Michael Lev of the OCR has the up-to-date score card in regards to all the comings and goings with USC Hoops...
Contrary to popular belief, the Galen Center roof is not about to fall on the Trojans. It merely has sprung a few leaks. (I’m being metaphorical here, by the way.)
Tim Floyd certainly won’t have the team he envisioned. But USC won’t be bereft of talent either.
Yes, losing Renardo Sidney, for whatever reason, is a blow, but gaining Lamont Jones is a coup - especially in light of Daniel Hackett’s surprising departure.
Best I’ve been able to piece it together, here’s a look at the Trojans’ personnel:
- Gone: F DeMar DeRozan, G Daniel Hackett, F-C Keith Wilkinson
- Returning: G Dwight Lewis, G Percy Miller, G Marcus Simmons, F-C Alex Stepheson, F-C Nikola Vucevic, F Leonard Washington
- Arriving: G Mike Gerrity, F Noel Johnson, G Lamont Jones, F Derrick Williams
- TBD: C Mamadou Diarra, C-F Taj Gibson, F Kasey Cunningham, F-G Marcus Johnson, G Donte Smith
You can't count your chickens until they hatch.
It always hurts when you lose eligible players to the draft but this is the world we live in. I would agree with Lev that losing Hackett is the one real shocker but I am also not sad to him go...Hackett has to do what is right for is conscience and if he doesn't want to be here, whatever the reason, then it is better that he move on.
I am also not too upset over Sidney. It just didn't feel right...he had academic issues plus all the other rumors swirling around him. Who needs the headache? it would appear that SC will be a little more diligent in getting recruits without potential baggage.
It's been a bit of a wild ride the past 6-8 weeks but as the dust settles I think we can see that SC is moving in a positive direction. I won't predict a Pac-10 title but I they will certainly hold their own.