USC Basketball: Trojans Appear in First Edition of Preseason Top 25 Poll

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There's some real momentum for the 2023-24 version of your USC Trojans men's basketball team.
A few days after nabbing the commitment of elite local guard Trent Perry, the Trojans found out that they'd be ranked in the initial preseason AP Poll.
USC came in at No. 21 in the College Basketball Preseason AP Poll. The only other Pac-12 team finding itself in the Top 25 is Arizona (coming in at No. 12).
BREAKING: College Basketball Preseason AP Poll🏀https://t.co/bZ9nSquaey pic.twitter.com/XkX4ZS1Ihr
— On3 (@On3sports) October 16, 2023
Last week during the conference media day, USC was picked to finish second in the conference....only behind Arizona.
This is a big year for Andy Enfield and the program. With the additions of Isaiah Collier, Bronny James, and D.J. Rodman (among others), many believe this is the most talented team he's had since being hired in 2013.
Collier is widely regarded as the No. 1 high school prospect in the country. Boogie Ellis is arguably the front-runner to be Pac-12 Player of the Year this upcoming season. Kobe Johnson is a terrific wing defender, and the rest of the roster is loaded with size, length, and athleticism.
"I feel like we have the best backcourt in the country."@BoogieEllis hyped up @isaiahcollier04 and @iamkobejohnson at #Pac12MBB Media Day!
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) October 11, 2023
📺 @Pac12Network pic.twitter.com/1emXiL7454
As can be seen in the clip above, the Trojans -- namely their captain -- aren't shying away from expectations. The rest of the conference is in a bit of a rebuild. Namely, crosstown rival UCLA is breaking in essentially a brand-new roster with eight first-year players.
This could be one of those magical seasons for the Trojans -- assuming they get fully healthy. If USC can get James and Vince Iwuchukwu on the court prior to the end of the year, this team truly is poised to be quite dynamic. It'll feature some future first-round NBA selections along with proven players on the collegiate level.
Few teams nationally can match up with that sort of potential resume, not to mention the depth this team may possess should everything break their way.
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Jason Fray is a proud native of Los Angeles. After graduating from UCLA in 2011, he's written for a number of publications -- including Bleacher Report, FOX Sports, Saturday Down South, and New Arena. In his downtime, he enjoys writing scripts, going to shows, weekly pub trivia with the boys, trying the best hole-in-the-wall food spots around town, and traveling (22 countries & counting).
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