2017-18 Men's Basketball Roster
Roster
Boatwright, Bennie
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Jersey Number 25
Bennie Boatwright
- Height:
- 6-10
- Weight:
- 227
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Mission Hills, Calif.
- High School:
- Village Christian
Bio
Bennie Boatwright - In The News
BREAKDOWN: Bennie Boatwright was a 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward who could score from anywhere on the court and overcame a variety of early-career injuries, putting together his best season as a senior and leaving USC among the all-time leaders in points (6th, 1,542) and three-point baskets made (2nd, 243). His 14.5 career scoring average ranks 16th on USC’s all-time list. He also tied a Pac-12 record with 10 three-point baskets made in a game. He served as a team captain his final three seasons.
2018-19: Boatwright missed the first two games of the season while coming back from off-season knee surgery, but played in the final 31 games, averaging a team-leading 18.2 points, while grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game. His scoring average ranked third among Pac-12 players and his rebounding average 11th en route to being named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the NABC District 20 Second Team. Boatwright’s 18.2 scoring average was the highest by a Trojan since O.J. Mayo scored 20.7 per game in 2008. His 564 points scored ranked 11th on USC’s single-season scoring list and the most by a Trojan since Nikola Vucevic scored 582 in 2011. He made 42.9 percent of his three-pointers to rank fourth in the Pac-12 and 19th in the nation. His 90 made three-pointers were second among Pac-12 players and the third-most in a single season by a Trojan. He scored a career-high 37 points at Oregon State on Jan. 10. He also scored 36 points at California on Feb. 16, making 10 of 13 three-pointers to tie the Pac-12 record for most three-pointers made in a game, setting the school record. He grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds at UCLA on Feb. 28 and added 25 points...if was one of five double-doubles during the season. He scored 17 points and hit the game-winning three-pointers with 14 seconds remaining in USC’s 69-67 win over Arizona State on Jan. 26.
2017-18: Boatwright averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 23 games, 18 starts. He began the season as one of 20 players named to the preseason watch list for the Karl Malone Award which recognizes college’s top power forward. He scored 28 points in the second game of the season vs. North Dakota State on Nov. 13. He had three double-doubles during the season: 19 points/11 rebounds vs. Lehigh on Nov. 22, 21 points/11 rebounds vs. Santa Clara on Dec. 14 and 13 points/11 rebounds at Stanford on Jan. 7...giving him five career double-doubles. Scored a career-high 33 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers in a 77-72 win over New Mexico State on Dec. 25 in the Diamond Head Classic title game...He drained a long 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left to clinch the game and earn tournament MVP honors. He was hampered throughout the season with a foot injury which finally improved when an infection was found and cleaned out. Unfortunately, four games later he would suffer a left patella injury (knee) on Feb. 15 vs. Oregon and missed the remainder of the season. He had offseason knee surgery.
2016-17: Boatwright averaged 15.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19 games, reaching double figures in 15 of the games. He missed 17 of USC’s first 22 games due to injury. He missed much of USC’s preseason practice as he was recovering from a labrum injury suffered in the summer. Was unable to begin practice for the season until about 10 days before the opener, but missed USC’s first two games with back spasms. Played in his first game on Nov. 18 at Texas A&M and scored 9 points. He scored 17 points in USC’s 78-73 win vs. SMU on Nov. 25. Followed that up with 21 points vs. UCSB on Nov. 27, before being injured 3 minutes into the game at San Diego on Nov. 30. He suffered a grade 2 medial collateral sprain of his left knee which kept him out of action USC’s next 15 games. Returned to action on Feb. 1 at Washington and matched a then career high with 23 points to help USC erase a 10-point halftime deficit in an 82-74 win. Had three straight 20-point games with 20 at UCLA on Feb. 18, 23 at Arizona on Feb. 23 and 22 at Arizona State on Feb. 26...matched his season and career high with five three-pointers made in that game. Had a streak of 34 consecutive free throw made snapped with a miss vs. Washington on March 4, seven short of the USC record of 41 consecutive free throws made by David Bluthenthal. He scored a career-high 24 points in USC’s come-from-behind 75-71 First Four win over Providence on March 15.
