Updated 2023-2024 USC basketball roster heading into the summer
This past week, USC added one more player to its roster. Brandon Gardner slipped away from St. John’s and came to the opposite coast of the United States to play college basketball.
We wrote this about Gardner, focusing on a few obvious questions:
“First, how much playing time can Gardner reasonably expect on a roster which is loaded with depth? Bronny James, Isaiah Collier, Kobe Johnson, and Boogie Ellis have the backcourt and wings locked down, but USC has depth in the frontcourt as well with Vince Iwuchukwu, Joshua Morgan, Kijani Wright, Arrinten Page, and D.J. Rodman. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. What can Gardner realistically hope for?
“Second, is Gardner more valuable for 2025 than 2024? That might be the true value of this pickup. Gardner is in position to learn quite a lot this season, but mostly from the bench. When Bronny, Collier, Boogie, Morgan, and Iwuchukwu all leave after the 2024 season (or at least, that’s the industry expectation), USC will need bodies. Gardner figures to be a core part of the 2025 USC rotation. That’s probably his true importance to Enfield and the Trojans.”
While you think about those questions, stop and realize how much depth and quality Andy Enfield and his staff have assembled. The USC roster has changed a lot from late March, when we offered our original projection of what the 2024 roster would look like.
We are now in a position to offer an updated (and more accurate) projection of what the USC hoops roster should look like. Compare this roster to Arizona’s roster. USC and Arizona are believed to be the two best teams in the coming Pac-12 season:
BRONNY JAMES
Bronny James ultimately decided to come to USC. He should be a massive part of the 2023-2024 Trojan team.
ISAIAH COLLIER
As if adding Bronny wasn’t enough, the Trojans are also bringing in McDonald’s All-American Isaiah Collier.
This is the No. 1 recruit in the country. This is the main reason USC has such a high ceiling. Don’t lose sight of that.
BOOGIE ELLIS
There were rumblings that Boogie Ellis would leave for the pros, but he surprised a lot of people by returning. He gives USC so much experience and upside, given how much his game evolved last season. Now it will evolve a lot more.
VINCENT IWUCHUKWU
The talented big man performed well but was injured during the NCAA Tournament. However, he should be a starter in his second season. Crucially, he’ll have a full summer of workouts, which he didn’t get last year due to his cardiac arrest episode.
DJ RODMAN
The Washington State transfer and son of Dennis Rodman is playing with the Trojans, and this is a fantastic addition for Andy Enfield’s team. Rodman can shoot 3-pointers and defend and rebound. That’s exactly what USC needed.
KOBE JOHNSON
Kobe Johnson decided to stay but Reese Dixon-Waters and Tre White left. Johnson will be a defensive anchor on a USC roster with so many proven scorers.
JOSHUA MORGAN
Joshua Morgan could find his way into the starting five, but nonetheless, he will be a terrific piece of the puzzle. USC has real frontcourt depth with Morgan backing up Iwuchukwu.
HARRISON HORNERY
Harrison Hornery played sparingly for the Trojans in his freshman year but could see an uptick in usage this season. If he can play strong defense, he will see more minutes.
KIJANI WRIGHT
Kijani Wright was one of a handful of players to make appearances toward the end of the year, and he flashed his potential. If he can pick up where he left off, USC becomes even deeper and better.
OZIYAH SELLERS
Oziyah Sellers got some run towards the end of the year as well, although the addition of all the talent could have him set for a minimal role again. Can he defend? If he can, then he’ll be more of a factor.
BRANDON GARDNER
6-foot-7, 210-pound composite four-star Middle Village (N.Y.) Christ The King Regional forward Brandon Gardner has committed to #USC: https://t.co/vZpYnNnWK2
— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) June 2, 2023
This is a crowded roster, but if Gardner makes it impossible for Andy Enfield to keep him stapled to the bench, USC gains even more depth and frontcourt defense. If Gardner is playing 10 minutes a game and making even a modest impact, that’s big for USC. The other bigs can stay fresh throughout the season. USC won’t wear down in March.
ARRINTEN PAGE
Four-star center Arrinten Page commits to #USC basketball:
https://t.co/G5Y3yE1ZHs pic.twitter.com/D6RDFMllvI— Shotgun Spratling (@ShotgunSpr) October 11, 2022
Page was a teammate of Isaiah Collier in high school. He remains a teammate now. It will be fascinating to see how much that connection can matter for Page — and USC — when the freshman is on the floor. If Page gives USC something substantial this season, the Trojans’ ceiling rises that much more, because they will have that much more quality depth.
