Gamecocks Host Paris' Alma Mater in Exhibition Wednesday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina steps on the floor for the first time this season Wednesday night as the team welcomes in head coach Lamont Paris’ alma mater, Wooster, for an exhibition game. Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. (ET) with Colonial Life Arena doors opening 1 hour prior.

Admission is free and parking in the arena lots will be $20, payable via credit card ONLY.

The first 1,000 students will receive a free t-shirt. Cockpit kiosks will be located at the College St. entrance at the arena for students to check in and receive an awards point. Free pizza will also be available for the first 250 students. A variety of prizes and giveaways will be handed out as well.

There will be no TV broadcast but Derek Scott (pxp) and Casey Manning (analyst) will provide a live internet broadcast of the game available on GamecocksOnline.com and the Tune-In App.

Paris played four seasons for the Fighting Scots from 1992-96, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in business economics in 1996. He was team MVP, serving as team captain his final two seasons. Paris was a two-time All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection as he helped Wooster make three trips to the NCAA Tournament (Division III) and win a pair of NCAC Championships.

Paris, a native of Findlay, Ohio, played for legendary coach Steve Moore at Wooster. Moore led the team to a 780-188 record in 33 seasons, averaging 23.6 wins per year. He is the school’s all-time leader in winning percentage (.806) and led the Scots to 28 NCAA Tournament appearances. He is the all-time winningest coach in NCAA Division III and his 867 total wins are 12^th all-time in NCAA basketball, just behind Adolph Rupp (876) and Dean Smith (879).

Current Wooster head coach Doug Cline and Paris were teammates for three seasons while playing for the Scots.

Anticipation is high for the 2024-25 Gamecock squad as the team welcomes back six letterwinners from last season’s record-setting group that went 26-8 (13-5 SEC) in helping the program return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2017. The 26 wins tied a single-season school record as Paris was tabbed 2024 SEC Coach of the Year.

Sophomore forward and preseason All-SEC selection Collin Murray-Boyles headlines the group of returners as he averaged 10.4 points per game and a team-best 5.7 rebounds per contest in 2023-24. Guards Myles Stute (8.9 ppg), Jacobi Wright (5.9 ppg) and Zachary Davis (5.9 ppg) are also all back for the Gamecocks. Stute and Davis each started 17 games last season for Carolina.

Paris and his staff helped bolster the roster in the offseason with three transfer additions and four-star freshman Cam Scott, a local product who hails from Lexington High School. Scott, a two-time South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year, finished his prep career as Lexington’s all-time leading scorer (2,475 career points). He averaged 22.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 2.5 assists per game his senior season.

The team also added a trio of transfers in forward Jordan Butler (Missouri), forward Nick Pringle (Alabama) and guard Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State). Butler played in 31 games, making 14 starts for Missouri his freshman season in 2023-24. The 7-footer is expected to stretch the floor with his ability to shoot from behind the arc. Pringle played two seasons at Alabama and helped the team reach its first Final Four in school history last season. He averaged 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in 2023-24 for the Crimson Tide. Pringle had 16 points and 11 rebounds in Alabama’s Elite Eight win over Clemson. In his lone season at Norfolk State in 2023-24, Thomas was the MEAC Player of the Year after averaging 16.9 points, 3.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game.

This year’s South Carolina roster features eight players from the Palmetto State. It’s the most in-state players on the roster since Dave Odom’s first season in 2001-02 (also had eight). Under head coach Eddie Fogler, the Gamecocks had nine players from the Palmetto State on the roster in 1996-97 and 1997-98 and 10 South Carolina natives on the team in 1998-99.

Season tickets remain available and more information can be found here. Single-game tickets are now available as well and can be purchased here.

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