2017–18 USC Trojans men's basketball team

The 2017–18 USC Trojans men's basketball team represented the University of Southern California during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by fifth-year head coach Andy Enfield, they played their home games at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, California as members of the Pac-12 Conference. They finished the season 24–12, 12–6 in Pac-12 play to finish in second place. As the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament, they defeated Oregon State in the quarterfinals and Oregon in the semifinals before losing to Arizona in the championship game. They were one of the last four teams not selected for the NCAA Tournament and as a result earned a No. 1 seed in the National Invitation Tournament, where they defeated UNC Asheville in the first round before losing to Western Kentucky in the second round.

2017–18 USC Trojans men's basketball
NIT, Second Round
ConferencePac-12 Conference
2017–18 record24–12 (12–6 Pac-12)
Head coachAndy Enfield (5th season)
Assistant coaches
Home arenaGalen Center
2017–18 Pac-12 Conference men's basketball standings
Conf  Overall
TeamW L PCT  W L PCT
No. 12 Arizona †14–4 .778  27–8  .771
USC12–6 .667  24–12  .667
UCLA11–7 .611  21–12  .636
Utah11–7 .611  23–12  .657
Stanford11–7 .611  19–16  .543
Oregon10–8 .556  23–13  .639
Washington10–8 .556  21–13  .618
Colorado8–10 .444  17–15  .531
Arizona State8–10 .444  20–12  .625
Oregon State7–11 .389  16–16  .500
Washington State4–14 .222  12–19  .387
California2–16 .111  8–24  .250
† Pac-12 Tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll
USC recruit Charles O'Bannon Jr. at the 2017 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.

Previous season

The Trojans finished the 2016–17 season 26–10, 10–8 in Pac-12 play to finish in a tie for fifth place; their 26 victories set a program record. They defeated Washington in the first round of the Pac-12 Tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to UCLA. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament where they defeated Providence in the First Four and SMU in the First Round before losing in the Second Round to Baylor.

FBI investigation

On September 26, federal prosecutors in New York announced charges of fraud and corruption against 10 people involved in college basketball, including USC assistant coach Tony Bland.[1] The charges allege that Bland and others allegedly received benefits from financial advisers and others to influence student-athletes to retain their services.[2] Following the announcement, USC placed Bland on administrative leave and announced that it would conduct an internal investigation of the matter.[3] Potential 2018 NBA Draft pick De'Anthony Melton would be indefinitely suspended in relation to the scandal in January before leaving USC on February 21, 2018.

Off-season

Departures
Name Pos. Height Weight Year Hometown Reason for Departure
Charles Buggs PF 6'9" 230 RS Sr. Arlington, TX Graduated
Samer Dhillon SF 6'8" 210 Sr. Sacramento, CA Walk-on; Graduated

2017 recruiting class
US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight Commit date
Jordan Usher
SF		 Marietta, GA Wheeler HS 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) 210 lb (95 kg) May 10, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 83
Victor Uyaelunmo
C		 Miami, FL Calvary Christian HS 6 ft 10.75 in (2.10 m) 213 lb (97 kg) Sep 11, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 82
Charles O'Bannon Jr.
G/F		 Las Vegas, NV Bishop Gorman HS 6 ft 5.75 in (1.97 m) 196 lb (89 kg) Dec 13, 2016 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 90
Overall recruiting rankings:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "USC 2017 Basketball Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  • "2017 USC Trojans Recruiting Class". ESPN.com. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  • "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved April 27, 2017.

Future recruits

Roster
2017–18 USC Trojans men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Shaqquan Aaron 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS JrLouisville Seattle, Washington
G/F 1 Jordan Usher 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)225 lb (102 kg) FrJoseph Wheeler HS Canton, Georgia
G 2 Jonah Mathews 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)195 lb (88 kg) SoSanta Monica HS Santa Monica, California
F 3 Harrison Henderson 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)225 lb (102 kg) SoSouth Grand Prairie HS Dallas, Texas
F 4 Chimezie Metu 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)225 lb (102 kg) JrLawndale HS Lawndale, California
G 5 Derryck Thornton 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS SoDuke Los Angeles, California
G 11 Jordan McLaughlin 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)185 lb (84 kg) SrEtiwanda HS Etiwanda, California
G 12 Devin Fleming (W) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrValley View HS Moreno Valley, California
G 13 Charles O'Bannon Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)210 lb (95 kg) FrBishop Gorman HS Las Vegas, Nevada
G 21 Kurt Karis (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)195 lb (88 kg) RS SrChicago State Northbrook, Illinois
F 25 Bennie Boatwright  6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)227 lb (103 kg) JrVillage Christian Mission Hills, California
G 30 Elijah Stewart 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)195 lb (88 kg) SrWestchester DeRidder, Louisiana
F 31 Nick Rakocevic 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)225 lb (102 kg) SoSt. Joseph HS Chicago, Illinois
F 34 Victor Uyaelunmo 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)220 lb (100 kg) FrCalvary Christian HS Miami, Florida
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: November 2, 2017

