2023 four-star power forward Brandon Gardner commits to USC

USC has a crowded roster, but if the Trojans can use one more player, it’s at the four. We’ll see if Gardner can make an impact.

The USC Trojans and Andy Enfield will go to Greece and Croatia in August to play against European basketball teams and give their roster a chance to play together.

One more player can be added to the Trojans’ traveling party.

On Friday, Enfield and USC gained a late pickup in the 2023 recruiting cycle. They added four-star power forward Brandon Gardner to the mix in a very interesting move which raises some obvious questions:

First, how much playing time can Gardner reasonably expect on a roster which is loaded with depth? Bronny James, Isaiah Collier, Kobe Johnson, and Boogie Ellis have the backcourt and wings locked down, but USC has depth in the frontcourt as well with Vince Iwuchukwu, Joshua Morgan, Kijani Wright, Arrinten Page, and D.J. Rodman. That’s a lot of mouths to feed. What can Gardner realistically hope for?

Second, is Gardner more valuable for 2025 than 2024? That might be the true value of this pickup. Gardner is in position to learn quite a lot this season, but mostly from the bench. When Bronny, Collier, Boogie, Morgan, and Iwuchukwu all leave after the 2024 season (or at least, that’s the industry expectation), USC will need bodies. Gardner figures to be a core part of the 2025 USC rotation. That’s probably his true importance to Enfield and the Trojans.

The third obvious question surrounding Gardner: How much will he be able to integrate himself into the 2024 team in this upcoming European trip? Enfield will want to mix and match combinations and see who plays well with each other. Just playing ball is the best way to learn which lineups work best. Can Gardner make any sort of impression on Enfield this summer?

It will be fascinating to find out.

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