Glitz, glamor and gutsy guard-play: That’s what’s on everyone’s mind heading into No. 21 USC’s season-opener against Kansas State Monday night in Las Vegas.

Fifth-year guard Boogie Ellis returning for another run, consensus No. 1 recruit freshman guard Isaiah Collier and freshman guard Bronny James rehabbing for a potential mid-season return highlight a Trojan backcourt hungry to avenge back-to-back first-round March Madness exits.

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“Every loss for me is a lesson, so I definitely took some lessons from that [loss],” Ellis said in an interview with the Daily Trojan. “I’m a vet now, and I’m ready to go. I have a lot of experience with what winning looks like.”

Ellis was USC’s leading scorer a season ago with 17.7 points per game, shooting 43.4% from the field. Entering his third season with the Trojans, Ellis was rewarded for his veteran status as a team captain along with junior guard Kobe Johnson.

Johnson is another strong returner for the Trojans after garnering a spot on the Pac-12 All-Defensive team last season. He averaged just over nine points per game while finishing second in the Pac-12 with 72 steals. Johnson was recently named to the second-team All-Pac-12 team for his defensive prowess, but Head Coach Andy Enfield is looking for improvement from him on the other side of the court.

“[Johnson] is a terrific defensive player, as we all know, and his offense has developed at a high level in the last year and a half,” Enfield said. “This year, we expect him to take that next step as a junior and to be relied upon every night, not just for defense like he might have been in the past, but for his offense, as well.”

In all, the Trojans returned three of their starters — Ellis, Johnson and redshirt senior forward Joshua Morgan. But it’s the new faces on the team that have them lined up for another potential 20-win season. Enfield put together, according to 247Sports, the third-best recruiting class in the country. 

Success may solely depend on the guard play, with the two ends of the spectrum — seasoned leader and hot-shot neophyte. Collier is a pass-first type of guard who could give Enfield the type of playmaker he’s never had before. Collier is already confident in his abilities to be a force for this team.

“It’s been a good adjustment for me as far as how college players play,” Collier said. “I’ve been here since May, I’ve learned a lot. I feel like I’m ready now.”

In Enfield’s 10-year tenure at USC, he’s had a player finish with an average of over six assists per game once. It will be a different offensive style of basketball than Enfield teams in the past that has typically been dominated by big men.

The Trojans will kick off their season right on the national stage, and won’t have an easy opponent to deal with. They’ll take on a Kansas State team that went to the Elite Eight just a season ago. The Wildcats and second-year Head Coach Jerome Tang won’t be able to channel that Elite Eight essence easily, with their two top scorers no longer on the team.

Kansas State added nine new players to its roster and boasts a top-25 recruiting class with a top-45 transfer class, according to 24/7 Sports. It will be a different team, but one still led by Tang, who orchestrated a 12-win improvement in his first year as coach.

“It’s really fun to watch their team last year because, as a first-year coach, he did an amazing job with his coaching staff, he put that team together and made that deep run in a tournament,” Enfield said. “Our players are well aware of Kansas State’s success and how good they are.”

With a strong supporting cast and the flurry of new recruits and transfers, this USC team is as hyped as it’s ever been. The Trojans are ranked 21st in the nation right now with only one other Pac-12 team ahead of them. They’ll have the perfect opportunity to see if they are worth all of the buzz in their first game of the season.

“The hype doesn’t mean anything Monday night, but when they come to practice, they do a good job of focusing, playing hard and playing together,” Enfield said. “Once that ball is tipped, it doesn’t matter what hype there is because we have to go play and have to compete at the highest level.” 

USC will begin its long-awaited season-opener Monday night on the national stage when it takes on Kansas State at 7 p.m. at T-Mobile Arena.

Darren Parry contributed to this report.