NCAA Basketball: 3 under-the-radar coaches who have exceeded expectations entering March

2. Lamont Paris, South Carolina Gamecocks 

Led by Meechie Johnson and B.J. Mack, the South Carolina Gamecocks have had a resurgence of success and talent. Lamont Paris has a good mixture of skill and experience on his roster by utilizing the transfer portal at a high level in just his second season as head coach. 

The last time the Gamecocks reached the NCAA Tournament was in 2017, and in that year they went to the Final Four. Since then, the program has been an utter shell of itself. Last season, they finished 11–20. In a one-year difference, Paris has gone from nine games below. 500, too, making them a 24-6 team and 12-5 in the tough and grueling SEC. 

South Carolina will without a doubt receive an at-large bid, with its overall seed still in the air. However, the job that Paris has done with this program is noticeable, and seeing where he can either take the South Carolina basketball program or take his coaching career as jobs open up will be one of the more interesting developments. Keep an eye on the Gamecocks as March keeps kicking.