Why Silas Demary Jr. requested his release from the USC men's basketball program
Ten days ago, former USC men's basketball signee Silas Demary Jr. requested his release from the Trojans program. On Monday in a text exchange with SI All Trojans, Demary's father, Silas Demary Sr., provided some context for why his son chose to reopen his recruitment.
The issue regarded playing time, or a lack thereof for next season, following the announcement that Boogie Ellis planned to use his fifth year of eligibility and return to the Trojans in 2023-24.
"With Boogie and [Isaiah] Collier in the backcourt, there was no way for Silas to even play," Demary Sr. said. "They told us he'd play 20-25 minutes and then went down to like 8-10 minutes...They stressed to us the entire time Boogie wasn’t coming back."
Demary Jr. committed to USC in October of 2022 and signed in November. He's ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 57 player in his class, according to 247Sports.com.
When Demary Jr. requested his release, rumors were swirling that it was because a Bronny James commitment was imminent. Like Demary, James also plays guard.
But according to Demary Sr., the addition of James to the USC recruiting class wouldn't have been an issue.
"People were thinking it was Bronny, but Silas was okay playing with him," Demary Sr. said.
Demary Jr. has since committed to the University of Georgia ending a recruiting process that Demary Sr. referred to as "disheartening."
"Their vision and our vision didn’t align anymore," Demary Sr. said of the USC coaching staff.
Demary's release leaves USC with two signees in the 2023 class. Collier, a five-star point guard out of Wheeler High School (Marietta, Ga.), is the Trojans' top ranked recruit. He's 247Sports.com's No. 1 ranked prospect. Collier's high school teammate, four-star power forward Arrinten Page, is the Trojans' other signee.
