Video SEC tip-off Paris the team will draw motivation from last place vote by SEC Media

[FeatheredCock]

Paris the team will draw motivation from last place vote by SEC Media (AUDIO) Gamecocks​

Oct. 19, 2022/ VIDEO COURTESY OF USC MEDIA OUTLET

Coach Lamont Paris made his first appearance at the SEC Tipoff in Birmingham Wednesday morning, just a short time after the league announced the preseason media poll that showed his Gamecocks team projected to finish last in the league. And that did not make Paris mad. Quite the opposite. Paris said he will use that #14 identification for motivation, for both him and his players.

Paris was the first coach to speak in the main interview room Wednesday morning and he did not answer questions like a coach expecting to be beaten down this season by his SEC rivals. Paris said his pedigree as a coach won’t allow him to accept last-place projections.

Paris said he plans to use a rotation of at least nine players this season, and he likes to give his players a consistent number of minutes on the floor. He also said his team was nicked up some at this point of pre-season practice, but the only player who is out is Ebrima Dibba who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in the summer.

SEC Media pre-season poll: 1.Kentucky 2.Arkansas 3.Tennessee 4.Auburn 5.Alabama 6.Texas A&M 7.Florida 8.LSU 9.Ole Miss 10.Mississippi State 11.Missouri 12.Vanderbilt 13.Georgia 14.South Carolina

QUOTES

Paris: They are nicked up, they've had some injuries, bumps and bruises and missed some practices, Hayden Brown is one of them, likes to play a consistent number of guys throughout the season, thinks that helps them develop, would like to have 9 guys rotate.

Paris: Has talked a lot with women's coach Dawn Staley, knows the blueprint to build a winner, has been part of that as an assistant at Akron and as head coach at UT-Chattanooga.

Paris: "I hope to put a product out there where they say, now how did that happen. I aspire to have people scratching their heads.

Paris: Not shocked his team was picked 14th in the SEC Media Poll, he uses that for motivation and he and his guys will take that personal, chip on the shoulder.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExHGTyq8QMg
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[markymark550]

No surprise being picked last. I believe in Paris' vision for the future, but it looks like this will be a rough season.

 

[kingofnerf]

About what you'd expect with the staff and player turnover combined with a rookie SEC head coach.

Lamont has the right "chip on our shoulder" mindset, though.