# 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.

## 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. The charges allege that Bland and others allegedly received benefits from financial advisers and others to influence student-athletes to retain their services. Following the announcement, USC placed Bland on administrative leave and announced that it would conduct an internal investigation of the matter. 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. "2017 USC 24/7 Sports Commits". 247sports.com. Retrieved April 27, 2017. ||||||

### Future recruits

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Kevin Porter Jr. SG | Seattle, WA | Rainier Beach HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | Feb 7, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 |||||||
| Elijah Weaver PG | Oldsmar, FL | Oldsmar Christian School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Oct 23, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 89 |||||||
| J'Raan Brooks PF | Seattle, WA | Garfield HS | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Mar 11, 2018 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| 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: "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved June 30, 2017. |||||||

## Roster

* Sophomore guard De'Anthony Melton was officially ruled ineligible to play for the remainder of the season by USC amid an FBI bribery investigation. 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.

## 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

Ranking movement Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking. RV=Received votes. :
| Poll | Pre | Wk 2 | Wk 3 | Wk 4 | Wk 5 | Wk 6 | Wk 7 | Wk 8 | Wk 9 | Wk 10 | Wk 11 | Wk 12 | Wk 13 | Wk 14 | Wk 15 | Wk 16 | Wk 17 | Wk 18 | Post | Final |
| AP | 10 | 10 | 10 | 14 | 25 | NR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | N/A* |
| Coaches | 11 | | 10 | 18 | 25 | NR | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |