Finding Fan Favorites: Gritty De’Anthony Melton is breaking out for Memphis

Under different circumstances, De’Anthony Melton would be considered one of the greatest Trojan basketball players of all time. 

His lone season at USC was a remarkable one. Melton was the first freshman to record at least 300 points, 150 rebounds, 100 assists, 60 steals and 35 blocks since Dwayne Wade. 

Even more impressive were his performances against NBA prospects. In one game, he put up 13 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and a block in an 84-76 win over future No. 2 overall pick Lonzo Ball and UCLA. Against No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz, his numbers were even better — he posted 16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks versus the Huskies.

So, how did Melton go from putting up Dwayne Wade numbers and outshining the NBA’s top picks to becoming a second-round draft pick, largely forgotten by Trojan fans and ignored by fans of the NBA? 

One unfair suspension. 

Melton’s sophomore season was taken away from him without fanfare when his name became mixed up in a college basketball scandal. 

The scandal is an extremely complicated one, its most simplest terms, a family friend of Melton received compensation that wasn’t allowed by the NCAA rules at the time. 

This was, of course, before the emergence of NIL deals. 

What makes this whole situation odd is the fact that no evidence was ever found that Melton himself received any money, only that his relative did. Suspending Melton for someone else’s actions felt unfair then, and it feels even more unfair now that athletes can receive all the NIL money they want. 

Regardless, Melton didn’t play at all during the 2017-18 season. He missed any opportunity to boost his draft stock and was forced to spend a year without any in-game competition. 

His second round selection confirmed that no one thought of him as a future star anymore. 

Melton has since worked his way back from that low point. He has improved statistically every season since he was drafted, and after playing for a few different teams, he has found a home with the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies have developed a reputation for two things: high effort and high level defense. Melton has always been an elite defender and a guy who will put in 110% effort for an open shot. He has embraced defense and effort more than ever with the Grizzlies, who have rewarded him handsomely. They signed him to a four-year contract in 2020.  

Despite his improvement, Melton still couldn’t inspire the same buzz about his potential that surrounded him during his freshman year at USC. 

Until now. 

In his last five games, Melton has averaged 20.6 points per game. This has greatly helped the Grizzlies who haven’t missed a beat in the recent absence of superstar guard Ja Morant. This hot streak culminated in a poster dunk over Kevon Looney that was on every highlight reel at the end of a night when the Grizzlies blew out the Warriors 123-95. 

 Speaking of the Warriors, perhaps Melton is the next Jordan Poole. Memphis has a crowded backcourt, but Melton fits his team’s identity and is thriving despite fierce competition for minutes. Poole has developed in similar fashion, playing well when given an opportunity on a Warriors roster loaded with guards. Both were second round draft picks who took a few years to develop but are emerging as perfect fits for their team. 

Many consider Poole a future star and the heir apparent to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. If Melton continues to play well, the Grizzlies will be forced to give him more minutes too. 

If he does, it will be a credit to the years of working his way back from the threat of being forgotten. 

USC hoops fans, now is the time to jump on the De’Anthony Melton bandwagon. The only thing that should be forgotten about him is the scandal that stole his USC career. 

What we should remember is how excited everyone was about Melton during his freshman season, because he is beginning to put up similarly exciting performances for one of the best teams in the NBA. 

We were robbed of watching Melton ball out once. Let’s not let an opportunity to celebrate his exciting play slip through our grasp again. 

Ethan Inman is a freshman writing about exceptional USC athletic alumni who are relatively unknown despite their achievements. His column, “Finding Fan Favorites,” runs every other Thursday.