USC Trojans Ready to Rebuild in 2012-13

Looking at USC’s 2011-12 season, it was lost the minute Jio Fontan suffered a season-ending injury in an exhibition.

More injuries followed and the Trojans were down to six scholarship players en route to the worst season in program history. It ended with a six wins, a school-record 26 losses and ranking at the bottom of several major Pac-12 categories.

The good news for Trojan fans? Things can only go up in 2012-13, even if it started on a rough note with returning leading scorer Maurice Jones being declared academically ineligible for the season and then transferring to Iowa State.

USC may have not the stars that their crosstown neighbors UCLA have, but they have the pieces in place for a rebuilding season. It was almost dreadful watching them play and throw up bricks. A conference-worst .387 field goal percentage made it unbearable to watch games without cringing.

Their hope is that everyone stays healthy and that alone can double their win total. Head coach Kevin O’Neill has the benefit of lowered expectations so if he can sneak the Trojans into the NIT, that’s a success.

Here’s 3 things USC can look forward to:

 

1. Jio Fontan’s Return

The 6-0 guard scored 57 points in his first two exhibition games in 2011. In his third game, he tore his ACL and was forced to watch his team struggle from the bench.

Fontan is the unquestioned leader of the team and his ability to create for himself and others is something the team lacked last year. It’ll be curious to see how he has to make adjustments after his injury but USC will go as far as he goes. With Jones gone, the Trojans’ returning leading scorer is forward Aaron Fuller, who averaged only 10.6 points before suffering an injury.

If Fontan can remain healthy and capture some of his explosiveness, the Trojans will be fun to watch. A backcourt of him and sophomore guard Byron Wesley could be one of the more underrated in the conference.

 

2. New Faces

The best thing about USC’s six new players is that they’ll be able to contribute right away and they’re eager to change the way the program was perceived last year.

Just like UCLA with Larry Drew, a local boy returns home in Renaldo Woolridge. The former product of North Hollywood Harvard-Westlake via Tennessee has one more year of eligibility and will bring his experience to the team.

Former UC Irvine forward Eric Wise will also be an added bonus as a strong rebounder. Guard J.T. Terrell averaged 24 points at Peninsula College and could add some extra offense on the perimeter along with Wesley.

Brendyn Taylor could be a freshman contributor as his mix of genes (the son of former NBA/ABA player Brian Taylor), athleticism and scoring made him at a standout at Los Angeles Fairfax High School.

 

3. Defense Never Rests

For all of USC’s problems last year, defense wasn’t one of them. They led the Pac-12 in scoring defense at 59.7 points per game.

With the athletes on the roster, they’ll buy into O’Neill’s defense-first philosophy and could be even tougher for teams to score on them.

Dewayne Dedmon may be a raw center in terms of offense but at 7-0, he’ll be the defensive anchor. He’s another one of the Trojans who got hurt during the season and his job will be easier with better talent around him.

The NIT could be a lofty goal for this USC team but one thing is for sure. They’ll at least win more than six games this year and be better than 1-17 in conference play. The rest will bank on how healthy they are and how quick the new faces gel with the returning players.