USC captain, top defender Kobe Johnson announces departure from program
It's too early to know how USC's 2024-25 basketball roster will look when all the dust settles -- such is the reality of the transfer portal era -- but the Trojans now have another major void to fill as they look to rebound after a disappointing season.
Veteran guard Kobe Johnson, a team captain and USC's top defender, announced in tweet Friday that he will look into the NBA draft but also enter the transfer portal in the meantime -- meaning either to the NBA or another school, he won't be back with the Trojans.
Johnson, a team captain each of the last two years, finished third on the team as a junior with 10.9 points per game along with 4.6 rebounds per game and a team-leading 68 steals that were second-best in the Pac-12.
USC is also losing leading scorer Boogie Ellis, who averaged 16.5 points per game in his fifth and final college season, veteran forward DJ Rodman and center Joshua Morgan, who are also both out of eligibility.
Meanwhile, young star Isaiah Collier (16.3 PPG, team-high 4.3 assists per game) has said he is unsure if he'll return for his sophomore season or jump to the NBA.
If Collier leaves, USC would be replacing its top five scorers and two best defensive players (Johnson and Morgan).
It's also unknown if high-profile guard Bronny James will return for a sophomore season or look to make the leap to the NBA to try to play with his father, LeBron James.
That's the bulk of the Trojans' rotation if Collier and James depart.
Remaining (pending any further transfer departures) would be big man Vincent Iwuchukwu (5.5 PPG, 15.7 minutes per game), guard Oziyah Sellers (5.2 PPG, 14.2 MPG), forward Harrison Hornery (3.3 PPG, 13.8 MPG), forward Arrinten Page (3.1 PPG, 10.7 RPG) and forward Brandon Gardner (who appeared in only one game due to injury).
USC presently has the No. 17-ranked incoming recruiting class with four-star guards Trent Perry and Liam Campbell and four-star forward Brody Kozlowski. Perry was just named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of California.
So there is talent coming in to address those voids, but coach Andy Enfield and staff need to have a productive transfer portal season to fill out this roster. It should be a busy few months ahead for the Trojans.
And coming off a disappointing 15-18 season (8-12 in the Pac-12), which was in part a reflection of significant injuries to Ellis and Collier mid-season, the momentum the program had built over the last handful of years is now riding on a bounce-back this next year.