Evan Mobley's 17 Points Lead No. 6 USC Past No. 11 Drake in NCAA Tournament
Mar 20, 2021
USC forward Evan Mobley (4) drives against Drake during the first half of a men's college basketball game in the first round of the NCAA tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Saturday, March 20, 2021. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
In its first NCAA men's tournament appearance since 2017, USC isn't bowing out so soon. The No. 6 Trojans defeated No. 11 Drake 72-56 on Saturday in first-round play.
Evan Mobley dropped 17 points for the Trojans, who improve to 23-7.
For the 26-5 Bulldogs, who reached the tournament as an at-large selection after a second-place finish in the Missouri Valley Conference, Joseph Yesufu tallied 26 points.
Notable Performers
Joseph Yesufu, Drake: 26 PTS, 5 REB
Evan Mobley, USC: 17 PTS, 11 REB
Isaiah Mobley, USC: 15 PTS, 5 REB
Drew Peterson, USC: 14 PTS
Tahj Eaddy, USC: 9 PTS, 10 AST
USC Limited by Struggles at the Line
Though the Trojans held the lead at the break, it could've been by more than three points had they capitalized on their free throws. Drake was whistled for 10 fouls in the first half, but the Trojans hit just three of their nine attempts from the line.
While their free-throw shooting was miserable statistically, especially when compared to Drake hitting six of its seven attempts, it wasn't a far cry from where the Trojans have ranked all season. The team averaged just 64.7 percent from the line, ranking 25th-worst in the NCAA. Only two teams in the tournament have worse free-throw percentages—Creighton (64.2 percent) and Rutgers (63.3 percent)—though USC has also attempted the fifth-most foul shots in the NCAA.
Evan Mobley's 13 first-half points led the Trojans, and he was the only USC starter to hit his free throws, though four of them went to the line in the first half. He hit two on four attempts, and Ethan Anderson came off the bench to hit one of his two attempts.
The Trojans had better luck in the second half as they built an 11-point lead—their highest of the day—on Drake via an 8-0 run. That lead eventually blew up to a 15-point advantage nearing the end of the half.
The Trojans ended the afternoon with 50 percent shooting from the field and 53.3 percent from the line, led by Mobley's double-double of 17 points and 11 rebounds. While it was enough to power them past Drake, they'll have to step it up if they want to move past Kansas in the second round.
Drake Falters After Strong Start
Drake got to Saturday's matchup by crawling back to defeat Wichita State, 53-52, on Thursday. Their struggle was evident from the start, as the Bulldogs went nearly 10 minutes without scoring a field goal and allowed the Shockers to build an 11-point lead. They saw a similar stalemate in the second frame, though it only lasted roughly six minutes without a score, before storming back on a 22-11 run.
On Saturday, it seemed as though they learned from their mistake. Drake shot 41.9 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from three in the first half, keeping pace with higher-seeded USC and pulling into halftime trailing by three.
Joseph Yesufu led all scorers with 18 points in the opening half, most of them coming from deep as he went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. He also hit both of his free-throw attempts.
But in the second half, the Bulldogs' old ways caught up to them, and they were immobilized by the Trojans.
Yesufu hit a three with 1:06 gone in the frame, but then the Trojans erupted on an 8-0 run led by Drew Peterson, who hit two free throws and assisted a jump shot from Tahj Eaddy.
The Bulldogs didn't score again until an Issa Samake layup more than five minutes later, but it wasn't enough for them to overcome the hole they fell into in the break without scoring.
They hit just seven field goals after the break, ending the afternoon with 29.4 shooting from the field, and they looked like a completely different team from the one that troubled USC throughout the first half.
What's Next?
The Trojans are set for a matchup with No. 3 Kansas, which defeated No. 14 Eastern Washington 93-84 in first-round play earlier Saturday.
Looking ahead to next season, the Bulldogs will bring in a 4-star recruit in 6'6" forward Tucker DeVries—the 18th-ranked small forward in the class of 2021, per 247Sports—to work alongside Yesufu and Tremell Murphy, who will return for their junior and senior years.
O.J. Mayo Reinstated by USC After Disassociation over Improper Benefits
Jun 10, 2020
Southern California guard O.J. Mayo pumps his fist in celebration towards the end of their 95-86 overtime win against Oregon during college basketball action in Eugene, Ore., Saturday, Jan. 26, 2008. Mayo scored 25 points. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)
O.J. Mayo has officially been welcomed back to USC after being disassociated from the Trojans after receiving improper benefits while at the school.
