Basketball: USC announces the signing of four-star PG Silas Demary Jr.
For years now, USC basketball fans have been pining for the next big point guard prospect to pick the Trojans and shore up a position that has been mostly filled by players more naturally suited for off-ball roles.
Well, USC may have addressed that need in this 2023 recruiting class, announcing the signing of four-star point guard Silas Demary Jr. from Lincolnton, N.C., who is the No. 58-ranked national prospect in this 2023 class.
Demary has been categorizes as a combo guard by other recruiting services, but Rivals' analysts have ranked him as the 17th-best point guard in this class.
Meanwhile, the Trojans could have even more talent coming in at that position as they remain a top contender for five-star point guard Isaiah Collier, out of Marietta, Ga. -- the No. 4-ranked overall prospect and No. 2 PG in this class.
Collier is not expected to announce a decision until Nov. 15. USC is considered one of the favorites for his commitment, with Cincinnati probably the top challenger and Michigan also in the mix.
USC also holds a commitment from Collier's Wheeler High School teammate, four-star power forward Arrinten Page. USC has yet to formally announce the signing of Page, a 6-foot-9 forward who is ranked the No. 57 overall prospect in this class.
However it shakes out, already with two top 60 national prospects in the fold, Trojans coach Andy Enfield and his staff continue to prove themselves as elite recruiters year after year, now building off the momentum of having NBA draft picks each of the last four years -- first-rounder Kevin Porter Jr. in 2019, first-round lottery pick Onyeka Okongwu in 2020, first-round lottery pick Evan Mobley in 2021 and second-rounder Isaiah Mobley this year.
USC offered Demary in late July and reeled in his commitment on Oct. 7. He talked to Jacey Zembal, of Rivals' NC State site, about how the Trojans won him over so quickly.
"Over that quick span, they changed my mind a lot and made me want to go there. Just going up there, being around the guys, the coaches, being able to sit down and pick everyone's brain, see why I should go there, I feel that really helped me make this decision," Demary said.
Enfield was very consistent in his recruitment while associate head coach Chris Capko showed again his abilities as a recruiter while helping to lock in Demary's commitment.
"The relationship I have with Coach Enfield is great. He was calling me a lot, checking in, he was coming to all my games during the live period, and I feel like Coach Capko, he put the ice cream on top, like smoothed everything over," Demary said. "The relationship I have with Capko is great, he's a great guy. I can talk to him about anything other than basketball, and then coach [Eric] Mobley, him having two sons in the NBA, that really was what sold me too."
Demary's father of the same name played in the Arena Football League from 2001-08, including a stretch with the now-defunct Los Angeles Avengers from 2004-07. The elder Demary's experience living in LA was helpful to his son in evaluating whether USC was the right fit.
"Just hearing about the stories of my family telling me like how it is, the media, all the big-time names out there, I feel I just want to go out there and be a part of that," Demary Jr. said.
"... My mindset flips to working to become a pro. I want to be a professional athlete in the NBA, so just changing my mindset, changing the way I do things and just locking in more to become an NBA guy."
Demary has also developed something of a relationship with Collier through the camps circuit and has had some USC conversations with the five-star guard.
"I know him pretty well. We went to some camps and stuff together. I picked his brain about it, but I didn't want to try to ask him too much -- that's his decision," Demary said. "I mention things every now and then, but that's his decision."