How good can USC Trojans be with Bronny James?
What’s interesting about USC is that Bronny isn’t even the best commitment in the 2023 class, as Isaiah Collier is also on the roster. He’s a consensus top-3 overall prospect and best point guard among the incoming freshmen class. Plus, four-star forward Arrinten Page will boost the frontcourt depth.
That’s the key to the roster at the moment. The team lost Tre White to the transfer portal, leaving Kijani Wright and Vincent Iwuchukwu on the roster. Both are former five-star prospects from the 2022 class but didn’t show a ton, though Iwuchukwu dealt with a heart issue before the season, making 2022-23 a wash for him.
The backcourt trio of James, Collier, and leading scorer Boogie Ellis will be one of the better trios in NCAA Basketball. But freshmen have struggled overall in the covid era where there are many more older players due to the extra year of eligibility. So there’s going to be a need for some frontcourt production to round out the roster.
Having a breakout campaign from either of the five-star forwards would be huge but the Trojans still have some open room on the roster. They’re a reported finalist for San Diego State transfer forward, Keshad Johnson. Land his defensive presence would be a big boon and solidify them not only as a preseason top-20 team in NCAA Basketball but also as a favorite to win the Pac-12.