USC announced Mayo's reinstatement on Twitter on Wednesday:
Welcome back, O.J. Mayo!
The highest drafted player in program history has officially been reinstated. pic.twitter.com/kMIcIYWYXJ
The Trojans have been welcoming back a number of star athletes who were disassociated from their programs because of NCAA violations.
Reggie Bush was alsoreinstated Wednesday after an NCAA-mandated 10-year disassocation after an investigation determined he received impermissible benefits from agents while playing football at USC.
USCannouncedself-imposed sanctions in 2010 after an internal investigation found Mayo received improper cash and gifts during his one season with the men's basketball program. The team vacated 21 wins and returned money it received for participating in the Pac-10 and NCAA tournaments during the 2007-08 season.
Mayo was named to the All-Pac-10 first team after averaging 20.7 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game as a freshman. He was selected No. 3 overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the 2008 NBA draft.
It's Onyeka Okongwu's Time to Shine
Mar 9, 2020
Onyeka Okongwu walks into USC's locker room and finds his cubby in the far corner. He touches the band around his wrist, black with green letters—NNAMDI OKONGWU #21, WE WILL NEVER FORGET YOU—and kisses it. He takes a seat, clasps his hands, shuts his eyes and begins to pray.
In these moments, Nnamdi, his older brother is there. With him. In his chair, in his locker. On the whiteboard, on the door. Inside his sneakers, inside his jersey. Onyeka can feel it. Feel him.
Nnamdi died in 2014 after suffering a brain injury from a skateboarding accident. He was 17 years old, a promising basketball player himself.
"I think about him every day," says Onyeka, now 19. Some days he wants to talk about it. Some days he doesn't. For him, grief isn't something to get over, to go through. It is constant—both motivating and devastating. But when he is playing basketball, Onyeka feels like he can connect with Nnamdi. Speak to him. Learn from him.
Just like he did as a kid, when Nnamdi taught Onyeka how to do the move that has become Onyeka's signature at USC: spin, turn baseline, dunk two-handed. Onyeka remembers the day his brother taught him how to do it, in a gym in Carson, California. Onyeka was 12. It took his older brother weeks to master the move, but Onyeka spun and flushed the ball home with ease on the first try.
Onyeka smiles, remembering how Nnamdi used to brag to friends about him. Used to tell people, "My little brother's going to be way better than me."He remembers how much they looked alike, even sounded alike: same goofy laugh, same lanky gait. He remembers how they used to dream about each in turn winning a state championship at Chino Hills, then playing at USC, then jumping to the NBA.
When it's time to leave his locker, Onyeka kisses the band one more time, as if to say to his brother: I'm here. I'm right here. I'm here where you wanted me to be.
Okongwu, who goes by "Big O," pulls up a chair after a morning practice at USC in late January. His elbows rest on his knees, making him look even longer than his 6'9", 245-pound frame and 7'1" wingspan. He is bright. Energetic. Smiling. "I'm a gentle giant," he says, laughing. Except on the court. There he turns into a shot-blocking savant. Has done so ever since he was nine years old when he came out of nowhere to smack a boy's shot so hard that the ball torpedoed into the seventh row. "I hit 'em with one of them LeBron blocks," he says.
"I have the mindset of: 'You're not going to score on me no matter what you do,'" he adds.
Okongwu is agile, coordinated—can juggle three tennis balls at once (he used to play tennis)—and has magnificent touch around the basket, scoring with a variety of low-post moves as one of the top big men in the nation. He's averaging 16.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game for the Trojans, who at 22-9 look like a good bet to make the NCAA tournament but could seal it with a win or two in the Pac-12 tournament, which begins Wednesday.
His best asset is his energy. His work ethic. His humility. He was genuinely surprised when he found out he might be a top-10 2020 NBA draft pick this June. He doesn't talk about the NBA with his family. At all. That's partially because of Nnamdi. Because he knows how quickly life can change. He could easily not be on the draft boards tomorrow. He could easily not be here, at all, tomorrow.
His mother, Kate Okongwu, often reminds him that he'd be lucky to play the game for the next 10 years.
Okongwu was nationally ranked as a teen, but he was never viewed as a sure NBA player. His freshman season at Chino Hills High, 2015-2016, he was mostly a defensive standout. Given that he was sharing a court with the famed Ball brothers, he rarely touched the ball on offense, except for dunks in transition. His primary role was to rebound, run and block shots. The team went undefeated and won a state championship.