  • Sophomore guard De'Anthony Melton was officially ruled ineligible to play for the remainder of the season by USC amid an FBI bribery investigation.[4] He later left USC on February 21, 2018 for the 2018 NBA Draft.
  • Feb. 16, 2018 - Sophomore forward Bennie Boatwright to miss the remainder of the season with a left leg injury.[5]

Schedule and results
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 10, 2017*
7:00 pm, P12N		 No. 10 Cal State Fullerton W 84–42  1–0
  18 – Metu  10 – Metu  6 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (6,327)
Los Angeles, CA
November 13, 2017*
8:00 pm, P12N		 No. 10 North Dakota State W 75–65  2–0
  28 – Boatwright  8 – Tied  4 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (2,402)
Los Angeles, CA
November 19, 2017*
6:00 pm, SECN		 No. 10 at Vanderbilt W 93–89 OT 3–0
  35 – McLaughlin  8 – Metu  4 – McLaughlin  Memorial Gymnasium (8,284)
Nashville, TN
November 22, 2017*
7:00 pm, P12N		 No. 10 Lehigh W 88–63  4–0
  19 – Boatwright  11 – Boatwright  7 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (3,125)
Los Angeles, CA
November 26, 2017*
7:00 pm, P12N		 No. 10 No. 16 Texas A&M L 59–75  4–1
  13 – Metu  8 – Metu  7 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (5,347)
Los Angeles, CA
December 2, 2017*
7:00 pm, ESPNU		 No. 14 at SMU L 55–72  4–2
  13 – Metu  8 – Boatwright  7 – McLaughlin  Moody Coliseum (6,918)
Dallas, TX
December 8, 2017*
7:30 pm, ESPN2		 No. 25 vs. Oklahoma
Basketball Hall of Fame Classic		 L 83–85  4–3
  23 – Stewart  11 – Metu  9 – McLaughlin  Staples Center (6,456)
Los Angeles, CA
December 14, 2017*
7:00 pm, P12N		 Santa Clara W 82–59  5–3
  21 – Boatright  11 – Tied  10 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (2,712)
Los Angeles, CA
December 17, 2017*
5:00 pm, P12N		 UC Santa Barbara W 98–87  6–3
  31 – Metu  12 – Rakocevic  19 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (3,519)
Los Angeles, CA
December 19, 2017*
8:00 pm, P12N		 Princeton
Diamond Head Classic non-bracket game		 L 93–103 OT 6–4
  25 – Metu  10 – Metu  8 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (4,041)
Los Angeles, CA
December 22, 2017*
5:00 pm, ESPN2		 vs. Akron
Diamond Head Classic quarterfinals		 W 84–53  7–4
  20 – Stewart  9 – Rakocevic  6 – Mclaughlin  Stan Sheriff Center 
Honolulu, HI
December 23, 2017*
1:30 pm, ESPN2		 vs. Middle Tennessee
Diamond Head Classic semifinals		 W 89–84  8–4
  13 – Metu  6 – Metu  5 – McLaughlin  Stan Sheriff Center 
Honolulu, HI
December 25, 2017*
3:00 pm, ESPN2		 vs. New Mexico State
Diamond Head Classic championship		 W 77–72  9–4
  33 – Boatwright  7 – Boatwright  8 – McLaughlin  Stan Sheriff Center 
Honolulu, HI
Pac-12 regular season
December 29, 2017
7:30 pm, P12N		 Washington L 81–88  9–5
(0–1)		  26 – Metu  10 – Metu  8 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (3,104)
Los Angeles, CA
December 31, 2017
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 Washington State W 89–71  10–5
(1–1)		  17 – Stewart  7 – Boatwright  11 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (2,518)
Los Angeles, CA
January 4, 2018
7:30 pm, P12N		 at California W 80–62  11–5
(2–1)		  19 – Rakoocevic  7 – 3 tied  8 – McLaughlin  Haas Pavilion (6,915)
Berkeley, CA
January 7, 2018
7:00 pm, FS1		 at Stanford L 76–77  11–6
(2–2)		  20 – Metu  11 – Boatwright  7 – McLaughlin  Maples Pavilion (4,087)
Stanford, CA
January 10, 2018
7:00 pm, FS1		 Colorado W 70–58  12–6
(3–2)		  20 – McLaughlin  13 – Metu  3 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (3,669)
Los Angeles, CA
January 14, 2018
5:00 pm, ESPNU		 Utah W 84–67  13–6
(4–2)		  17 – Mathews  8 – Boatwright  7 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (4,822)
Los Angeles, CA
January 18, 2018
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Oregon W 75–70  14–6
(5–2)		  18 – 2 tied  9 – McLaughlin  7 – McLaughlin  Matthew Knight Arena (9,202)
