USC Basketball: Bennie Boatwright returning to Trojans in 2017-18

Andy Enfield’s USC Trojans get even stronger heading into next season, as Bennie Boatwright announced that he would return for another season.

The USC Trojans were expected to head into the 2017-18 basketball season as one of the better teams in the PAC-12, but now might be co-favorites with the Arizona Wildcats, as Bennie Boatwright announced via Twitter that he would return next season and forgo the NBA Draft.

Boatwright, who will be a Junior during the 2017-18 season, averaged 15.1 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game over just 27 minutes per game last year. We should expect Boatwright to increase his production next season, which should lead to some monster numbers.

While built for the NBA, he likely would not have been drafted until the late second round if at all. Another year in college will do wonders for his draft stock, and his return will make Andy Enfield and Co. a legitimate threat to win it all.

Like I mentioned earlier, Arizona is the only team in the PAC-12 that should challenge this USC squad at the top of the conference. Allonzo Trier’s decision to return has helped Arizona in the way that Boatwright’s return will help the Trojans, so keep an eye on these two teams all season long.

Next: Early top 25 for 2017-18

USC might not be the college basketball powerhouse that their rivals UCLA have been in the past, but Enfield has this team well on their way to becoming a consistent contender in the PAC-12.