Over the three years that followed, he developed post moves. Became an offensive force. Cultivated a jump shot. Now, he's working on his three-point range. "I'm proud of him. He's always in the gym," says Lonzo Ball, now with the Pelicans. "He has a lot of potential. He's always been able to block shots, and he's only gotten better over the years."
He will likely continue that trend. "I think he has a chance to be in the league for a long time," says Glen Worley, one of his former Compton Magic AAU coaches. "He's always been kind of overshadowed, and now, this is the first time where everybody's like, 'OK, Onyeka can really play.'"
Okongwu still feels he has a lot of work to do, a lot to prove. "I'm not guaranteed anything in life. I'm really not," he says. "And I'm not trippin', because everything happens for a reason."
Some reasons, he is still searching for.
What reason could there possibly be for God to take my brother? He wondered this, night after night, when he couldn't stop crying. Once, he asked his mom: "Mama, Nnamdi was such a good guy. Why would it happen to him?"
Kate tried to find an answer when there wasn't one. "Sometimes things just happen," she managed. "God wants to take some people a little earlier." She pulled him close and repeated: "Sometimes things just happen."
Onyeka would remember every detail of the day Nnamdi died, from the moment he woke up. 6:30 a.m. on a Tuesday. Nnamdi, 17, had to go to summer school. Chemistry class. Onyeka, 13 at the time, remembers him walking out of his room, going downstairs, leaving. He remembers playing NBA2K, going to Carl's Jr. down the street, taking a nap, wondering where his brother was. Wondering why when he called, his brother's phone rang and rang. He must be with his friends.
Onyeka remembers arriving at the hospital, his mom crying.
"Why are you crying?"
"Your brother."
"What happened?"
"He got into an accident."
"Is he gonna make it?"
"No."
Onyeka knew his mom wouldn't be so direct if she didn't truly believe he was not going to make it. (She works as a nurse and so had more of a sense than anyone.) And then Onyeka saw his brother lying on the hospital bed. He remembers a scar, a ring, around his neck. He remembers his brother's teeth, normally straight, perfect, with a big gap down the middle.
How could this happen? Why is this happening? Onyeka started crying. Couldn't feel anything.
He still tried to have faith in his brother. He thought of him as a warrior. The most arrogant guy he had ever met. He would defeat this. Brag to him later about how he overcame this.
But Kate kept telling Onyeka that Nnamdi was not going to wake up. He just wasn't.
He didn't.
Chino Hills High held a candlelight vigil. The basketball team was there, devastated, including Lonzo, who was close with Nnamdi. "That was it. A week later, that was it," Onyeka says. The finality of it all hurt the most. That there was nothing he could do to change the outcome. Erase the pain he was feeling. "I would cry every single day," Onyeka says. "Just break down for four weeks straight."
He'd walk past Nnamdi's room and think: 'His room is right here. His clothes are right here. His life was right here. And now it's not.' He had to accept that—that every sentence he uttered about his brother would now be in past tense.
He would never get to see him again. Never get to practice two-handed dunks with him again. Never get to watch their favorite movies, like the Rush Hour series. Never get to eat their favorite Chinese food down the street, orange chicken and kung-pao chicken.
"He was in so much pain," Kate says. "So much pain."
Onyeka thought about quitting the game he's loved since the fourth grade. The only reason he started playing was he wanted to tag along with Nnamdi. Be like him. Be better than him. Then he started falling in love with basketball himself. He'd wake everyone in the house at 6 a.m. on game days, too excited to stay under the covers. When Kate would drive to the gym, he'd have shortcuts planned so they'd get there quicker. "Take that street!" little Onyeka would yell from the backseat.
He had a knack for the game, boxing out so hard that he was accused of being older, even holding himself back. By the eighth grade, a school project asked him to write about his dream career. He said his dream was to be an NBA lottery pick.
But without his brother? "I didn't play basketball for a while," Onyeka says. "I was like, 'Do I really want to do this?'"
The more Onyeka wrestled with that question, the more he realized his brother would have wanted him to keep playing. He vowed to play for him. Every time he felt down, he'd tell himself: You'll be all right. Be strong. Life goes on. Have faith. "God is not going to give you something you can't handle," he says.
