Last in the SEC? Lamont Paris, Gamecocks sound off about preseason poll
South Carolina men’s basketball was voted the runt of the Southeastern Conference for the third time in four years under head coach Lamont Paris.
USC ranked last in the 2025-26 SEC preseason media poll. And no Gamecock players were selected to the All-SEC preseason first, second or third team.
Coming off of a 2-18 conference record in 2024-25 and bringing 11 newcomers to Columbia, there’s little faith among the SEC and national media that the Gamecocks can make an impact in a conference that had 14 teams featured in ESPN Joe Lunardi’s first bracketology roundup of the year. (Only USC and LSU were left out.)
Paris said that, at best, the preseason polls are a tool for motivating his players. But overall, he said, the polls mean nothing.
“I don’t really have a lot of thoughts on it. Honestly, it’s not a whole lot of stock I put into it, regardless of what the pick is,” he said. “If there’s something that you can use to help motivate your guys, great. I think the only two ways you do that is if they pick you at the top or pick you at the bottom. I think there’s a narrative you can create based on those two things.”
The Gamecocks’ coach may not have to do much motivating .
USC guard Meechie Johnson posted a message seemingly in response to the poll on his X/Twitter account. Forward Christ Essandoko shared the post and another referencing the poll.
Johnson said he feels this USC team is “very underrated.”
“When I came in [at SEC Tipoff], it made me feel like where I was two years ago: Being picked last, and then being one game away from winning the SEC Tournament against Dalton Knecht and Tennessee,” Johnson said. “To be in these chairs, sitting up here, it just lets you know, you’ve got a chance. You know you’ve got a chance.”
The 2023-24 team Johnson is referring to ended up going 26-8 and making the NCAA Tournament. Paris has drawn comparisons between that team and his current squad multiple times during preseason, particularly on offense.
“We just weren’t able to some things offensively [last season],” he said. “I think that’s really where this team will be different from last year’s team and has a little bit more similarity to two years ago. ... I think we’ve had a lot of teams that played hard pretty consistently. If we can get this team to do that again, I’m gonna like our chances in most games.”
The early ranking is less of an indictment on USC and more about the league as a whole, Field of 68 national analyst Jeff Goodman said.
“The SEC is so good now,” he told The State. “That’s part of the problem for South Carolina.”
Goodman agreed with Paris’ sentiment that the poll is insignificant internally, and said the Gamecocks might even benefit from the ranking.
“I don’t think the poll matters. They showed that two years ago. Vandy showed that last year, too,” he said. “This league, the last couple of years, whoever’s been at the bottom, it’s actually benefitted them in a way.”
Paris, having heard all the noise before, said he’s focused on getting his team ready to prove itself on the court.
“We’ve been picked last before. Fortunately, you go throw the ball in the air and you tip it off, and then you play the games,” he said. “And we’re preparing for the 18-game slate that we have in the SEC.”
SEC predicted order of finish
- 1. Florida
- 2. Kentucky
- 3. Tennessee
- 4. Alabama
- 5. Arkansas
- 6. Auburn
- 7. Missouri
- 8. Ole Miss
- 9. Texas
- 10. Mississippi State
- 11. Vanderbilt
- 12. Oklahoma
- 13. Texas A&M
- 14. Georgia
- 15. LSU
- 16. South Carolina
