TAF Impact: 'It Takes a Team' by Jordan McLaughlin

Your gifts to the Trojan Athletic Fund support the student-athletes of all 21 USC varsity sports, providing them with every opportunity for competitive success. But perhaps the real impact of the fund takes place of the field—in the personal stories of these promising young men and women. Here is one of those stories…

One of my favorite classes at USC was public speaking. That's really saying something because if you'd have told me four years ago that I'd be able to give a speech in front of more than a handful of people, I would have told you that you were crazy. It was one of those step-out-of-your-comfort-zone classes—a skill USC has taught me well.

One of the first things I learned in the class was that, to be a confident public speaker—to really make an impact on the listener—you have to have a plan. First, your time is super short, so get to the point. And second, you better grab the listener's attention at the top of the story—you want them to be as interested in your story as you are.

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I'll never forget my first meeting with Coach Enfield and the staff. I was recruited by some pretty big basketball powerhouses—Kansas, UCLA and Indiana—but USC offered something none of those other schools had: the chance to build something from the ground up, the challenge of changing the entire basketball culture here. And it wasn't just an empty recruiting promise. They had already asked Bill Sharman if they could unretire his No. 11 so that I'd be allowed to wear it. I mean, how cool is that?!

It proved to me that they were just as committed to me as they were asking me to be to USC. And it sold me on their vision. Even though USC won just two conference games that season, I could see what they saw. This was a culture change. And I wanted everything to do with it.

I had no doubt that we'd be a better team. And that first year, I really thought we'd make that jump right away. We didn't exactly do that (can't blame me for my optimism though, right?), but when you look at a lot of scores from the games in 2014, we lost maybe seven games by four points or less to good teams in our conference. We were competing, we were close, we just needed a little more time.

I learned a lot my freshman year, and in 2015 it all came together. I remember sitting at the Galen Center as the selection show started, nervous and excited, surrounded by teammates, our staff and our families. To go from 12-20 to 21-12 in one year is big. It's what we came here for. And I couldn't help but be proud as we waited to hear our seed, thinking about how far we had come.

My entire life I'd dreamed of seeing a bracket with my team's name on it. Of hearing my name called in a March Madness game. "Jordan McLaughlin and No. 8 USC." I'll still never get over that feeling. The next year we did it again. And it wasn't a surprise to anyone who was paying attention. We had become a fun and exciting team, throwing lobs, shooting threes, playing fast. There had never been any doubt that we were going to change the culture here—it was just a matter of when.

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There's a saying you might have heard around USC Basketball the last couple of years. And it's not just a catchy hashtag (but s/o to the @USC_Hoops squad though). When we say It Takes A Team, we aren't talking about the five guys in the starting lineup. Or the guy on a hot streak. Or even the freshman who hits a game-winning three.

It Takes A Team is something bigger than that. On the court it means sharing the ball, playing together, playing as one. Off the court, it means that we're brothers. We're in class together, we're at Chick-fil-A together, we're hanging out 24/7. And no matter what happens, or what obstacles come our way, we stand together. Because THAT is what it takes. That is what translates to the court. Toward the end of this season that was our focus, to keep playing as long as we could because we didn't want any game to be our last as a team.

This past season, we finished second in the Pac-12 and second in the Pac-12 Tournament. Pretty good, I think. But unfortunately, the Selection Committee didn't see our team in the same light. We knew how good we were. I guess that's basketball, and that's what makes the years we did get to the tournament so special. But I'd be lying if I told you I don't think about our snub a lot. If I'm honest, I think it might be one of the biggest snubs in NCAA history.

But in a weird way, missing the tournament was actually the thing that made me realize we had accomplished what we had set out to do from day one. A few years ago it was unthinkable to hear USC in a tournament conversation, and suddenly there was national consensus that we'd been snubbed. And I think that's pretty cool.

When the buzzer sounded this March, I had a lot of great moments to look back on as an individual. I finished second in USC history in assists, third in steals and fourth in scoring. I was one of three players in Pac-12 history with 1,600+ points and 700+ assists. It was a blessing to be listed alongside the guys on that list—legends like Gary Payton and Brevin Knight. Even better than anything on the stat sheet, my teammates voted me captain three years in a row.

I'm also proud of my time in the classroom. I graduated with my degree in 2017, and now I am only four classes away from completing my Master's in Communication Management. As the first person in my family to get a Master's, that achievement means a lot to me. And I know I owe much of this to the donors who helped provide my scholarship. I'm so grateful.

But my biggest accomplishment is something I never could have done alone. We changed the culture of USC Basketball. Elijah, Chimezie, Bennie, all the guys made that possible. It was the one thing I wanted most, the reason I came here. I wanted USC to be known as a dominant basketball school. And I'm proud to say we did that.

Jordan McLaughlin hugs Chimezie Metu and Elijah Stewart after last USC Basketball game

Jordan McLaughlin with mother during USC Basketball Senior Night

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I think it's in Field of Dreams where they say, 'if you build it, they will come.' That's what we did here. Kind of like a Court of Dreams, I guess. Fans bought in. Players bought in. Shoot, the country even bought in. Through all the UCLA rivalry games, Pac-12 thrillers and road trips, it's impossible for me to pick one game that was better than all the others. But the transformation over the four years, that was the best part.

My time at USC might be over, but my next journey as a Trojan is just beginning.

To whatever NBA locker room I end up in: I'm bringing something special as a USC basketball player. I know how to win and how to do it in the face of low expectations. The character that formed in me at USC, being able to come in and work hard every single day, to do it respectfully—that's what you're going to get out of me right from the jump.

To my younger teammates and future Trojans: We've built something here. Hopefully you were taking notes. Showing up 15 minutes early, staying after to put that work in … everything you do matters. And passing it on matters most. We have a winning culture now. But we're not done. I'm excited for you. It'll be a challenge, but I know you're up for the task.

And finally to the Trojan Family: Since the end of the season, a lot of people have contacted me to say thank you. But the truth is, the honor was all mine.

Five years ago, the coaches told me I could be a hometown hero. And because of the love and support the Trojan Family has shown me from the beginning, I feel like one. Turns out I played 257,640 seconds as a USC basketball player, and I loved every single one I played in Cardinal & Gold. I gave it my all every day. I tried to do everything the right way as a student-athlete, and I'm grateful to call USC home.

Just because I'm joining a new team this year doesn't mean Trojan fans are off the hook though. You better keep showing up at the Galen Center—you know I'll be there when I can—and continue to grow our legacy as a basketball school. And maybe, if I'm lucky, that No. 11 will be back, too.

You know … back where it belongs.

TAF Impact: 'It Takes a Team' by Jordan McLaughlin

Players Mentioned

Jordan McLaughlin

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University Southern California Trojans

TAF Impact: 'It Takes a Team' by Jordan McLaughlin

Players Mentioned

Jordan McLaughlin

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