The expectations couldn't have been higher for 5-star forward Onyeka Okongwu as the headliner of this loaded USC freshman class, and so far the 6-foot-9 standout has certainly done his part to validate the optimism for this restocked Trojans roster.
Okongwu's latest performance was his finest all-around showing yet, as he led USC to a 91-84 win over Pepperdine on Tuesday night while scoring a game-high 33 points -- including hitting 17 of 21 from foul line.
"We had a size advantage and we tried to use it. He's a load in there," Trojans coach Andy Enfield said. "He's strong, he knows how to seal, he gets good angles, he's also explosive when he has the ball. It's hard to guard him."
It sure seems that way. Through his first five games for the still-unbeaten Trojans, Okongwu is averaging 18.2 points and 9.4 rebounds with a team-high 13 blocked shots and an excellent 82.1-percent clip from the foul line (23 of 28).
After the game Tuesday night, he was asked how he's handled the expectations and pressure that come along with being such a highly-touted recruit.
"I don't really believe in pressure. I just believe in having a good work ethic and just giving a lot of good energy and good vibes and the rest will take care of itself," he said.
So far, so good -- which can be said for the Trojans in general.
Sure, the hardest challenges are ahead, but USC has taken care of business so far with wins over Florida A&M, Portland, South Dakota State, Nevada (on the road) and now Pepperdine.
Helping the cause on Tuesday night were senior big man Nick Rakocevic (16 points, 11 rebounds), senior guard Jonah Mathews (16 points) and another 5-star freshman forward in Isaiah Mobley (14 points in 18 minutes off the bench).
USC trailed 21-11 midway through the first half when Mobley drained a 3-pointer to provide a little spark. After another Pepperdine basket, Okongwu made one of two free throws and soon threw down a dunk -- get used to that this season. Rakocevic followed with two free throws and Okongwu added a layup and free throw to cut the early deficit to 25-22 and cap that spurt.
The Trojans erased the Pepperdine lead entirely later in the half on a 3-pointer by Quinton Adlesh to make it 32-31. The visitors briefly pulled back ahead before another USC run of points that started with two Okongwu free throws, a Rakocevic layup and a jumper by freshman point guard Ethan Anderson to make it 38-33, and the Trojans never trailed again.
Okongwu's dunk in the final seconds of the half bumped the lead to 44-37, and he'd score six of the Trojans' first nine points of the second half (with all of his coming from the line) to keep the momentum going.
More important, though, is what he did at the end.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Pepperdine's Colbey Ross and Kameron Edwards sliced the USC lead to 81-78 with a little more than 2 minutes remaining to provide some sudden tension, but Okongwu immediately worked his way to the line for two more free throws and then threw down a dunk on the next Trojans possession while scoring 8 of the team's final 10 minutes in those last 2 minutes to seal the win.
"He knows what he does well, and he stays around the rim, he flashes when he has to, he seals and then he gets fouled -- and [when] he gets fouled he makes his free throws. I thought he played a smart game," Enfield said of Okongwu.
Mobley, meanwhile, acknowledged that he's gotten off to an unsteady start -- with point totals of 17, 5, 4 and 7 before his 14-point performance Tuesday night.
"The coaches kept telling me to be aggressive, my teammates were finding me in my spots and, yeah, I would say I was a little inconsistent throughout these five games, so just trying to find where I can be consistent," he said. "I think in the second half I found a little spot where I could get going."
Having Okongwu, Rakocevic and Mobley all delivering in a big way together is part of the blueprint Enfield hopes this Trojans team can count on throughout the season.
"If we can get that productivity out of our three bigs or even close to it we'll be pretty good," he said.
