The 2017-2018 season proved to be a tumultuous one for the Trojans' Men's Basketball Team. After the team opened up as a Top-10 squad in America, they stumbled out of the gates amidst some turmoil with the NCAA. However, as many wrote the season off as a "bust", the team fought back to get into NCAA Tournament contention and are now on the "bubble" to make the Big Dance. With that being said, here are my biggest takeaways from the Trojans' regular season.
1. The Losses of Tony Bland and De'Anthony Melton Hurt
In September 2017, associate head coach Tony Bland was arrested on charges of receiving a $13,000 bribe in July, 2017 from agent Christian Dawkins. In exchange, Bland would help usher USC players to Dawkins when it was time for them to declare for the NBA. As part of the charges against Tony Bland, USC rising sophomore and starter De’Anthony Melton was suspended indefinitely. According to reports, Melton was one of two players(the other is now-Arizona State commit Taeshon Cherry) who allegedly received payments of around $4000 dollars from Bland in exchange for commitments to USC.
There’s no question that the losses of these two figures hurt the Trojans. Bland was one of the lead assistants on head coach Andy Enfield’s staff and a true player’s coach. He also had a reputation as one of the best recruiters in the country and is credited by many for bringing current USC stars such as Jordan McLaughlin to the Trojans.
The loss of De’Anthony Melton impacted the Trojans negatively on both sides of the basketball. A projected first round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, Melton was coveted by NBA scouts for his defensive versatility as well as his playmaking ability. According to ESPN, the Trojans finished 70th in scoring offense without Melton as opposed to 55th a year ago with him. Also, with Melton being unable to play, the Trojans lost one of their best shot blockers(1.0 per game) and their leader in steals(1.9 per game). Melton has since withdrawn from USC to prepare for the NBA Draft.
2. This team is still fully capable of making a deep tournament run (if they can get in)
Even with all of the talent that they have, the Trojans have been prone to meltdowns and heartbreak throughout the season. First, there was the improbable half-court buzzer beater by Stanford’s Daejon Davis to sink the Trojans. Then, there was the inexcusable loss at home to a Washington team that finished 6th in the PAC-12 standings. And then of course, the two losses to crosstown-rival UCLA where the Trojans blew substantial leads in the 2nd half of both matchups.
While ESPN’s BPI currently gives the Trojans’ a 60% chance to be a part of the “Big Dance”, the Trojans will need a strong performance in the PAC-12 Tournament to secure their spot in March Madness. If the Trojans can get to the NCAA tournament, there’s no question that the Trojans have enough talent to create some noise and make a deep run. After all, even with the loss of De’Anthony Melton, the team still features a Bob Cousy Award finalist(awarded to the nation’s best point guard) in Jordan McLaughlin and potential first-round pick Chimezie Metu. They also feature 3-point snipers in senior guard Elijah Stewart(40% 3-point shooter), who is tied for first in most games played in a Trojan uniform, and sophomore Jonah Matthews who came on well in an increased role this season, hitting 41.3% of his 3-point attempts.
3. The Future Is Bright
Despite the rollercoaster season that the team has endured this season, and regardless of what happens in the upcoming weeks, there’s no question that the Trojans have a bright future ahead of them. Although the losses of seniors to graduation Jordan McLaughlin and Elijah Stewart along with potentially losing Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu to the NBA will sting, USC has enough returning and incoming talent to make noise for the next few years. Sophomores Jonah Matthews(8.7 ppg) and Nick Rakocevic (7.5ppg and 5.5 rebounds) have looked comfortable in their second seasons and have shown flashes of being able to lead the team as upperclassmen. Along with the sophomores, freshman Jordan Usher came off the bench multiple times throughout the season and shined in a “spark-plug” role for USC with his defensive intensity and perimeter shooting. Former McDonald’s All-American Charles O’Bannon Jr. will also look to be a bigger contributor in his second season at USC.
Reinforcements are also coming in the 2018 recruiting cycle in the forms of 4-star guards Elijah Weaver and Kevin Porter. Weaver will look to fill the leadership and playmaking void left by McLaughlin while Porter, the #1 ranked player in the state of Washington, will add athleticism to the perimeter for the Trojans. Both players fit the mold of the up-tempo style Coach Andy Enfield employs and should fit in very nicely in Los Angeles.
