South Carolina men's basketball was ranked No. 23 in Tuesday's final USA TODAY coaches poll.

The Gamecocks, who finished 26-8 following a loss in in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, sit above Washington State (No. 24) and Texas Tech (No. 25).

After being voted last in the SEC preseason poll, the Gamecocks were one win away from a program record but finished the year tied for most program wins at 26. South Carolina coach Lamont Paris was named SEC Coach of the Year for the 2024 season.

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In March, Paris received a contract extension through the 2029-30 season, totaling at $26.25 million, an average of $4.375 million per year.

South Carolina's leading scorer, Meechie Johnson entered the transfer portal in March and recently committed to Ohio State. Johnson averaged 14.1 points this season at South Carolina and was named to the All- SEC second team.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at lkesin@gannett.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @Lulukesin.

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Where South Carolina basketball ranked in final USA TODAY coaches poll