Eugene, OR
January 20, 2018
5:00 pm, P12N		 at Oregon State W 74–67  15–6
(6–2)		  18 – Stewart  6 – Mathews  6 – McLaughlin  Gill Coliseum (6,301)
Corvallis, OR
January 24, 2018
6:00 pm, ESPNU		 Stanford W 69–64  16–6
(7–2)		  18 – Mathews  10 – Metu  9 – McLaughlin  Galen Canter (4,116)
Los Angeles, CA
January 28, 2018
1:00 pm, P12N		 California W 77–59  17–6
(8–2)		  16 – Tied  8 – Tied  10 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (6,144)
Los Angeles, CA
February 3, 2018
3:00 pm, ESPN2		 at UCLA
Rivalry		 L 79–82  17–7
(8–3)		  20 – Stewart  12 – Metu  8 – McLaughlin  Pauley Pavilion (12,837)
Los Angeles, CA
February 8, 2018
8:00 pm, ESPN2		 at Arizona State L 78–80  17–8
(8–4)		  19 – Rakocevic  8 – Boatwright  4 – McLaughlin  Wells Fargo Arena (12,377)
Tempe, AZ
February 10, 2018
7:15 pm, ESPN		 at No. 13 Arizona L 67–81  17–9
(8–5)		  18 – Metu  9 – Rakocevic  5 – McLaughlin  McKale Center (14,644)
Tucson, AZ
February 15, 2018
6:00 pm, ESPN2		 Oregon W 72–70  18–9
(9–5)		  20 – Mathews  10 – Metu  11 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (4,322)
Los Angeles, CA
February 17, 2018
8:00 pm, FS1		 Oregon State W 72–59  19–9
(10–5)		  28 – Stewart  7 – Metu  11 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (4,542)
Los Angeles, CA
February 21, 2018
7:30 pm, FS1		 at Colorado W 75–64  20–9
(11–5)		  21 – Metu  6 – Rakocevic  7 – McLaughlin  Coors Events Center (7,008)
Boulder, CO
February 24, 2018
11:30 am, P12N		 at Utah W 74–58  21–9
(12–5)		  14 – Tied  9 – Metu  5 – McLaughlin  Jon M. Huntsman Center (13,598)
Salt Lake City, UT
March 3, 2018
7:15 pm, ESPN		 UCLA
Rivalry		 L 72–83  21–10
(12–6)		  19 – McLaughlin  10 – Metu  4 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (10,258)
Los Angeles, CA
Pac-12 Tournament
March 8, 2018
6:00 pm, P12N		 (2) vs. (10) Oregon State
Quarterfinals		 W 61–48  22–10
  22 – Metu  11 – Metu  4 – McLaughlin  T-Mobile Arena (13,194)
Paradise, NV
March 9, 2018
8:30 pm, FS1		 (2) vs. (6) Oregon
Semifinals		 W 74–54  23–10
  27 – Mathews  11 – Rakocevic  9 – McLaughlin  T-Mobile Arena (16,596)
Paradise, NV
March 10, 2018
7:00 pm, FS1		 (2) vs. (1) No. 15 Arizona
Championship		 L 61–75  23–11
  13 – Rakocevic  6 – Rakocevic  9 – McLaughlin  T-Mobile Arena (16,501)
Paradise, NV
NIT
March 13, 2018*
8:00 pm, ESPN2		 (1) (8) UNC Asheville
First round – USC Bracket		 W 103–98 2OT 24–11
  26 – McLaughlin  19 – Rakocevic  13 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (1,614)
Los Angeles, CA
March 19, 2018*
8:30 pm, ESPN2		 (1) (4) Western Kentucky
Second round – USC Bracket		 L 75–79  24–12
  20 – Stewart  10 – Rakocevic  13 – McLaughlin  Galen Center (2,130)
Los Angeles, CA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Pacific Time.

Ranking movement
See also: 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball rankings
Ranking movement
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. RV=Received votes.
PollPreWk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Wk 16Wk 17Wk 18PostFinal
AP 10 10 10 14 25 NR N/A*
Coaches 11 10 18 25 NR

References
  1. "NCAA coaches among 10 arrested for corruption". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  2. "FBI arrests four college basketball assistants on charges of fraud". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  3. "USC hires former FBI director Freeh, Tony Bland placed on leave". CollegeBasketballTalk. 2017-09-26. Retrieved 2017-09-26.
  4. Fenno, Nathan. "Amid bribery probe, USC will keep De'Anthony Melton out of lineup for rest of the season". LATimes.com. The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  5. Boone, Kyle. "Southern Cal's Bennie Boatwright to miss remainder of season with knee injury". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 17 February 2018.
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