USC Announces 2015-16 Men's Basketball Recruiting Class
November 12, 2015 | Men's Basketball
Guards Jonah Mathews and De'Anthony Melton and forward Harrison Henderson have signed National Letters of Intent (NLIs) to play basketball at USC it was announced by head coach Andy Enfield today (Nov. 12).
Mathews, of Santa Monica HS in Santa Monica, Calif., is ranked the No. 70 recruit in his class by ESPN. He was also ranked the No. 72 overall prospect and the No. 1 shooting guard in California by Scout.com. The 6-3, 180-pound guard led Santa Monica to the CIF Southern Section playoffs with his outstanding shooting and all-around game. Mathews comes from a basketball family as his father Phil is currently the head coach at Riverside Community College and his older brother, Jordan, is a junior playing at California.
"Jonah is known for his tremendous shooting ability and basketball IQ," said Enfield. "Growing up in a basketball family, it is easy to see Jonah's passion and love for the game. He has been relentless with his workouts and has developed into an excellent all-around player, and we are thrilled to have Jonah join our program."
Melton, of Crespi HS in Encino, Calif., is a 6-4, 180-pound shooting guard who led his team to a school-record 29 wins (29-7) and the California Division IV championship. Clinging to a two-point lead over Capital Christian in the final with seconds left, he blocked a layup attempt, grabbed the rebound, was fouled and sank a free throw to clinch the 47-44 state title win. Melton averaged 15.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.9 steals and 2.1 blocks per game. He led Crespi with 108 assists and set the school single-season steals record with 103. He is ranked the No. 111 recruit in the country and the No. 7 player overall in California by Scout.com.
"When describing De'Anthony's game, the word that comes up first is `Winner' as he helped Crespi will a state title as a Junior," noted Enfield. "De'Anthony is an extremely talented offensive player, and he is an elite defender. His value to winning can often be seen on the stat sheet after the game with his number of points, assists, steals, rebounds and blocked shots."
Henderson, of South Grand Prairie HS, in Grand Prairie, Texas, is a 6-10, 205 athletic forward who has a big upside. He also comes from a basketball family and his parents are Bill and Sharon Banks. His biological father, Phil Henderson, who passed away in 2013, played at Duke on the 1987-90 teams which went to three Final Fours, with him serving as team captain his senior season.
"Harrison is very skilled for his size and has the ability to play multiple positions," said Enfield. "As he develops his inside/outside game, Harrison will have the potential to create mismatches on the floor with his versatility. We are extremely excited to add such a quality young man to our team."