Chino Hills embraced him as he joined the team. They had all known Nnamdi, who played for the school. "We all went up to him and told him, 'We're your brothers,'" says Andre Ball, a Pepperdine guard and cousin of Lonzo and LaMelo. "We were there for him. It was rough, the first couple of months after it happened, but when he was on the court, he didn't look depressed. He switched into this gear, like: It's time to hoop."
The court became a place where he felt connected to his brother, protected by his brother. "Basketball became his heaven," Kate says. "It's where he found his peace, where he found his soul."
Chino Hills routinely blew teams out. But when the season started, Okongwu was still trying to just make it up and down the floor. The team ran and ran all practice. Players had to make it up and down in nine seconds, and Okongwu would keep missing the mark. The team would have to run again. But then he started making it. Then he always made it.
He became a starter, but more so a role player. "He never complained about anything," says former teammate Eli Scott, who's now at Loyola Marymount. "He was always the first one in the gym, always staying after to get extra hooks in." He put his head down, boxed out, got boards, ran the floor and defended as hard as he could.
Okongwu and LiAngelo Ball defend De La Salle's Colby Orr in the 2016 state title game.
He was the same way on his Compton Magic team, becoming the lone 14-year-old to start on the U17 team in the history of the program, which has produced dozens of NBA players. That's why he was prepared to face some of the nation's top competition with Chino Hills that first season.
He remembers facing Bam Adebayo, then with High Point Christian Academy and now with the Miami Heat. "I'm a scrawny, little freshman," Okongwu says, "and this dude is a muscleman. Like Thanos." He was so nervous. Damn, I am really going against this dude.What am I going to do? I don't want to get embarrassed. Everyone is watching. He told his teammates: "Help me if you can. He's a big dude." He tried to calm himself down. But Adebayo dominated him.
The next time they matched up? "I wasn't going for any of that," says Okongwu, who remembers having 14 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks. He continued to rise in high-pressure situations, with sold-out venues, as people came to see the Balls play. "He's a great player to play with," says LaMelo Ball, also a projected lottery pick this year. "He blocks shots. He runs the lane. I loved playing with him."
Okongwu would do the little things that mattered, like a momentum-changing dunk or deflecting a critical pass. "People don't understand how instrumental Onyeka was, from the beginning of the season to the end," says Steve Baik, the former Chino Hills coach. "If 'O' wasn't there, we don't even come close to having that dream season. Not even close."
After the 2015-16 season, the Balls left—Lonzo for UCLA, LaMelo for Lithuania. Many thought Chino Hills was doomed. They'd chant: "WHERE'S LA-MEL-O! WHERE'S LA-MEL-O!" during games. Some wondered if Okongwu would leave the school. But he didn't.
"I wasn't going to leave my city. I wasn't going to leave my people," he says.
Okongwu had a chance to become involved in the offense, to become more than a shot-blocker. Newly hired coach Dennis Latimore came and taught him post moves, helped develop his footwork around the basket. They'd do Mikan drills, drop steps, spin moves, jabs. Over and over.
"I don't think he was comfortable with dominating the game," Latimore says, "so what our coaching staff was trying to get through to him junior year was: 'It's time for you to be the man. You gotta step up. You gotta be the man now.'"
Okongwu finished his career as a three-time state champion and two-time California Mr. Basketball honoree. Yet he still was not selected as a McDonald's All-American. Some questioned whether he would be good enough at the college level. "I think it's one of the biggest snubs in McDonald's selection history," says Etop Udo-Ema, Compton Magic's founder and director.
Latimore went to Okongwu's history class on the day rosters were announced to deliver the news. "Hey, Coach, don't worry about it," Okongwu said. "I know my worth." Latimore knew it bothered Okongwu deep down, but the coach was impressed at how mature, how wise, he was. That he had bigger goals. Okongwu told him his goal that year was to get other players on the team scholarships.
He also knew he had accomplished his other top goal: winning the state titles Nnamdi never got to.
Okongwu with teammates after winning the 2019 state championship.
"I hope Nnamdi is proud of what I'm doing," Onyeka told his mom.
She smiled. "I think he would be very, very proud of you."
At USC, Okongwu immediately emerged as the team's best scorer and rebounder, starting his college career with two straight 20-point double-doubles and scoring 33 in his fifth game. But his coaches say he has even more potential. Assistant coach Eric Mobley often works on post moves with him. When a defender cuts Okongwu off, he usually likes to make a move before finishing. "I'm more like: Run the dude over. Just run 'em over," Mobley says.
