USC Basketball has quickly tried to remake their roster following a few departures, what is next?
USC Basketball has recently had its 2020-21 roster turned upside down with the departures of Onyeka Okongwu and Kyle Sturdivant. With those two losses plus the departure of four scholarship seniors, coach Endy Enfield has a lot of work to do as the Trojans lost four starters.
Okongku, who is expected to be a mid- 2020 NBA lottery selection, is a significant loss though his departure is not surprising. But his departure couldn’t have come at a worse time as USC also loses quality big man Nick Rakocevic. On the plus side, talented big man Isaiah Mobley returns, and he will likely be paired alongside brother Evan Mobley, who is a consensus top-three 2020 prospect.
Isaiah Mobley got off to a strong start to the 2020-21 season although he struggled during Pac-12 play. Mobley finished his first college campaign reaching double-figures six times, just twice in conference play, and hauled down double-digit rebounds on two occasions. Overall, he averaged 6.2 points along with 5.2 rebounds in 20.3 minutes of action while shooting 47.4% from the field an 28.6% from beyond the arc as well as 52.1% from the free-throw line.
Evan Mobley is expected to come in and contribute immediately and could be a one-and-done player himself. The 2020 California Gatorade POY averaged 20.5 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 4.6 assists per game this past season.
The Trojans also have a commitment from three-star big man Boubacar Coulibaly, who selected USC over California, Colorado, Rutgers as well as Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine and UC Santa Barbara.
The backcourt looks like the Trojans’ strongest area despite losing starters Jonah Matthews, role-player Quinton Adlesh as well as Sturdivant. Sturdivant, who saw sparse playing time as he averaged two points over eight minutes of action in 21 appearances, announced that he was transferring on March 25, which was the same day that they Trojans received a verbal commitment from Santa Clara transfer Tahj Eaddy.
Eaddy started his college career at Southeast Missouri State and had a strong first season at Santa Clara in 2018-19. However, the 6-2 guard struggled this past season with efficiency as he averaged 9.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists along with 1.4 3-pointers while shooting 40.7% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc.
USC also added 6-7 Utah Valley grad transfer Isaiah White on March 27, per Dinos Trigonis of Fullcourt press. White, who missed a month of action in the early going, blossomed in his second campaign in Orem as he recorded four double-doubles and had four games scoring 20 or more points. He averaged 14.5 points and 8.6 rebounds overall this past year. The Trojans will also have the services of sharpshooting redshirt junior Noah Bauman, who sat out this past season after transferring from San Jose State, along with Ethan Anderson and Elijah Wood. Anderson and Wood had up-and-down 2019-20 seasons though both showed flashes of brilliance.
Eady and White, along with Evan Mobley and Coulibaly, give USC four members to its 2020 recruiting class. The Trojans are poised to add many more players with four scholarships remaining. Their biggest need is on the wing, particularly the 3 position, and to add depth up front. Small forward is their most significant current need with the loss of starter Daniel Utomi as talented 6-9 forward Max Agbonkpolo, who is a former four-star recruit, is the only player currently on the depth chart at the 3.
Agbonkpolo saw limited action, although he did make one start in 24 appearances, and averaged 2.5 points on 31.3% shooting from the field. However, help could be on the way as five-star prospects Ziaire Williams and Jalen Green are still reportedly considering landing in Southern California. It is believed that USC has a better chance of landing Williams than Green.
USC is also reportedly interested in junior college transfers Dusan Mahorcic and Carlton Linguard. Mahorcic, who played a year of Division II basketball at Lewis College, was inconsistent during this past this at Moberly CC. The 6-10 Serbian averaged 9.9 points along with six rebounds while shooting 59.1% from the field though only 16.7% from long-distance. He scored in double-figures 16 times and hauled down 10 or more boards on six occasions.
Mahorcic is fairly athletic and agile. He is a strong finisher around the rim with the ability to score several ways in the post. Mahorcic is also active on the glass which is aided by the fact that he is a jumper
Meanwhile, Linguard will have three years of eligibility remaining and is coming off a fantastic freshman campaign at Temple College, where he averaged 13.3 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.8 blocks. He scored in double-figures in 26 of 30 contests and hauled in double-digit rebounds on 13 occasions. Foul trouble and shooting efficiency was an issue for the nearly 7-footer.