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Lamont Paris outbid rivals for South Carolina basketball recruits.
The South Carolina basketball team is looking to rebound from a poor 2025-26 season. To speed up the turnaround, head coach Lamont Paris is bringing in nine new players in his recruiting class.
Just one of those additions comes from high school. All others are either international prospects or transfer portal entries.
Paris opened up the checkbook to secure their signatures. He admitted that NIL income was the biggest factor in their recruitment. He bribed players with cold, hard cash to come play for a bad team.
South Carolina basketball spent for talent.
The incoming class is ranked 67th in the nation, though that number doesn’t include the two international players. It could easily outperform that projection.
The Gamecocks‘ lone freshman is a four-star prospect and Top 60 player nationally. Four of the six portal additions held four-star status as either high schoolers or college transfers. There is talent. It’s just a matter of maximizing it.
Lamont Paris hopes to do that following a disappointing fourth season.
Last year, the program went 13-19 while finishing 14th in the SEC. That followed a 12-20 campaign in 2024-25.
South Carolina did make the NCAA Tournament in Paris’s second season, so he’s proven the ability to win at a high level. If unable to do so in the coming year, he may not get another opportunity.
Paris is squarely on the hot seat. He is desperate to find success. The school provided him with a boost in NIL money this offseason. He made sure to spend every dime.
The Gamecocks won bidding wars.
South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris said the Gamecocks were the highest bidder for every transfer portal player they brought in. pic.twitter.com/TlKcLGyFry
— Jordan Kaye (@jordankaye_23) June 24, 2026
Lamont Paris says South Carolina was the highest bidder for every transfer it landed. The Gamecocks did everything possible to lure targets to Columbia.
“I don’t know that there was one new player that we got to come here that we ended up the second-highest payer,” he said during an offseason press conference. “I don’t think that ever happened. We were always the highest payer. So, I mean, that’s where we are. That’s what it is.”
While the tactic worked, Paris didn’t seem thrilled with the process. Recruiting is no longer about building relationships, coaching, and development. It’s become a transaction.
Paris’s admission highlights the sad state of college basketball. He persuaded players in with the almighty dollar. Had he been the second-highest bidder, he probably doesn’t land everyone in the class. That’s disappointing for fans that grew to love the sport for reasons like loyalty, school pride, and player growth.
There was a time not so long ago when you could name every player on the roster. You watched careers unfold before your eyes. Players developed over time. Fans felt bonded to the team.
That’s no longer the case. The transfer portal has created free agency. Big seasons result in immediate entry as superstars seek the highest payout. Rosters are revolving doors. It’s rare to see a group stay together all four years.
Recruiting is a bidding war. I understand it, but I don’t love it. Everything just feels a little less authentic.
Lamont Paris is clearly not the biggest fan. His recruiting pitch was essentially a bribe, though not in an illegal sense.
Nonetheless, the old team is out. A new one is in. We’ll soon see if South Carolina’s investment provides a return on the basketball court.