Paris Returns, Gamecocks Eye NIT Bid

0:00On March 12, South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris is coming back for a fifth season and his players couldn't be happier about it. The team wrapped up the regular season with a 13-19 record, falling 86-74 against Oklahoma in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Nashville. That game marked their first since the announcement of Paris sticking around. Paris has posted a 62-68 mark over four years, including a trip to the NCAA Tournament last year, though they've hovered near the... bottom of the SEC otherwise. He's locked in through the 20-29-30 season, giving the program stability heading into next year. Players like freshman guard Eli Ellis and senior Ford, Norton Copic, praise the coach for pushing them to improve both on and off the court. They see his tough style as a sign he truly cares about their growth and winning big down the line. Now the focus shifts to whether South Carolina accepts an NIT bid to extend their season. Paris said it'll depend on the veterans' enthusiasm since no one wants to play just for

1:01the sake of it. With that support in place, the game cox lit poised to build on this foundation and climb higher in the standings come fall.