University Southern California Trojans
USC Announces 2011 Men's Basketball Recruiting Class
November 10, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Nov. 10, 2010
The USC men's basketball program has received signed national letters of intent (NLIs) from guard Alexis Moore of Long Beach, Calif., wing Byron Wesley of Fontana, Calif. and center James Blasczyk of Friendswood, Texas it was announced today (Nov. 10) by head coach Kevin O'Neill. Also last April, the Trojans announced that center Dewayne Dedmon of Antelope Valley College would transfer to USC and begin classes this January.
"I am really, really excited about the class of 2011-2012," said O'Neill. "These guys will help stabilize our program and will serve as the beginning of us leaving all this negativity behind. Every one of these guys fits what we are looking for in players in terms of being good people, good students, and good athletes."
Wesley, a 6-5, 210 pound wing, is a tough, gritty player who has an uncanny ability to score in the paint and from outside to the three-point line. He is a mature basketball player and uses this along with his strength in the post to be an affective scorer. Wesley is ranked as the No. 1 player in the state by Cali High Sports and received a 91 out of 100 on the ESPN scouts grade. Wesley was also named to the first team Best In the West squad by the Long Beach Press-Telegram.
He averaged 18.8 points as a junior for Etiwanda, scoring 25 or more points 10 times in leading the Eagles to narrow losses to Mater Dei in the CIF Southern Section 1-AA finals and to Long Beach Poly in the State Southern Regional quarterfinals. He scored in double-figures in 28 of 34 games, including the final 16.
"Byron comes from a great program at Etiwanda," said O'Neill. "He is a multi-faceted wing player, who can play two or three spots and guard spots 1-4. His versatility will make him a valuable part of our team over the next four years."
Moore, a 6-2, 180 pound guard, is an athletic guard with the ability to hit from the outside and drive to the basket at will. He has demonstrated a high basketball savvy in leading Long Beach Poly to the CIF Division 1-AA semifinals last season. In the quarterfinals win vs. Los Osos, Moore scored 13 fourth-quarter points, including the game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer in Poly's 61-58 win. He averaged 9.8 points, 4.9 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game for Poly as a junior. Cali High Sports ranked Moore as the No. 14 player in the state and he was named to the Best in the West second team.
"Alexis is as solid a guard as there is, " noted O'Neill. "He is a great dribble-pass-shoot guy and is going to be an excellent defender. He can guard at least two, possibly three, spots on the perimeter and will give us great flexibility. He comes from a great program and is a winner in every way, on and off the court. Alexis is an outstanding student who will be an ideal Trojan."
Blasczyk, a 7-1 260-pound center, is at Lee College in Baytown, Texas, following one season at Texas A&M (2009-10). He appeared in 13 games for the Aggies last season, playing a total of 20 minutes. Blasczyk was a redshirt at Texas A&M during the 2008-09 season. His senior season at Friendswood High he averaged 14.6 points and 9.7 rebounds a game and was named district defensive player of the year. TexasHoops.com rated him as one of the top 50 prospects in the state of Texas as a high school senior.
"At 7'1" and 260lbs, James is going to help give us depth on the front line," said O'Neill. "He shoots the ball extremely well for a big guy, runs the floor as well as anyone his size, and will be a great defender in and out because he moves his feet so well. He's just a hard-nosed, tough player."
In addition, USC announced in April that 7-0 freshman center Dewayne Dedmon of Antelope Valley College will enroll at USC and begin classes in January and begin play in 2011 as a sophomore.
"Dewayne will come here in January, redshirt, and have three years of eligibility left," said O'Neill. "I have no doubt this guy will be a huge part of our team and future, on and off the court. He can run, rebound, and shoot and will only improve with time spent in the weight room and doing conditioning."
Dedmon played the 2009-10 season at Antelope Valley and helped lead the team to a 17-14 record while averaging 6.6 points and 7.8 rebounds. He also had 46 blocks and tied the school record with seven blocks at Chaffey College on Jan. 22. Dedmon had a season-best 15 points vs. Ventura College on Nov. 15 and had a season-high 14 rebounds vs. College of the Desert on Dec. 11. He sustained a broken bone in his forehead and an injured nasal cavity when he was hit by an elbow in the game vs. Victor Valley on Jan. 27. The injury caused Dedmon to miss the final seven regular season games, but he returned for the playoffs and grabbed 13 rebounds, while scoring five points in his first game back, a win vs. Miramar College on Feb. 24.
Dedmon had never played basketball until his senior season at Lancaster High (Calif.), when still at 6-9 and learning the game, he saw limited action. He spent the next season at Antelope Valley as a part-time student, working out and learning the game, while also growing to be seven-feet tall and filling out to 225 pounds.
Next season USC will also have the services of 2009-10 Big Ten honorable mention forward Aaron Fuller who transferred from Iowa to USC and will have to sit out this season. Fuller, who can practice with the team this season, averaged 9.7 points and a team-leading 6.2 rebounds last season as a sophomore for the Hawkeyes.
