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Alex Scarborough, ESPN Staff Writer
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — South Carolina coach Lamont Paris took note of the first question he received at the SEC basketball preview event Wednesday morning.
“Right out of the gates with [being] picked last,” he said.
The media did indeed vote the Gamecocks to finish 14th in the conference in Paris’ second season leading the program. But, Paris said, “I don’t see it.”
Paris pointed out how “undermanned” they were last season and still won four conference games, including at Kentucky. They still finished 12th, ahead of Ole Miss and LSU.
Paris said they had fewer than 150 combined starts on the roster entering last season. This season, he said, that number is over 400.
“It doesn’t make that much sense to me,” he said of the preseason prediction. “But hopefully for my team it will be a source of inspiration. … We’re significantly more skilled, significantly more experienced, and we didn’t finish last last year.”
South Carolina added four transfers this offseason, including Stephen Clark from The Citadel, Ta’Lon Cooper from Minnesota, B.J. Mack from Wofford and Myles Stute from Vanderbilt. A first-team All-Ohio Valley guard, Cooper finished last season 21st on the NCAA active leaders list for career assists with 603.
Paris joked that there was one benefit to them being picked last, though.
“Second-to-last is nothing,” he said. “I can’t use that as billboard material. But last it is.”
Paris came armed with statistics in order to undercut the last-place selection. He said that none of the teams in last year’s poll finished where they were predicted, and half of the teams were three or more spots off.
Paris made note of the overall strength of the conference, which tied a record last season with eight NCAA tournament selections.
But, he said, his team is “not playing to not be last.”
“What a low goal that would be,” he said.
Paris harkened back to his time at Chattanooga, where he recalled the Mocs being picked to finish last his first season there. By his fourth season, he said, they were picked first.
South Carolina will open the season at home against USC Upstate on Nov. 6.
By contrast, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said it was a compliment for the Vols to be picked to win the division.
“I really hope we’re that good,” he said, adding that they have to embrace expectations and “get better every night.”
Barnes lauded the strength of the SEC as well.
“It’s going to be a dog fight,” he said.
Tennessee opens the season at home against Tennessee Tech on Nov. 6.
The Vols will have a big early test later in the month on Nov. 29, when they travel to No. 19 North Carolina.