points Friday, with 12 coming from 3-pointers. Stute only had one trey against George Washington, but still scored 11 points.
It was one after another. Bang. Bang. Bang.
“You gotta keep shooting when you’re feeling like that,” Paris said. “And the guys felt really good, and it was contagious.”
Paris could’ve told his team to go for more points in the paint, but why mess with what’s working? The Gamecocks were in a groove, stunting a George Washington team that held its own despite never leading.
The head coach eventually emptied the bench in the waning minutes of the game, allowing Eli Sparkman, Collin Murray-Boyles and Danny Grajzl to get some experience with the win in hand.
Sparkman went for a 3-pointer but missed. But Paris knew what could’ve happened if it went in.
“I literally think the whole place would have exploded if Eli’s three had gone in,” Paris said with a chuckle. ”So it’s fun. It’s a fun brand of basketball.”
The Gamecocks have Clemson and East Carolina next week, both true road games. Breaking a school record in front of a home crowd is just what Paris believes his team needs before heading out for a week.
Eighteen in one game might not be a standard for the rest of the season, but the rest of South Carolina’s schedule, and USC fans, will certainly take notice.
“There should be some buildup. There should be some excitement,” Paris said. “There should be some real, palpable excitement around this group of guys, this team and what they’re doing and how they’re playing right now.”
This story was originally published December 2, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
