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Bracket Busters - USC Basketball

January 12th 2011 18:48

USC Basketball

The USC Trojans have been a completely different team since Fordham transfer G Jio Fontan became eligible in the game at Kansas. In the six games he has played for USC, he has averaged 13.7 points and 4.3 assists and will be the key to USC’s success for the remainder of the season. USC is 4-2 since Fontan became eligible, with wins at Tennessee, at home against Washington State, and at home against rival UCLA, and a pair of close losses at Kansas and at home against Washington.

F Nikola Vucevic can be a headache for opposing coaches because of his range. The 6-10, 260 pound forward from Montenegro can extend defenses all the way out to the three-point line where he shoots 32.5 percent. Vucevic is hauling in 16.1 PPG and 9.6 RPG for the Trojans this year and should get a look in the NBA when he declares for the draft. In turn, Vucevic’s range opens up space in the lane for F Alex Stepheson, who is built like a tank. Stepheson spent his first two seasons playing for North Carolina, but transferred and is in his last season with USC – he is contributing 10.2 PPG and 9.1 RPG.

USC has a very promising PG in Freshman Maurice Jones. Jones is one of the quickest point guard’s in the nation, and at 5’7”, he needs to be. The freshman out of Saginaw, MI was a great find for coach Kevin O’Neill and should be a good player for the next few years.

What most really good teams have is a bench player who can come on and contribute right away. USC has exactly that. Senior G Donte Smith can shoot USC back into any game with his three-point shooting abilities. He is shooting 39.8 percent from behind the arc and averaging 2.2 three-pointers per game. Against Kansas, Smith went 5-for-7 from three, and was seconds away from pulling off an upset.

Key Losses: Rider, Bradley (Neutral), at Nebraska, at TCU, at Kansas, Washington

Key Wins: Texas, at Tennessee, Washington State, UCLA

Prediction: 9-6 the rest of the regular season, 19-12 before conference tournament, will need two wins in conference tournament to have a chance at all for the NCAA’s. NIT 2 seed. However, if they do get in the tournament as an 11 or 12 seed, they could easily pull off an upset or two.

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