2015-16: Boatwright had an outstanding first season as a Trojan, averaging 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He was named honorable mention to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. He started 32 of USC's 34 games, missing the game vs. Lafayette on Dec. 23 with lower bask soreness and not starting due to Senior Day vs. Oregon on March 5. He was tied for first on the team with 60 three-point baskets and second in rebounds (171). On USC's all-time freshman lists, he ranks tied for third in three-pointers (60), seventh in points (378), seventh in rebounds (171), seventh in free throws made (76) and eighth in three-point percentage (35.9 percent). He was the only Pac-12 freshman to rank in the top 8 in points, FG made, rebounds, three-pointers, FT made, FT percent, assists and blocks. He scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds at Oregon on Jan. 21 for his first career double-double. Registered double figures in scoring in 21 of his 32 starts. He had three games in which he nailed five three-pointers, Nov. 26 vs. Wichita State, Dec. 7 vs. Idaho and March 9 vs. UCLA. Started and scored 11 points in USC's NCAA Tournament first-round game vs. Providence on March 17.
HIGH SCHOOL: Boatwright was the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA Player of the Year as he averaged 27.8 points and 13 rebounds for Village Christian in Sun Valley, Calif. He led the Crusaders to the Southern Section 1AA title by scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a 79-61 win over top-seeded Great Oak at the Honda Center on March 21. Boatwright was also a Los Angeles Times All-Star, named to the Cal-High Sports All-State Elite Second Team and CIF co-Player of the Year in the California Division I voting. Boatwright, a top 60 recruit according to Rivals.com and Scout.com, scored a school-record 50 points and made eight three-pointers in a win over Saugus on Dec. 22. He also made eight three-pointers and scored 45 points in a win over Valley Christian on Feb. 10. He registered 10 games of 30 points and 27 games of 10 or more rebounds, with a high of 23 twice.
PERSONAL: Bennie was born on July 13, 1996 in Los Angeles. His parents are Bennie Boatwright, Sr. and Rebecca Mejia. His father, who was an All-CIF guard at Lutheran High, served in the Los Angeles Police Department at the Police Academy and used to bring his children to their gym at 6 a.m. to get 500-1,000 shots up daily. Boatwright's godfather, Francois Wise (former Trojan Eric Wise's father), was an All-American at Long Beach State and taught him rebounding techniques that helped him graduate as the school's all-time leader in rebounds. Among the other schools that recruited Boatwright were Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, UCLA and Washington.
BREAKDOWN: Bennie Boatwright was a 6-foot-10, 235-pound forward who could score from anywhere on the court and overcame a variety of early-career injuries, putting together his best season as a senior and leaving USC among the all-time leaders in points (6th, 1,542) and three-point baskets made (2nd, 243). His 14.5 career scoring average ranks 16th on USC’s all-time list. He also tied a Pac-12 record with 10 three-point baskets made in a game. He served as a team captain his final three seasons.
2018-19: Boatwright missed the first two games of the season while coming back from off-season knee surgery, but played in the final 31 games, averaging a team-leading 18.2 points, while grabbing 6.6 rebounds per game. His scoring average ranked third among Pac-12 players and his rebounding average 11th en route to being named to the All-Pac-12 First Team and the NABC District 20 Second Team. Boatwright’s 18.2 scoring average was the highest by a Trojan since O.J. Mayo scored 20.7 per game in 2008. His 564 points scored ranked 11th on USC’s single-season scoring list and the most by a Trojan since Nikola Vucevic scored 582 in 2011. He made 42.9 percent of his three-pointers to rank fourth in the Pac-12 and 19th in the nation. His 90 made three-pointers were second among Pac-12 players and the third-most in a single season by a Trojan. He scored a career-high 37 points at Oregon State on Jan. 10. He also scored 36 points at California on Feb. 16, making 10 of 13 three-pointers to tie the Pac-12 record for most three-pointers made in a game, setting the school record. He grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds at UCLA on Feb. 28 and added 25 points...if was one of five double-doubles during the season. He scored 17 points and hit the game-winning three-pointers with 14 seconds remaining in USC’s 69-67 win over Arizona State on Jan. 26.
