USC Basketball: Most Important Player #9 - Strahinja Gavrilovic

The Trojans only have four post players and are undersized at the position with Darion Clark listed at 6'7", Strahinja Gavrilovic at 6'9" and Nikola Jovanovic and Malik Martin as the rim protectors at 6'11".

Because the Trojans are so thin in the post, the post players are going to potentially be ranked higher on our list of Most Important Players for the USC basketball team.

9. Strahinja Gavrilovic - Forward

Strahinja Gavrilovic, better known as "Luis," is the only upperclassman forward on the USC roster and the Trojans are going to need him to play like it when he comes off the bench.

You know what you are going to get when Gavrilovic is in the game: constant energy and hustle. He does all the dirty work and will bother any player he is guarding. He is strong enough to hold his ground and quick enough feet to guard almost any post player he'll face this season.

Luis Gavrilovic doesn't have much of an offensive game, but he's a pest for any opposing team on the offensive glass. He also has a nice mid-range game that is key because his defender will often try to help off of him on any drives to the basket.

If there is a ball on the floor, he's going to be diving on the ground. If someone drives into the lane, Gavrilovic is going to try to take a charge. He's the type of gritty player that every team needs. He plays with a lot of emotion and intensity.

Here is Luis Gavrilovic speaking last season after a tough loss to Stanford in overtime.

And in the second half of this video are highlights of Strahinja Gavrilovic in high school playing for La Jolla Prep: