University Southern California Trojans
2010-11 USC Men's Basketball Prospectus
August 17, 2010 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 17, 2010
It is safe to say that the USC men's basketball program is anxious to get back to work and return to the postseason where the team has had recent successes of advancing in the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and 2009 and winning the 2009 Pac-10 Tournament title. USC looked like they were well on their way to another NCAA Tournament appearance in 2009-10 having won eight consecutive games before accepting a postseason ban, but feel they have the pieces in place to go back to the "Big Dance" this March. All of the action for the Trojans begins Nov. 13 when USC hosts UC Irvine at the Galen Center.
The Trojans built a strong foundation for the program last season and believe they are ready to take it to the next level this season. Head coach Kevin O'Neill grabbed the reigns of the USC program mid-summer after Tim Floyd had resigned and almost an entire recruiting class had departed...and the impact was immediate. He was able to pull the team together and through a tone of hard work and dedication was able to help the team develop a winning identity. The USC men's basketball team displayed a tenacious style and developed into a cohesive unit which was able to exceed expectations.
"Our team is going to look much different in 2010-11," said O'Neill. "We've lost three starters and four of our top six from last year's team, but will be quicker and more athletic. We will be very young on the perimeter and anchored by a veteran group on the front line. We have a solid returning nucleus in Nikola Vucevic, Alex Stepheson, Donte Smith and Marcus Simmons who played a lot of minutes for us, as well as Evan Smith returning, and they will have to step up big for us. We will go as far as these veterans can take us. In the early going we will also have to rely on a lot of freshmen until Jio (Fontan) becomes eligible. Having said that, I think the guys coming in are talented and once they get a feel for what they are doing, they are going to be very, very good players."
The Trojans went 16-14 during the 2009-10 season and were in the thick of the conference race until the final two weeks, settling for a fifth-place tie despite being ineligible for postseason play. USC strung together an impressive eight-game winning streak (USC's longest since 2005) which included a 77-55 win vs. a Tennessee team that advanced to the Elite 8 and wins vs. NCAA Tournament teams St. Mary's and UNLV en route to capturing the inaugural Diamond Head Classic tournament in Hawaii. The Trojans were 6-3 vs. 2010 NCAA Tournament teams and those teams went 8-6 in the tournament. The Trojans also completed a season sweep of crosstown rival UCLA for the first time since the 2004 season. USC had the top scoring defense in the conference at 57.2 points per game and held the opposition to a conference-best 38.4 shooting percentage.
In addition to all of the successes of the 2009-10 season, what also brings confidence to the Trojans for the 2010-11 season is the return of forwards Nikola Vucevic and Alex Stepheson, the top two returning rebounders in the Pac-10, as well as the influx of a top-notch recruiting class and talented transfer Jio Fontan.
"Nikola and Alex are our two returning veteran big guys," said O'Neill. "If you look at our team, Curtis Washington is the only other guy of legitimate size on our team. So Nikola and Alex are going to have to carry a huge load. I think they both will have great years. I think those guys are going to be leaders as veterans and going to be topflight frontline players. These two will anchor our defense with their size and they know exactly what we want to do now, so it is going to make it easier for them defensively."
In the junior Vucevic and senior Stepheson, the Trojans possess two of the Pac-10s most dominant forces in the paint. Vucevic led the Pac-10 in rebounding with a 9.4 average becoming the first USC player to lead the conference in rebounding since Jaha Wilson in 1995. He also was second in scoring for the Trojans with an average of 10.7 points per game which helped earn him the 2010 Pac-10 Most Improved Player Award. Vucevic shot 50.4 percent from the field and posted 10 double-doubles and has developed into one of the more well rounded and talented big men on the West coast.
Stepheson is a definite force inside for USC finishing last season with an average of 8.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game. The chiseled forward was first in the Pac-10 with an average of 3.4 offensive rebounds per game and finished fifth overall in the conference in rebounds per game and second in blocks per game. If he continues to refine his offensive game, the Trojans will have an advantage in the inside game vs. almost any opponent they will face.
USC will look for depth on the frontline from freshman Curtis Washington and sophomore Evan Smith. Washington is a very athletic and active forward that was rated the top prospect in the state of Kentucky by Rick Bolus Scouting Report. He is a tough rebounder and shot blocker that has the ability to step out to 17 feet and knock down a jumper. Smith was used sparingly as a freshman at USC, but displayed very good form from the outside and an abundance of energy and hustle which should earn him more time on the court this season.
"Evan Smith is a guy we are toying with putting at the shooting four spot...he's up to 226 pounds right now," said O'Neill. "We're hoping he plays at about 230. He's a guy at 6-6 1/2 to 6-7 can maybe give us some needed help on the inside, be an energy guy for us. He's worked extremely hard since the season ended. He didn't play a lot last season, but he has been a great worker during the offseason and a guy I think is ready to help our team."
The Trojans will have a new player manning the point this season, but that is where Fontan and freshman Maurice Jones fit in and USC feels they won't miss a beat. Mike Gerrity did a great job of playing point guard for USC over the final 22 games for USC in 2010, but O'Neill feels that fans will fall in love with Fontan and Maurice Jones. Fontan transfered to USC from Fordam last year and will be available for competition following the first semester. He is a true experienced court general who possesses the ability to distribute the ball to his teammates and play tough defense. In the 2008-09 season at Fordam, Fontan was named to the Atlantic-10 All- Rookie Team as he averaged 15.3 points, 4.7 assists and 2.2 rebounds per game.
