Pac-12 Basketball: Top 10 returning players for the 2017-2018 season
By Connor Hope
2) Chimezie Metu (USC)
It may come as a surprise to see Chimezie Metu above his Trojan teammate Bennie Boatwright, but Metu’s skillset is undeniable. Metu provides the Trojans with one of the country’s best interior players on both ends of the floor.
On offense, Metu averaged 14.8 points on .552 shooting. He was also relatively efficient from the free-throw line, shooting .741 from the stripe. His most impressive ability on that end of the court is his ability to dunk, as he ranked among the top 10 nationally in dunks per game.
On the defensive end, Metu cleaned up the interior, averaging team highs with 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. It is this defensive effort that gives Metu the slight edge over Boatwright on this list.
Chimezie Metu will be a key factor in the Trojans pursuit of a Pac-12 Conference Title. Last season’s Pac-12 Most Improved Player, Metu is another legitimate contender for Pac-12 Player of the Year.