USC Basketball: Most Important Player #10 - Chass Bryan

The Trojans lost their starting point guard from last season, Pe'Shon Howard, to graduation. To replace the Maryland transfer, USC added another playmaker in Jordan McLaughlin, who will be featured much higher on our list to fill those shoes.

Explosive finisher Julian Jacobs and outside sharpshooter Katin Reinhardt could also be in the running for point guard duties for short bursts. That means junior point guard Chass Bryan will be on the outside looking in, but not necessarily an overlooked contributor to the squad.

10. Chass Bryan - Guard

Bryan was a heavily featured part of USC's bench in non-conference play, appearing in all but one game outside of Pac-12 conference competition. Once the calendar shifted to 2014, however, the backup point guard was replaced by lineups featuring Julian Jacobs at the point and J.T. Terrell as the shooting guard.

This season, the crafty guard will be fighting for playing time on a guard-heavy roster. Bryan does a pretty decent job of avoiding the turnover and finding his shooters in the corner.

Bryan is elusive with the basketball in his hands. He's not gonna blow you away with speed, but Bryan can make quick movements on the court to create penetration into the paint. Bryan was most effective as a scorer in fast-pace situations where he could push the ball and attack the basket, or dish to open shooters.

Expect Coach Enfield to put Bryan on the floor in the preseason, once again, to test whether the undersized Trojans can function with a scrappy, competitive (generously listed) 5-foot-11 guard can provide a spark plug of energy. He may only play between 8-10 minutes per game, but Bryan is someone that provides valuable experience for a very young program.

Here is a press conference from this past season (recorded by our own Shotgun Spratling) where Chass Bryan talks about handling the expectations of a tough start to Pac-12 play following a 83-74 loss to the Colorado Buffaloes. In the game, Bryan earned one of his three starts, played 20 minutes -- his only double-digit minutes in conference play -- and finished with eight points on 2-for-2 shooting.

And here's some highlights of Chass Bryan playing in high school at Oaks Christian HS where he averaged 16 points, five assists and two steals on his way to being named team MVP his senior year. His work in the classroom earned him the USC Presidential Scholarship, giving the Trojans an extra "walk-on:"