Paris Locks In Gamecocks Squad for 2026-27
The 2026-27 roster is set. Coach Lamont Paris enters year five aiming to return South Carolina basketball to NCAA contention. He added Overtime Elite forward Mathias Alessandro (redshirting after an ACL tear), Palm Beach State’s 6’10” forward Nasir Hines, and Wilson Hall’s versatile guard Ford Wilder, completing the roster. Alessandro, a Brazilian national team debutant at 16, averaged 8.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.0 block in 18 Overtime Elite games last season; Paris praises his instincts and expects him to emerge stronger. Hines contributed in 31 games, shooting 58% and helping Palm Beach State to a 33-3 record. Wilder, a multi-sport star, averaged 23.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 steals, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 block as a senior. With back-to-back down seasons, Paris’s job is on the line, making this roster and upcoming season pivotal for Carolina basketball.
In a move that feels like hiring three sous-chefs for a soufflé, Paris has mixed an ACL-rehabbing Brazilian, a paint-brushing giant from Palm Beach, and a high-school hero who probably bench-pressed his biology teacher. One can almost hear Paris muttering “Trust the process” while crossing his fingers behind his playbook. Meanwhile, fans brace themselves for explosive dunk highlights or a complete implosion worthy of a reality TV show. Will this ragtag crew transform into March Madness legends or just provide new material for late-night Twitter roasts? Place your bets: underdog fairy tale or another year of crickets in Columbia?
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