Okongwu is quicker than many of his opponents. He has a quick first step, and he's able to maneuver around defenders with his speed. He has the ability to shoot the three but doesn't do it much in USC's offense. He does shoot jumpers late into the night, though. "Even the night before game days," says forward Isaiah Mobley, his roommate.
Okongwu will have to stretch the floor a bit at the next level. "He's exceptional in the lane, and he can make a 15- to 17-foot jump shot," says USC head coach Andy Enfield.
His former coaches tell him to enjoy this moment. Enjoy how far he has come. "He's a prime example of what you do when you keep working, keep playing hard, and now you have a chance to be a lottery pick," Worley says.
Still, Onyeka and his mother don't really believe the hype yet. They just want to honor Nnamdi. There is a picture of him in their living room near the front door. Onyeka has a ritual where he has to knock on the picture before leaving the house.
Grief has brought him and his mom closer. They often go grocery shopping at Walmart together, with Kate making Onyeka pull down the items from the top shelf, despite being 6 feet herself. He pushes the cart for her too.
Then they go home and watch his highlights together. "Why did you turn the ball over? You gotta be strong with the ball!" she tells him, critiquing his moves.
When he isn't with her, he texts her: How are you? Are you OK? Where are you? She does the same with him. "I'm 19, and I still got a curfew because she's still so scared. Anything can happen," Okongwu says.
But while watching him play, she feels a little more at ease. She takes her customary seat behind the backboard and watches how he sprints down the court, notices how much he looks like his brother from the side. Especially when he spins, turns baseline and throws down that two-handed dunk.
She smiles. Looks up. It's true. Nnamdi always said how great his little brother would become.
Mirin Fader is a staff writer for B/R Mag. She's written for the Orange County Register, espnW.com, SI.com and Slam. Her work has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the Football Writers Association of America, the Los Angeles Press Club and the Best American Sports Writing series. Follow her on Twitter: @MirinFader.
2020 No. 1 Recruit Evan Mobley Compared to Giannis, Kevin Garnett by AAU Coach
Jan 10, 2020
Rancho Christian's Evan Mobley #4 in action against McEachern during a high school basketball game at the Hoophall Classic, Monday, January 21, 2019, in Springfield, MA. (AP Photo/Gregory Payan)
The top high school boys basketball recruit in 2020 is already taking on some large comparisons before he even steps foot on a college campus.
Center Evan Mobley, 247Sports' top player in this year's class, is being heralded by some as a generational talent on par with two of the NBA's premier players over the last 20 years. Speaking to The Undefeated, his AAU coach, Etop Udo-Ema, called the Californian's game a "mixture of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant" and who can play like Kevin Garnett.
"He is as perfect a basketball player that I've ever seen," Mobley's high school coach, Ray Barefield, said. "We all know he's going to be in the NBA. When he picks up weight and if he's on the right team, he could be an All-Star with a big-time career."
The 6-11, 205-pound Mobley has committed to USC, where his father Eric is associate head coach and his brother Isaiah is a freshman power forward.
"He's a great defensive player who can change the course of any game,"Udo-Ema said. "I've been coaching for 30 years and I've seen pretty much every top player that has been through Southern California, and if he develops, he can be better than any of them. Once he gets bigger and stronger, there is no ceiling for this kid."
Given his upbringing, it only makes sense. Mobley's father told The Undefeated he had his kids dribble basketballs as they recited the alphabet as toddlers.
Eric Mobley joined Andy Enfield's coaching staff at USC in March 2018 after running AAU teams in California. He played collegiately at Portland before landing at Cal Poly Pomona.
In an era where top high school recruits are either going abroad to play professionally before they can enter the NBA—like LaMelo Ball and RJ Hampton—or sitting out their freshman season—like James Wiseman has chosen to do after starting the year with Memphis—Mobley is set to play for a Trojans team that will count him as one of its best recruits since O.J. Mayo and DeMar DeRozan.
Simply put, Mobley is exactly the type of player Enfield has been searching for at USC for some time now—especially as rival UCLA has trotted out college stars like Lonzo Ball, Kevin Looney and Shareef O'Neal.
If Mobley can play close to the level his current coaches are projecting, two of the Pac-12's marquee names might be able to reignite a rivalry that's long felt dormant.
