USC’s impact players ready for new season


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Senior guard Drew Peterson passes the ball to his teammate.
Senior guard Drew Peterson transferred to USC from Rice in summer 2020, playing in all 33 games last season. (Simon Park | Daily Trojan)

When the final buzzer rang in Indianapolis last March, it signaled the end of a historic run for the Trojans. They advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2001, eventually falling to a Gonzaga team that competed in the NCAA tournament final. 

Despite last season’s accomplishments, the 2021-2022 campaign begins with a lot of uncertainty. USC is retaining six of its top eight scorers, but the two leading scorers, center Evan Mobley and guard Tahj Eaddy, are not returning. 

Here are some of the top players to look out for as the Trojans start up their season. 

Junior forward Isaiah Mobley 

The Trojans retained many talented players, including junior forward Isaiah Mobley, who decided to take his name out of the running for the NBA Draft and play another season at USC in July. The curtain has not yet fallen on the Mobley era at USC, despite losing Evan Mobley to the Cleveland Cavaliers as a result of the 2021 NBA draft. 

As a stretch-big power forward, Mobley averaged 9.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per game last season as a consistent starter for the team. His passing chemistry with his brother provided some easy buckets in the paint, but Mobley will be tasked with shot-creating more often this season without his partner. 

As a team captain this season, Mobley will look to establish himself as a leader both on and off the court. 

Junior guard Ethan Anderson

Ethan Anderson put together some memorable performances last season, most notably in USC’s blowout 66-48 win over UCLA Feb. 6, where he scored a career-high 19 points with 5 3-pointers. 

Injuries abbreviated his season, and Anderson started just 6 games in total. His minutes are set to increase with the loss of Eaddy, who took most of the minutes at point guard last season. 

With this increase in playtime, Anderson’s playmaking abilities will be important for the overall flow of the offense. He averaged 2.7 assists per game last season, tied for second on the team. 

Senior guard Drew Peterson 

A transfer from Rice, Drew Peterson carved out a spot for himself in Head Coach Andy Enfield’s rotation last season. Peterson fulfilled his role as a spot-up shooter, and he will be the team’s best returning three-point shooter with a 38.5% average last season.

Peterson won’t just stick to shooting, though. Standing at 6’9”, he has the height to match up with forwards on defense and pull in rebounds. He averaged 5 rebounds per game last season, good for third on the team. His agility and playmaking ability get him minutes as a guard as well, and he was tied for second on the team in assists per game last season with 2.7. 

Newcomers

A mostly veteran team will be aided by new additions such as Memphis transfer junior guard Boogie Ellis and four-star freshman guard Malik Thomas. 

Ellis earned AAC Co-Sixth Man of the Year status with Memphis last season. Coming off the bench, he averaged 10.2 points per game in 28 games played last season. Ellis will also add three-point shooting to the roster, as he shot 38.6% from three last season.

Thomas, a California native, averaged 22.6 points per game as a senior in high school and was named 2020-21 California High School Boys Gatorade Player of the Year. Thomas will be a physical option at guard and is set to be a defensive asset for USC.