We continue our recruit and return series with the USC Trojans, whose season ended Thursday with a loss to Providence in the first round of the NCAA tournament. A look at what the 2016-17 season could hold:
Possible 2016-17 starting five (statistics reflect regular season average)
G: Julian Jacobs (11.6 PPG, 5.4 APG)
G: Jordan McLaughlin (12.9 PPG, 4.9 APG)
G: Elijah Stewart (10.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG)
F: Bennie Boatwright (11.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG)
C: Nikola Jovanovic (12.1 PPG, 7.0 RPG)
Who is lost: There’s only one scholarship senior on the 2015-16 USC roster, and that’s seldom-used big man Strahinja Gavrilovic -- who scored total 20 points in the regular season. Of course, there are always transfer possibilities, and redshirt junior guard Katin Reinhardt could hypothetically be a potential graduate transfer candidate. Andy Enfield is bringing back nearly everyone of significance, though.
Who is added: Enfield is bringing in another quality recruiting class. ESPN 100 guard Jonah Mathews is the headliner. The younger brother of Cal guard Jordan Mathews, Jonah is a big-time scorer. He can knock down shots from the perimeter and will provide an option off the bench that stretches the defense. In-state guard De'Anthony Melton joins Mathews in the backcourt -- and he’s more of an impact defensive player. He can guard multiple positions. Three-star power forward Harrison Henderson could be a sleeper if he brings consistency. He has upside due to his ability to score inside and out, and showed that in flashes last spring and summer. Don’t forget about Louisville transfer Shaqquan Aaron, who sat out this season. He’s talented and had hype coming out of high school, but needed a change of scenery.
What it means for next season: If everyone comes back, Enfield will have the most returning production in the Pac-12. USC had plenty of talent this past season, and jumped out to an 18-5 record before faltering a bit in the final month of the campaign. Julian Jacobs and Jordan McLaughlin form one of the better backcourts in the league. Both players can score on their own, but also create for others. Jacobs does most of his damage off the bounce, while McLaughlin is a good 3-point shooter. If Reinhardt returns, he’ll provide another shooter on the perimeter -- and split time with talented sophomore Elijah Stewart at the small forward position. Stewart can score off the dribble or with the jumper. Up front, freshmen Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu brought NBA scouts to USC early in the season. Boatwright was more productive in his first season, but Metu has a high ceiling -- and needs to do it more consistently. Serbian big man Nikola Jovanovic is back for a fourth season starting inside. Malik Marquetti and Malik Martin will hope for bigger roles.
Trending: Up. USC could be flat-out loaded next season, if everyone returns. There are multiple pros on the roster and having another year under their collective belts can only help them perform at a high level in 2016-17. Enfield made noise on the recruiting trail his first few seasons with the Trojans; it’s now translating into on-court wins and the momentum continues to be positive.