"Jio is going to be a big part of our team when he is eligible," said O'Neill. "Jio is a guy that everyone says is a combo guard, but he's just a guard. He can play on the ball, he can play off the ball, he's in great shape. He's a guy that's a proven scorer and assist guy. He averaged 15 points and 6 assists as a freshman at Fordham. He is just going to be a real stabilzing force once he gets eligible for us. He is also a guy who is tough defensively, a guy who knows the game and is a great leader."
Maurice Jones is a lightning quick guard from Arthur Hill HS in Michigan who averaged 30 points, 12 assists and five rebounds per game as a senior and was a top five finisher for Michigan's "Mr. Basketball Award."
"Mo will be fun for our fans to watch every second of every game," said O'Neill. "He is a great point guard who can run a team and score. I love what Maurice brings to the table."
Also potentially manning the point and playing some shooting guard is senior Donte Smith. Smith started at point guard in USC's first eight games last season and then became a valuable sparkplug from off the bench and outside threat. He averaged 3.8 points and was second on the team with 20 three-point baskets made.
"Donte is going to play more off the ball than on the ball," noted O'Neill. "We are hoping that Donte becomes a great offensive weapon for us with his shooting and the fact that he plays with such high energy. Hopefully he is going to be a spark guy for us. A guy that can rack up three 3's in no time, get the big steal. Here is another guy who has gotten himself in unbelievalbe shape, even from last year. I think a guy that is going to be a very valuable part of our team, both on and off the court."
USC's other wingmen figure to be senior Marcus Simmons and highly-touted freshmen Bryce Jones and Garrett Jackson. Simmons averaged 3.0 points and 2.0 rebounds per game last season but demonstrated the ability to dramatically increase those numbers when given more playing time. He is also a ferocious defender and tireless worker that figures to be a big part of what the Trojans accomplish in 2010-11.
"Marcus Simmons, people aren't going to believe when they see him. How big he is," said O'Neill. "He's worked extremely hard this summer. I think he's ready to have a great year in whatever role we need him. He's going to be a major contributor and a great leader for us. Marcus will play both the three and four spots. When we are playing four small, he will guard the 4-guy, when we play with 2 bigs and 3 smalls, he's probably the guy that will play the wingspot. He ended the season strongly last year at Arizona and Arizona State and I'm convinced he's going to end up having those kind of games every single time out for us this season. And between his toughness, desire to win and leadership, having that guy around is going to be really, really critical for us."
Bryce Jones of Taft HS in Los Angeles led his team to the Los Angeles City Section finals and third round of the Division I state playoffs. He averaged 16.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, while hitting 56.8 percent of his field goal attempts. Jones was named to the Best in the West first team and was ranked as the No. 36 prospect in the 2010 recruiting class by MaxPreps.com. Jones displayed great athleticism at both ends of the court in high school and an uncanny ability to finish at the rim and score in transition.
Jackson averaged 18.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in leading his high school to the state championship game of the Oregon Class 6A division. His outstanding senior season earned him selection as the Gatorade Oregon Boys Basketball Player of the Year and a spot on the Long Beach Press Telegram's Best in the West second team.
"Bryce and Garrett are both guys that can play the wing spot," said O'Neill. "Garrett is also a guy we think can swing over to a shooting four spot because of his size. Both of them are very talented, very athletic, hard-playing guys and players we think can guard opponents of different sizes, attack in different ways offensively and lets face it, they have to play above their years. The can't play like freshman, they have to play like sophomores or juniors. That's why they've all been here in summer school and lifting and working out, doing all the things they are supposed to and it is going to be really important for those young guys to mature quickly."
Three other guards vying for playing time with the 2010-11 Trojans are redshirt senior James Dunleavy, sophomore Daniel Munoz and redshirt freshman Tyler Sugiyama. Dunleavy was limited to two games last season, but has demonstated in practice the ability to hit from the outside. Munoz and Sugiyama did not appear in a regular season game as freshmen, but hope to use the experience they gained to break into the rotation this season.
"I won't know until we get out there on the court because we have so many young guys, but I think we are a team that can be more efficient offensively and our challenge will be as we become more efficient offensively not to lose our defensive intensity and our defensive will to be good," pointed out O'Neill. "Let's face it, we were a really good defensive team last year, we need to be that again this year and then between Maurice Jones and Jio when he's eligible and Bryce and Garrett all those guys hopefully add some perimeter athleticism and scoring that will make us a better offensive team.
"Our goal is to be in the NCAA Tournament. Our first goal is to win the Pac-10 regular season. Our second goal is to win the Pac-10 Tournament. If we do one of those two things, we are going to be in the NCAA Tournament. We are playing a very challenging schedule. We're going to continue to play those types of schedules as we go forward. So our guys are going to be tested every night and they are going to be put in a position where they are going to have to get better in a hurry if we are going to be competitive with the people we are playing."
The Trojans will be tested early and often as their non-conference schedule includes games at national powers Kansas and Tennesse as well as a trip to Nebraska and a home game vs. Texas as part of the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series. If the 2009-10 season is any indication of the Trojan spirit, the team will be up for the challenges. The Trojans will rely on young players in key roles, but if they can blend together with the experienced veterans, USC might just have the right mix to return to postseason play once again.
