USC Trojans Guard Wesley Yates III Earns Big Ten Freshman Of The Week Honors

It's been a big week for the USC Trojans men's basketball team. Not only did the Trojans beat No. 13 Illinois on the road for their first road ranked win since 2011, but USC saw one of their upcoming players get recognized for his efforts.
USC guard Wesley Yates III was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after averaging 16.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game in their two game stretch vs. Indiana and Illinois.
B1G moves for @thewesleyyates_!
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) January 13, 2025
He averaged 16.5 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 2.5 APG against Indiana and Illinois ✌️ pic.twitter.com/LNhA0XJiVk
En route to winning his first award of the season, Yates put up big numbers against some of the top competition in the Big Ten. In the Trojans' 82-69 loss to Indiana on Jan. 8, Yates put up 18 points, four rebounds and three assists. The 18 points is the second highest total he's scored this season.
Yates turned it up a notch in USC's 82-72 win over No. 13 Illinois. The Texas native had 15 points, six rebounds, and two assists. However, what was most impressive about his game was the extremely effective clip he scored at. Yates ended the game shooting 7-8 from the field.
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On the season, Yates is averaging 10 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. After coming off the bench to start the season, Yates has started the past seven games for the Trojans. The move to bring Yates into the starting lineup has paid divends for USC coach Eric Musselman as USC has collected five wins in their last seven games.
Yates was one of 11 transfers who came in to be a part of Musselman's inaugural roster. The redshirt freshman guard came over from Washington, where an injury caused him to redshirt the entire season for the Huskies. Coincidentally, Yates followed his cousin, who happens to be USC assistant coach Quincy Pondexter from USC to Washington.
Only a redshirt freshman, Yates should figure to be a big piece of Musselman's immediate plans with the Trojans as Desmond Claude , Isaiah Elohim, Jalen Shelley, Kevin Patton, and Yates are the only players with eligibility after this season ends.
The Trojans have a big game coming up on Tuesday as they return back home to the Galen Center to host the Iowa Hawkeyes. USC will look to win back-to-back Big Ten games for the first time this season. Tipoff will be at 7:30 and the game will be broadcast on FS1.
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