26 wins. Fighting to try and win the SEC regular season title in March. Returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in seven years. All part of the plan.

Everything that could’ve gone right for South Carolina last season certainly did. Lamont Paris took the Gamecocks from a low of 11 wins in year one to many highs a year later.

But if history proves anything, it’s that South Carolina hasn’t been able to do what it did last season on a regular basis. The Gamecocks have only made consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament on two occasions. Frank McGuire led the program to the tournament from 1971-74. Over 20 years later, they went to back-to-back tournaments in 1997 and 1998 under Eddie Fogler.

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So if there’s one thing Paris is looking to prove this season, it’s consistency. To ensure everything that happened last year wasn’t just a one-off. Keep trending upwards and making the tournament more often than not.

To do that, it starts with the players. So much of what worked for South Carolina last year wasn’t just Paris’ doing. It was also the talent on the floor. Some have stayed, some have gone. Now, it’s about figuring out who can become the steady players Paris is looking for as the regular season approaches.

“There seem to be negative connotations associated with the word consistency. But what a powerful word in the world of coaching is that you got a couple guys that are consistent and reliable,” Paris said.

Only three regular starters are back this year: Zachary Davis, Myles Stute and Collin Murray-Boyles. The rest of the starting five either turned pro or transferred. There are others back from last year’s squad, but South Carolina will have seven new players, including three transfers who should play a good bit.

As the preseason rolls along, some of the questions will start to answer themselves. Paris will learn plenty about this year’s team when they play inter-squad scrimmages and in exhibition play before the season opener on Nov. 4. Even then, it won’t be a fully-painted picture.

“Like I always say, I think that’s your best ability is reliability,” Paris said. “… That means at practice, that means with how they talk and communicate, what they say while they’re out there, energy, emotional stability. There’s a lot of value in emotional stability.

“And so just trying to figure out what that looks like between now, in the first game and beyond, honestly. Games are going to start and you’re still going to be trying to sort some of that stuff out in the non-conference.”

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Since taking the Gamecocks back to the tournament, Paris has felt a different buzz and energy in the air. There’s simply much more excitement surrounding the program compared to his first season or even at the start of last year.

And with excitement also comes expectations and more pressure, especially after a 26-8 season. To get back to that point, Paris knows consistency is going to be a huge factor. He knows the players that did well last year must repeat that to have the results the team is eyeing for.

“It’s easy to say you’re going to perform in those moments and you’re not going to let the “pressure” get to you in those moments,” Paris said. “But it’s a completely different ball of wax for some of those guys. But I think just the experience of playing in the NCAA Tournament last year, winning a bunch of games, having a real chance to compete for an SEC Championship, I think that’s really motivated some of these guys to want to get back into that same position again this year.”

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