No. 4 Tennessee outlasted No. 17 South Carolina in a wild one on Wednesday, 66-59, clinching the SEC Championship.
Following the Volunteers' massive victory, head coach Rick Barnes heaped praise on his counterpart, Gamecocks headman Lamont Paris.
After taking the reigns in 2022-2023 following the Frank Martin era, success didn't come quickly for Paris at South Carolina. He went only 11-21 and 4-14 in the SEC in his first season. Ahead of the team's regular-season finale against Mississippi State on March 9, the Gamecocks are 24-6 and 12-5 in conference play.
Following the Volunteers' massive victory, head coach Rick Barnes heaped praise on his counterpart, Gamecocks headman Lamont Paris.
Barnes told reporters that he can't imagine the SEC being better than it's been this season, making what Paris has accomplished at South Carolina even more "remarkable."Quote:
"I can't say enough about us coming in here winning because of the job Lamont has done here -- it's amazing, really, the turnaround that he's put here," Barnes said via Chandler Mack of WLTX. "What he's done is something he should be commended for, and I don't think there's any question -- and I told him this -- if I had a vote, I'd vote him National Coach of the Year."
After taking the reigns in 2022-2023 following the Frank Martin era, success didn't come quickly for Paris at South Carolina. He went only 11-21 and 4-14 in the SEC in his first season. Ahead of the team's regular-season finale against Mississippi State on March 9, the Gamecocks are 24-6 and 12-5 in conference play.