2017-18: Boatwright averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 23 games, 18 starts. He began the season as one of 20 players named to the preseason watch list for the Karl Malone Award which recognizes college’s top power forward. He scored 28 points in the second game of the season vs. North Dakota State on Nov. 13. He had three double-doubles during the season: 19 points/11 rebounds vs. Lehigh on Nov. 22, 21 points/11 rebounds vs. Santa Clara on Dec. 14 and 13 points/11 rebounds at Stanford on Jan. 7...giving him five career double-doubles. Scored a career-high 33 points and made a career-best six 3-pointers in a 77-72 win over New Mexico State on Dec. 25 in the Diamond Head Classic title game...He drained a long 3-pointer with 4.1 seconds left to clinch the game and earn tournament MVP honors. He was hampered throughout the season with a foot injury which finally improved when an infection was found and cleaned out. Unfortunately, four games later he would suffer a left patella injury (knee) on Feb. 15 vs. Oregon and missed the remainder of the season. He had offseason knee surgery.
2016-17: Boatwright averaged 15.1 points and 4.5 rebounds in 19 games, reaching double figures in 15 of the games. He missed 17 of USC’s first 22 games due to injury. He missed much of USC’s preseason practice as he was recovering from a labrum injury suffered in the summer. Was unable to begin practice for the season until about 10 days before the opener, but missed USC’s first two games with back spasms. Played in his first game on Nov. 18 at Texas A&M and scored 9 points. He scored 17 points in USC’s 78-73 win vs. SMU on Nov. 25. Followed that up with 21 points vs. UCSB on Nov. 27, before being injured 3 minutes into the game at San Diego on Nov. 30. He suffered a grade 2 medial collateral sprain of his left knee which kept him out of action USC’s next 15 games. Returned to action on Feb. 1 at Washington and matched a then career high with 23 points to help USC erase a 10-point halftime deficit in an 82-74 win. Had three straight 20-point games with 20 at UCLA on Feb. 18, 23 at Arizona on Feb. 23 and 22 at Arizona State on Feb. 26...matched his season and career high with five three-pointers made in that game. Had a streak of 34 consecutive free throw made snapped with a miss vs. Washington on March 4, seven short of the USC record of 41 consecutive free throws made by David Bluthenthal. He scored a career-high 24 points in USC’s come-from-behind 75-71 First Four win over Providence on March 15.
2015-16: Boatwright had an outstanding first season as a Trojan, averaging 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He was named honorable mention to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team. He started 32 of USC's 34 games, missing the game vs. Lafayette on Dec. 23 with lower bask soreness and not starting due to Senior Day vs. Oregon on March 5. He was tied for first on the team with 60 three-point baskets and second in rebounds (171). On USC's all-time freshman lists, he ranks tied for third in three-pointers (60), seventh in points (378), seventh in rebounds (171), seventh in free throws made (76) and eighth in three-point percentage (35.9 percent). He was the only Pac-12 freshman to rank in the top 8 in points, FG made, rebounds, three-pointers, FT made, FT percent, assists and blocks. He scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed a career-best 12 rebounds at Oregon on Jan. 21 for his first career double-double. Registered double figures in scoring in 21 of his 32 starts. He had three games in which he nailed five three-pointers, Nov. 26 vs. Wichita State, Dec. 7 vs. Idaho and March 9 vs. UCLA. Started and scored 11 points in USC's NCAA Tournament first-round game vs. Providence on March 17.
HIGH SCHOOL: Boatwright was the CIF Southern Section Division 1AA Player of the Year as he averaged 27.8 points and 13 rebounds for Village Christian in Sun Valley, Calif. He led the Crusaders to the Southern Section 1AA title by scoring 30 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a 79-61 win over top-seeded Great Oak at the Honda Center on March 21. Boatwright was also a Los Angeles Times All-Star, named to the Cal-High Sports All-State Elite Second Team and CIF co-Player of the Year in the California Division I voting. Boatwright, a top 60 recruit according to Rivals.com and Scout.com, scored a school-record 50 points and made eight three-pointers in a win over Saugus on Dec. 22. He also made eight three-pointers and scored 45 points in a win over Valley Christian on Feb. 10. He registered 10 games of 30 points and 27 games of 10 or more rebounds, with a high of 23 twice.
PERSONAL: Bennie was born on July 13, 1996 in Los Angeles. His parents are Bennie Boatwright, Sr. and Rebecca Mejia. His father, who was an All-CIF guard at Lutheran High, served in the Los Angeles Police Department at the Police Academy and used to bring his children to their gym at 6 a.m. to get 500-1,000 shots up daily. Boatwright's godfather, Francois Wise (former Trojan Eric Wise's father), was an All-American at Long Beach State and taught him rebounding techniques that helped him graduate as the school's all-time leader in rebounds. Among the other schools that recruited Boatwright were Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, UCLA and Washington.
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