South Carolina basketball’s season-opening win over North Carolina A&T gave fans an early glimpse into Lamont Paris’ signature coaching philosophy — depth and balance. Twelve Gamecocks took the court that night, and remarkably, all 12 players recorded at least one assist. Freshman Eli Ellis led the way with five dimes in his first college game, setting the tone for what Paris hopes will be a team built on unselfish play and rotational strength.
This isn’t a new approach for Paris — it’s who he is as a coach. Since taking over at Chattanooga in 2017, Paris has made it a priority to develop deep rotations. Across his head coaching career (prior to the ongoing 2025-26 season), 59 different players have logged minutes under him. While a few players like Ta’Lon Cooper and Malachi Smith averaged heavy workloads of 30-plus minutes per game, most Paris-led teams feature balanced minute distributions, keeping everyone involved and fresh.
Paris reminded reporters of that after the win.
“If you look back to two years ago, we had ten players that played double-figure minutes and also played in 70 percent of games or more,” he said. “It’s one thing to have a guy who plays five games and averages ten minutes in those games, then never plays again in the regular season.”
That balanced system paid off during South Carolina’s 26-win season two years ago — a school record that ended with a long-awaited NCAA Tournament appearance. Ten players averaged at least 10 minutes per game, and aside from Cooper’s 33.7 MPG, everyone else’s minutes ranged from 10 to 29 per night.
Even last season, despite an uneven record, Paris still maintained depth. Nine Gamecocks averaged at least 10 minutes, and only Collin Murray-Boyles exceeded the 30-minute mark. Myles Stute, who started 14 games before suffering a midseason injury, was the lone outlier in appearances.
Paris believes this approach not only keeps his team competitive but also builds chemistry.
“We can play harder when you have more guys that can go in,” Paris said. “I think you sustain injury better, you handle foul trouble better, and you have better camaraderie when a lot of guys are going to go in a game.”
The win over NC A&T perfectly illustrated that. Not only did all 12 players see the floor, but every single one registered at least one assist — something that hadn’t happened in any game last season. In fact, the Gamecocks didn’t have a single outing in 2024-25 where even nine players tallied an assist. Against the Aggies, they finished with 24 assists total.
That level of ball movement was rare for South Carolina. The team hadn’t hit 24 or more assists since February 2, 2024, when they recorded 25 against Georgia. Before that? Not since the 2016 NIT win over High Point.
Sure, it’s early — and it came in a game South Carolina was heavily favored to win. But the signs are promising. The offense looked crisp, the ball moved freely, and the rotation looked cohesive. While it’s unlikely that all 12 players will see minutes every night, Paris has made it clear that depth is a feature, not a fluke.
South Carolina basketball is embracing its identity as a deep, unselfish squad — and if opening night was any indication, that formula could be exactly what fuels a resurgence in Columbia.