USC Men's Basketball Receives Notice of Allegations Stemming from Federal Probe
Dec 13, 2019
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 25: Assistant Coach Tony Bland of the USC Trojans cheers on the batch during the game against the UCLA Bruins at Galen Center on January 25, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images)
USC announced Friday that the NCAA has sent its men's basketball team a notice of allegations in regards to the actions of a former coach in the program.
The statement read as follows per Adam Grosbard of the Orange County Register:
“USC has received a Notice of Allegations from the NCAA related to a former coach in the men’s basketball program. USC has cooperated with the NCAA since it first became aware of the issues raised in the Notice of Allegations. Because the notice involves a pending NCAA case, USC is unable to discuss any of the allegations in or facts relating to the case. USC looks forward to an expeditious resolution of this matter.”
The coach in question is assistant Tony Bland, who was fired in January 2018. Emily Caron of Sports Illustrated outlined the charges against him, which were part of a larger college basketball corruption scandal involving multiple coaches and schools.
"Bland pleaded guilty in January to a felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery as part of a deal with prosecutors, admitting that he accepted $4,100 in cash–the least of the implicated coaches–to direct Trojans' players to use Christian Dawkins' sports management company after college," Caron wrote.
Bland was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service.
The scandal also involved ex-Trojan (and current Memphis Grizzlies) guard De'Anthony Melton.Adam Schlabachof ESPN provided more details:
"In January 2018, USC suspended guard De'Anthony Melton for the entire season after determining a close family friend received an extra benefit. That friend, Dave Elliott, allegedly took a plane ticket and possibly payment for a hotel room at a basketball event in Las Vegas, according to Melton's attorney, Vicki Podberesky. Melton withdrew from the school the next month and turned pro."
Schlabach also reported USC is the fourth school involved in the scandal to receive a notice of allegations, with Kansas, North Carolina State and Oklahoma State the other three.
The NCAA is also looking into Arizona, Auburn, Creighton, Louisville and LSU, per Schlabach.
5-Star Center Evan Mobley Commits to USC over UCLA, More
Aug 5, 2019
Five-star center Evan Mobley provided a big boost to the USC Trojans' 2020 recruiting class as he committed to play college basketball in Los Angeles.
ESPN's Jeff Borzello and Paul Biancardi broke the news Monday, with Mobley telling them he had known for some time that USC was going to be the pick:
"I want to get it out of the way before I start my senior year. And I know where I want to go. As a freshman and sophomore, I wasn't sure exactly where I was going to go. I was looking for the best fit. But after my junior season, I know that being at USC is the right fit for me."
Prior to choosing USC, the Rancho Christian (Temecula, California) star had been recruited by the likes of Alabama, Miami, Stanford and UCLA.
With this latest commitment, the Trojans now have the 15th-ranked recruiting class for 2020, according to 247Sports.
Mobley is the top overall recruit in his class, according to 247Sports. Tim Emrich of ESPN noted Mobley is USC's first No. 1 overall prospect in the ESPN 100 era (since 2007) and just its third top-10 recruit during that span.
The 6'11", 200-pound big man was selected California's Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior in 2018-19 after averaging 19.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.7 blocks and 3.3 assists while leading his Eagles to a 26-6 record.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xus4j0CBO98
Mobley has also represented USA Basketball, helping Team USA win gold at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup. He averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds as Team USA went 7-0 en route to the title.
USC has long been viewed as the favorite for Mobley, given it hired his father, Eric Mobley, as an assistant coach in May 2018. The Trojans also previously landed Evan's brother, 5-star power forward Isaiah Mobley, in their 2019 recruiting class.
Evan revealed to ESPN's Adam Finkelstein in July 2018 that other programs had stopped recruiting him as USC gained momentum.
For USC fans, there's plenty to be excited about, considering the comparisons the younger Mobley is drawing.
Evan Mobley oozes with natural ability & potential. He is a model for today’s NBA game. He impacts the game with his shot-blocking giftedness. Scoreing won’t be a problem as he owns a soft touch with graceful movements. An impact recruit for @USC_Hoops
"Honestly, I think he's like Kevin Durant, Greek Freakish," Isaiah said of Evan, per Finkelstein. "He's a freak athlete. We train athletically, but he kind of woke up one day and was a totally different cat. He was just growing and growing, and now here he is."
The Trojans have made the NCAA tournament just twice in Andy Enfield's six seasons as coach, never making it past the opening weekend. With Mobley's commitment, though, there is plenty of reason for optimism in Southern California.
