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USC Basketball: 3 reasons Trojans will be better than UCLA in 2020-21

By Jason Burgess

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 07: Onyeka Okongwu #21 and Ethan Anderson #20 of the USC Trojans and Chris Smith #5 of the UCLA Bruins box out under the basket during the game at Galen Center on March 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 07: Onyeka Okongwu #21 and Ethan Anderson #20 of the USC Trojans and Chris Smith #5 of the UCLA Bruins box out under the basket during the game at Galen Center on March 7, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 03: Evan Mobley (L) and Isaiah Mobley (R)(Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 03: Evan Mobley (L) and Isaiah Mobley (R)(Photo by Cassy Athena/Getty Images) /

1. USC Basketball’s newcomers will have a bigger impact than UCLA’s

One reason I believe USC will be better than UCLA next season is, I think Andy Enfield’s incoming recruits will have a bigger impact than the new faces putting on the Bruins’ jersey. While neither team boasts a stellar class, it’s the Trojans that rank 6th in the conference according to 247sports, while the Bruins are last in the Pac-12 recruiting rankings.

USC loses four starters including probable NBA lottery pick Onyeka Okongwu and returns just one player, sophomore Ethan Anderson that started more than 10 games last season. Enfield brings in a couple of big-time frontcourt recruits, led by the guy ranked 3rd in the country by 247sports, 6-11 center Evan Mobley, who joins the Trojans to play alongside his brother Isaiah in the USC frontcourt. USC also secured a commitment from 6-10 Boubacar Coulibaly who chose the Trojans over the likes of Colorado and UC Santa Barbara.

USC also welcomes three transfers that will be eligible immediately in guards Isaiah White and Tahj Eaddy, as well as forward Chevez Goodwin. White is a lengthy shooting guard at 6-7 who comes to USC by way of Utah Valley where he led the Wolverines in both points (14.5) and rebounds (8.4) last season despite playing in just 21 games. Eaddy is a graduate transfer from Santa Clara, where the 6-2 guard averaged nine points and attempted a team-high 138 three-pointers for the Broncos last season, connecting on 33% of them.

Goodwin will bring some depth to the Trojan frontcourt, the 6-9 South Carolina native comes from a successful Wofford program and is money around the basket, shooting over 60% from the field in his career and last season was 4th in the country in that category.

While UCLA hasn’t lost a lot, just three seniors to graduation and the transfer of Shareef O’Neal, Mick Cronin does lose one of his senior leaders in Prince Ali. He does bring in Jaylen Clark, a 6-5 shooting guard and Johnny Juzang who transferred from Kentucky where he saw limited time as a freshman.

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