South Carolina Ranked In CBS Top 100

South Carolina doesn't carry many expectations this season, but CBS thinks they have some talented pieces.

Head coach Lamont Paris is attempting to change the stigma surrounding South Carolina, but most national media still see them as a bottom-dweller in the SEC.

However, CBS acknowledged their young talent, saying they have an opportunity to become competitive in the SEC. Paris seems to have the group pointed in the right direction, as most feedback from practices has been positive.

There will be growing pains, but freshman forward GG Jackson presents them with an opportunity they haven't had in a long time. CBS understands that things start and stop with Jackson this season, and they will go as far as the seventeen-year-old takes them. They ranked South Carolina as the No. 87 team in the country, twenty-three spots away from a tournament selection.

"After 10 years of having Frank Martin, the long-awaited parting finally came to pass in March. Lamont Paris is now the coach in Columbia, getting this job after guiding Chattanooga to the NCAAs and nearly upsetting Illinois in the first round. Paris gets an opportunity that almost never happens for a first-time leader of a power-conference program: he'll be coaching a freshman who could be a lottery pick. That is South Carolina native GG Jackson, who backed off his UNC commitment in the summer then reclassified so he could play right away for the Gamecocks. He was the No. 6 prospect in the Class of '22.

South Carolina hosted Garnet and Black Madness on Wednesday, a preseason scrimmage that showcased the new-look roster. They had some deficiencies, but the initial progress seemed encouraging.

Paris routinely emphasizes that this team should continue growth throughout the season. They are starting young players who haven't played significant college minutes before but must adapt quickly.

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