2018 NBA Draft: Why the USC Trojans are worth watching

Among the Dukes and Kentuckys of college basketball, the USC Trojans are surprisingly stocked with potential NBA talent.

The college basketball season is almost here, which means soon NBA aficionados will start dialing up games to check out the future stars of the association. The one-and-done era has seen freshmen turn into rock stars.

They come out for a one-year tour and then swiftly head to the NBA. It creates a tremendous amount of buzz and excitement. Naturally some teams are worth following more than others.

This era has been dominated by Duke and Kentucky, who likely remain the top two schools to watch this year, especially with the NBA Draft in mind. After them a slew of teams emerge, mostly revolving around one or two star freshmen.

From Michigan State and Missouri to Alabama and Texas, you won’t be short of options for watching future NBA talent. One team, however, is a bit under the radar and might have the most prospects outside of Duke and Kentucky. That would be the University of Southern California.

Don’t sleep on USC

https://twitter.com/USC_Athletics/status/923685688159084544

USC used to have some tremendous talent in the mid 2000s with DeMar DeRozan, Nick Young, Taj Gibson and O.J. Mayo. Then the Trojans went dry for a while. However, they’ve hit a revival of sorts under head coach Andy Enfield and it’s led to not just wins, but some promising talent to jump to the next level.

While the potential NBA talent is attractive in any college team, USC is simply a great team to watch. They play fast, they get out and run, shoot plenty of 3s and are one of the most athletic teams in the country. Accompanying that style and athleticism is some serious talent.

Here come the Trojans

The two biggest names to keep track of are Chimezie Metu and De’Anthony Melton. Metu is a mobile, athletic big man who can jump higher than almost any center in college basketball. He’s developing a strong offensive game with a good-looking jump shot. He earned the Pac-12’s Most Improved Player of the Year last season. Now a junior and co-captain, Metu may take his game to even new heights.

Melton, on the other hand, is a 6’4″ combo guard who is truly a Swiss army knife. He plays harder than anyone on the floor, has tremendous vision and loves playing defense. Melton enjoys hitting the boards hard and if he tightens up his handle, watch out. Adding a decent 3-point shot might make him a consideration for the lottery. This kid is legit.

After Metu and Melton, USC has a pair of intriguing young guards who will both be hungry to impress. Following a tough spell at Duke, Derryck Thornton came home and transferred to USC. Thornton comes into the rotation in 2017-18 after sitting last season. Thornton is an athletic combo guard who can fly in the open court. If he shows improved playmaking and shooting, look out.

In addition to Thornton is a McDonald’s All-American with UCLA family ties. Charles O’Bannon Jr. picked USC over UCLA and has a ton of upside on the wing. He may struggle the most in a deep USC rotation, but he has immense potential. Here’s what Draft Express wrote about him last year:

"“If he’s able to become a more consistent spot shooter, improve his decision making and up his intensity on defense, he’ll give himself a chance at the NBA level given his already solid tools and excellent scoring instincts.”"

From younger to older players, USC has three interesting upperclassmen who all play different positions. The captain of the team and their floor general is Jordan McLaughlin. A shifty point guard, who more than makes up for his lack of athleticism, McLaughlin has turned into a deadly shooter from deep. USC’s captain has shot over 40 percent in back-to-back seasons. He could get some looks following a strong senior year.

McLaughlin’s second co-captain is Bennie Boatwright, a mirror of the modern game. Boatwright can handle the ball and shoot from anywhere despite towering over opponents at 6’10”. He’ll likely always be on a minus on defense, but he can really fill it up.

Lastly among the upperclassmen is Elijah Stewart. An athletic shooting guard who has also turned into a great shooter, Stewart’s main issue is consistency. When he brings focus and intensity though, he’s a force on both ends. An NBA front office may want to tap into his 3-and-D potential in the second round.

Even long-term, guards Jonah Mathews and Jordan Usher could turn into NBA prospects due to their work ethic, athleticism and shooting touch. The future is bright for USC both in college and beyond.

Next: 2017-18 Week 3 NBA Power Rankings

USC’s team motto is “it takes a team” and you can see why. If there were a college basketball League Pass for NBA fans, USC would belong in everyone’s top 10.