Andy Enfield talks roster, expectations as USC picked 2nd in Pac-12 poll

There is a buzz about USC basketball this year.

Those outside the program see it, as the Trojans received four of 26 first-place votes and were picked second in the Pac-12's preseason poll -- the highest for USC since before the 2017-18 season.

And those inside the program feel it, as coach Andy Enfield touted the backcourt of returning star guard Boogie Ellis and five-star freshman Isaiah Collier, called junior guard Kobe Johnson "the best defensive player in our league and possibly the United States" and acknowledged what seems clear on paper -- that this is just a deeper, more balanced team that Enfield has maybe ever had at USC.

'We're really excited for our basketball team -- a great mix of experienced players that have been in a lot of big games, a very talented freshman class. This is our most athletic and fast [team]," he said Wednesday at Pac-12 Media Day in Las Vegas. "We should play a lot faster this year than we have because of our speed and athleticism."

Enfield did not provide any further update on freshman guard Bronny James and his recovery from a cardiac arrest scare over the summer, though the freshman's father, NBA star LeBron James, had said at Lakers media day last week that he expects his son to play for the Trojans this season.

"He's doing well. I think at the appropriate time the James family will give further updates. As LeBron stated last week at media day, things are progressing," Enfield said. "On any medical condition, we respect the privacy of the young man, but I think everybody is very supportive and hoping he gets back quickly."

Enfield was plenty happy to talk about the rest of his roster, though, starting with Ellis (who finished fourth in the Pac-12 in scoring last season at 17.67 points per game) and Collier (the No. 1-ranked prospect in the 2023 recruiting class), who got some valuable experience together in August when the Trojans played in a series of exhibition games in Greece and Croatia.

Both players were selected among the 10 picks for preseason first-team All-Pac-12.

"Boogie and Isaiah Collier are great. They complement each other very well," Enfield said. "Boogie is a natural scorer, but he's come a long way in his decision-making and he's a really tremendous lead guard right now. He had a tremendous trip to Greece and Croatia in August, where he had a 7-1 assistant-to-turnover ratio. And then Isaiah Collier is very fast and athletic and what a tremendous passer with tremendous court vision. So I think those two in the backcourt together are very dynamic as a tandem."

Ellis agreed ...

"I feel we have the best backcourt in the country," the fifth-year senior said. "I feel we play well together. He's one of my close friends. On and off the court, we have a great relationship and he makes the guys around him better. He's going to make life for me a lot more easier -- I don't have to score off the dribble so much, I get a lot more catch and shoots."

Ellis surprised many when he decided to return for his final year of eligibility as he had previously given indications that he planned to pursue the NBA after last season.

Speaking at Pac-12 Media Day, Ellis reflected back on his basketball journey, from two seasons at Memphis to averaging 12.5 PPG in his first season at USC to his breakout last season.

"When I came to college I was so worried about leaving college, trying to get to that next level, but I feel like it's about your journey and about getting better every day," he said. "... Everybody has their own journey. Things that I could tell a freshman out there, just continue to work and trust the process and your work will eventually show."

In addition to his scoring output, Ellie tied for the Pac-12 lead with 83 3-pointers and was at his best down the stretch of the season, averaging 22 points over his final eight games.

With Collier coming in as a natural point guard, Ellis should have less pressure on him to be the primary ball-handler and create, though he improved in those areas last season.

"One of the most improved players we've ever coached at USC," Enfield said.

Ellis and Johnson -- the third-year guard who had a breakout season last year, averaging 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds while ranking second in the Pac-12 with 72 steals -- are the team captains and represented the Trojans at Pac-12 Media Day along with Enfield on Wednesday.

While Ellis and Collier will get the bulk of the attention, the two-way impact Johnson brings to squad could just be an X-factor for USC.

"Kobe to me is the best defensive player in our league and possibly the United States. He's 6-foot-6, he anticipates tremendously," Enfield said. "Evan Mobley and De'Anthony Melton, who are both in the NBA right now, were our two best defenders and Jordan McLaughlin's pretty good too, he's in the league. But Kobe has that unusual ability to anticipate -- he can gamble but still be in position to recover at the same time. He gets a lot of deflections, a lot of steals and he can guard big or small. It's fun to watch him and our players know when he's guarding them in practice it might be a long day."

Johnson, meanwhile, suggested he's eager to show more on the offensive end this season as well.

"I think this year I'll be able to create a lot more not just for myself but for others," he said.

While Enfield has said the Trojans will play at a faster pace offensively, the expectations on the defensive side remain the same.

In addition to Johnson, USC returns 6-foot-11 redshirt senior Joshua Morgan, who averaged 7.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 2.2 blocks per game as one of the better rim protectors in the conference. And the Trojans added 6-foot-6 grad transfer forward DJ Rodman from Washington State, who is also expected to be an asset on the defensive end.

"DJ's a great fit for our team. He has no ego, he just wants to win, he does a lot of winning things. He had over 30 charges on the defensive end last season," Enfield said. "... He's just a tremendous asset to our team."

As Enfield often does, he had an interesting stat ready to share at Pac-12 Media Day -- noting that USC ranks first in the country in 2-point field goal percentage defense over the last four seasons -- while reiterating that the defensive emphasis that has become a core characteristic of his Trojans teams will remain a priority again this season.

"Our players know that stat -- they have a lot to live up to. Every day at practice we remind them that defense helps us win games," Enfield said. "The nights that you shoot 35 percent from the field, you still have to have a chance to win and you do that by defending. Everybody knows if they don't play hard on that side of the ball they come out of the game and they might not go back in for a while."

USC also returns 7-foot-1 sophomore center and former five-star prospect Vince Iwuchukwu, who had his freshman season undermined by his own cardiac arrest that summer. He was limited by injury this summer, meanwhile, and didn't compete during the Trojans' Europe trip, but the expectation is that he'll be ready to take a step forward into a bigger role this season.

Sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers, sophomore forward Kijani Wright and junior forward Harrison Hornery, while Collier and James are joined in a loaded freshman class (ranked No. 2 by Rivals) by four-star 6-foot-11 forward Arrinten Page and four-star 6-foot-8 forward Brandon Gardner.

Here was the full Pac-12 preseason basketball poll: