Written by Jovan Buha, USC Blog Contributor
The USC's men's basketball team had its first practice Thursday night, beginning a series of 10 NCAA-granted practices before it heads to Brazil in August. The practice went for two-and-a-half hours and showcased some of the Trojans' new talent.
- The theme of the practice was patience. With at least six new projected rotation players and only two mainstays from last season's squad, both Kevin O'Neill and Jio Fontan realize the Trojans will need time to adjust. Moving forward, the focus of the rest of the practices will be developing team chemistry, teaching the newcomers USC's system, and polishing up to face some of Brazil's toughest competition.
- Among the Trojans new additions (Dewayne Dedmon, Aaron Fuller, Greg Allen, James Blasczyk, Byron Wesley and Alexis Moore), Dedmon and Moore were the most impressive. Dedmon's size, length, athleticism, hustle, energy and shooting touch were a sight to see, while Moore's maturity, tenacity, poise and 3-point shot had him looking like a college veteran. Additionally, Allen's 3-point shooting looked on par to his reputation, and Fuller's skill and strength were evident when battling in the paint.
- O'Neill denied having a predetermined starting lineup already, although he hinted that Fontan, Dedmon and Mo Jones would likely be starters, with the two other spots up for grabs. Throughout practice, the Trojans were split up into two groups: one wearing red jerseys, and one wearing black jerseys. The "black jersey" squad was composed of Jones, Fontan, Fuller, Garrett Jackson, and Dedmon, likely the projected starting lineup at this point.
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Here are two video interviews with K.O. and Jio Fontan talking about their first impressions from today's practice.