Ex-USC Basketball Coach Tony Bland Gets 2 Years' Probation in Bribery Scandal
Jun 5, 2019
FILE - In this March 15, 2012, file photo, then-San Diego State assistant coach Tony Bland talks during an NCAA college basketball practice in Columbus, Ohio. Southern California has fired associate head coach Bland in the wake of his arrest in the college basketball bribery and corruption case. A school spokesman confirmed Bland's firing on Thursday, Jan. 25, 2018, but offered no other details. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak, File)
Former USC Trojans assistant basketball coach Tony Bland was sentenced to two years of probation and 100 hours of community service Wednesday as part of an FBI investigation into corruption in college athletics.
Matt Norlander of CBS Sports reported the update. Bland pleaded guilty in January to a felony count of conspiracy to commit bribery.
The Associated Press reported prosecutors in New York were seeking a prison sentence of up to a year for Bland, who admitted to accepting a $4,100 bribe to steer players to "an inexperienced and under-qualified athlete-adviser." Defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman had argued his client shouldn't receive any jail time as the "least culpable" of the four ex-coaches charged in the case.
On Monday,Nathan Fennoof theLos Angeles Timesobtained a victim impact statement sent to U.S. District Court Judge Edgardo Ramos in May from USC vice president for professionalism and ethics Michael Blanton.
"The actions of Mr. Bland and his co-conspirators have significantly damaged the reputation of USC as an institution, the USC athletic department and its men's basketball program," he wrote. "Further, their actions have prompted an NCAA investigation that may result in penalties. Lastly, USC was forced to expend significant amounts of money to investigate Mr. Bland's conduct and to cooperate with the government as it has prosecuted this case."
Bland was fired by the university in January 2018 after being one of 10 individuals arrested in September 2017 in connection with the FBI's investigation into the "dark underbelly of college basketball."
"All of those charged today contributed to a pay-to-play culture that has no business in college basketball," FBI New York division assistant director Bill Sweeneytold reportersat the press conference announcing the arrests.
Book Richardson (Arizona Wildcats), Lamont Evans (Oklahoma State Cowboys) and Chuck Person (Auburn Tigers) were the other assistants arrested and charged. They will be sentenced at later dates.
"I respectfully ask that the Court simply recognize this is not a victimless crime," Blanton wrote in his letter to Ramos, per Fenno. "USC, its student-athletes, and college athletics as a whole have suffered greatly because of what Mr. Bland and his co-conspirators did."
Bland joined the USC coaching staff in 2014 after four seasons as an assistant for the San Diego State Aztecs.
Kevin Porter Jr. Suspended Indefinitely by USC Due to 'Personal Conduct Issues'
Jan 14, 2019
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 06: Kevin Porter Jr. #4 of the USC Trojans handles the ball against the Robert Morris Colonials during college basketball game at Galen Center on November 06, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)
USC guard Kevin Porter Jr. has been suspended indefinitely by the program for his off-court behavior and could be kicked off the team, according to Brady McCollough of the Los Angeles Times.
"He was suspended for conduct issues," head coach Andy Enfield said Monday. "We'll re-evaluate his future with the program this week."
Porter had initially been suspended for just Monday's game against Oregon for an incident that happened between the team's previous game Thursday and Sunday morning, per McCollough.
The freshman scored just five points in 25 minutes during the 79-74 overtime loss to Oregon State on Thursday. The Trojans struggled much more without him on Sunday, losing 81-60 to Oregon.
Jeff Goodman of Stadium had a blunt assessment of the year to this point:
USC getting pounded at Oregon without Kevin Porter Jr. - who was suspended for “conduct” issues. This season has been a complete train wreck for the Trojans.
Porter was a 5-star recruit out of Washington and considered the No. 28 overall player in the 2018 class by 247Sports' composite rankings. However, he hasn't had much of a chance to show what he can do at USC.
He has only appeared in seven games while dealing with a thigh injury, averaging a modest 10.7 points per game when on the court. He also only topped 25 minutes in a game once despite the Trojans lacking depth in the rotation.
Meanwhile, this continues a trend of off-court problems affecting the team, as Jordan Usher was suspended earlier in the year before transferring.
"We've had a lot of distractions this season for a variety of reasons," Enfield said, per Kyle Bonagura of ESPN.com. "The last thing you need is a team that's trying to put together some wins in the Pac-12 to have more distractions."
The team is now just 9-8 after Monday's loss, including a 2-2 record in the Pac-12.
