Gamecocks Hang On In Season Opener

South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris and company had both promising and concerning moments but fought and persisted late to defeat South Carolina State.

Two consistent threads stand out if you've listened closely to head coach Lamont Paris' comments during his press conferences. Paris likes the group of guys that he had on this team, but in the early stages of his tenure, there will be some growing pains they'll have to endure.

Both of these statements rang true on Tuesday night, as the Gamecocks did a bunch of the little things correctly but also were lacking in other areas that Lamont and his staff will look to refine throughout the young season.

Multiple Offensive Contributors

With Paris' free-flowing offense, there will be times when the offense will look disjointed, but a few individuals made a massive offensive impact with the basketball on Tuesday night.

Forward Hayden Brown's value was noticeable, as he used his leverage to position himself in the right area to either get a high-percentage look or draw a foul in the paint area, especially in the second half. Second-year guard Jacobi Wright also showed significant improvement in confidence with his shot, particularly from behind the arc.

Of course, the buzz coming into tonight was the official debut of star freshman forward GG Jackson. He made the most of his opportunities when he had them, attacking with ferocity at times in the paint, including a game-changing put-back late in the contest, giving the Gamecocks a two-possession lead that came in handy in the final moments.

Moments Of Defensive Blunders

On the defensive side, South Carolina had some errors, which are expected for a team that hasn't played many games as a collective unit. There were times when switches didn't occur in quick moments, which led to some wide-open shots for the Bulldogs. On other occasions, the on-ball defender got beat on the perimeter, and the necessary help rotations weren't met.

South Carolina showed signs of being a mature basketball team, finding ways to overcome a tenacious South Carolina State squad that counter-punched several times during the game. 

While there's a bevy of things Paris and the staff would like to correct, they now know what those areas are and can use this game as a benchmark for how much better this tea can be going forward.

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