Assessing USC's basketball potential for next season after major additions
The official Twitter account for USC basketball tweeted out a picture of a beaming coach Andy Enfield on Saturday afternoon shortly after the Bronny James, the son of NBA star LeBron James, announced his commitment to the Trojans.
Enfield indeed has plenty of reason to smile now after an eventful offseason that saw the surprise return of leading scorer Boogie Ellis, the surprise exit of four-star top-100 signee Silas Demary Jr., the annual transfer portal attrition and then the news Saturday to help offset the departures.
Simply put, it's early May and USC basketball is in the national spotlight and at the forefront of Trojans' fans thoughts in anticipation of a season that is still six months away.
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Even for a program that has churned out first-round NBA draft picks in recent years, the buzz level for a season hasn't been this high since ... well ... let's just say quite a long time.
With good reason.
USC's rotation next year projects to feature:
-The No. 1-ranked recruit in the country in five-star point guard Isaiah Collier.
-The second-leading scorer in the Pac-12 last season in fifth-year senior guard Boogie Ellis (18.0 points per game), who had given every indication he intended to take his shot at the NBA draft this year before deciding to return.
-Four-star freshman guard Bronny James, who is not only the son of one of the sport's biggest stars but also a legit talent in his own right, ranked the No. 27 overall prospect in this recruiting class. But, yes, the spotlight that will follow him to USC is another bonus for a program that has struggled to fill the seats in Galen Center when with NBA lottery picks on the roster. Having LeBron James in the building watching his son should make USC basketball an alluring draw.
-An emerging two-way factor in junior guard Kobe Johnson, who earned team captain status last season and delivered a consistently impactful defensive presence to the lineup.
-A 7-foot-1 tower of potential in sophomore Vincent Iwuchukwu, who was a five-star and No. 16-ranked prospect in the last recruiting class. Iwuchukwu missed summer and fall workouts and half the season after his cardiac arrest scare last season and never fully emerged as a consistent factor for the Trojans, but the fact he made it back to play at all last season was an accomplishment in itself. With a full offseason of development, there's no reason to think Iwuchukwu can't emerge as the player many projected him to be coming out of high school.
-A frontcourt defensive stopper in 6-foot-11 fifth-year senior Joshua Morgan, who led the Pac-12 with 2.3 blocks per game last season.
-And whoever else emerges from a supporting cast that includes 6-foot-8 four-star freshman forward Arrinten Page (the No. 48-ranked recruit), 6-foot-9 sophomore forward Kijani Wright, 6-foot-10 junior forward Harrison Hornery and 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers.
Collier should be the best true point guard USC has had since Jordan McLaughlin finished his time with the Trojans in 2017-18. Ellis, who took a major leap forward offensively last year, and James should lead the way for better collective outside shooting than the program has had in quite some time. Johnson and Morgan provide the foundation for what should be another strong defensive team under Enfield, while Johnson should only continue to grow as an offensive player as well.
That alone could be the recipe for building a top Pac-12 contender, but the hope would be that top talents like Iwuchukwu, Wright and Page -- all ranked as top 60 prospects in their respective class -- strengthen that rotation even further. Meanwhile, Hornery has proven capable of providing solid minutes off the bench, and while it didn't necessarily manifest on the court last season Enfield had previously touted Sellers as one of the best shooters he's ever coached.
Yes, Enfield indeed has plenty to smile about as he looks ahead to his 11th and now most anticipated season with the program.
