Tag: USC Trojans basketball

UCLA loses out on Penn transfer Clark Slajchert to USC

Clark Slajchert landed at USC…

The USC Trojans-UCLA Bruins rivalry might be getting even hotter this offseason. D’Anton Lynn left UCLA to go to USC, and then UCLA landed Kobe Johnson in the transfer portal.

Now, the Trojans landed Penn hoops transfer Clark Slajchert despite having UCLA as one of his final eight programs.

The other finalists for the talented Penn transfer included Cal, Davidson, Stanford, San Francisco, Utah State, and Michigan.

Adding Slajchert to the Bruins roster would’ve been a massive boost after bringing in Skyy Clark and Johnson so far, but he chose to go and join Eric Musselman and the Trojans.

Slajchert was second-team All-Ivy League this past season and is a big boost for Musselman as he makes the transition from Arkansas to USC.

But, Mick Cronin losing out on a top target is a big blow to the program, especially with the fact he went to USC instead.

Kobe Johnson’s shooting needs to improve for UCLA

Kobe Johnson has some things to work on as well.

What does Kobe Johnson bring to the table? The UCLA Bruins’ big transfer addition from USC has a lot of talent and is a welcomed addition to the program.

Trojans Wire site editor Matt Zemek examined his strengths and if he can be a starter for UCLA. Now, he speaks on the weaknesses of Johnson’s game and what he needs to improve on.

Johnson needs to work on his offense, particularly his shooting. He simply did not shoot the ball well. If he can become a knockdown 3-point guy for the Bruins, UCLA will be extremely tough to beat. However, who would look at this past season at USC and say that Kobe Johnson will be a breakthrough offensive player? Kobe actually did hit some big late-game 3-pointers for USC in the 2022-2023 season, and we all hoped he would take the next step as an offensive player in 2024, but that simply did not happen. Mick Cronin has to develop Kobe on offense for UCLA to realize its potential in 2025.

There is a lot to like about Kobe Johnson going from USC to UCLA, but he needs to improve his shooting.

Trojans Wire mentions why Kobe Johnson could be a starter for UCLA

Kobe Johnson could be a starter next year for UCLA.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team landing Kobe Johnson in the portal was a massive addition to Mick Cronin’s team.

Early on in the offseason, UCLA has struck gold by landing Johnson and Louisville transfer Skyy Clark.

The big question about Johnson is where he fits in the roster and whether or not he will be a starter next year. We asked Trojans Wire site editor Matt Zemek that question, and here’s his answer:

Kobe Johnson did not have a strong 2024 season at USC, but yes, he will be a starter. Seniors who come back for one more season instead of going pro are expecting to be starters. This is true in football, and it is also true in basketball. Would Kobe have transferred to UCLA if he knew that Mick Cronin would relegate him to a backup/role player spot on the roster? Highly doubtful.

As Zemek mentions, it is doubtful that Johnson would’ve come to Westwood knowing he was going to be a role player. But, the Bruins have expressed a ton of interest in other players in the portal, and we won’t know the official answer to this question for a while.

But, Kobe Johnson as a starter wouldn’t be surprising.

Trojans Wire details underrated part of Kobe Johnson’s game

@TrojansWire mentioned the underrated part of Kobe Johnson’s game, and UCLA fans should be happy.

The UCLA Bruins landed a massive commitment in the transfer portal from USC wing Kobe Johnson. The addition of Johnson came a day after landing Skyy Clark in another portal move, so the offseason has gotten off to a terrific start.

Trojans Wire site editor Matt Zemek, who saw plenty of Johnson during his days at USC, detailed the most underrated part of his game:

Kobe Johnson doesn’t hijack a team’s offense. He might not be that great a shooter or scorer, but at USC, he didn’t try to dominate the ball or take shots away from Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier. He took shots because he was open, not because he insisted on being the man to take a shot. He will be selfless and a team player, and that is certainly part of what attracted Mick Cronin when he pursued Kobe in the transfer portal.

Johnson’s selflessness and team-first mentality will be a big addition for the Bruins as they load up in hopes of making a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2024-2025.

College Sports Wire has UCLA as potential Bronny James landing spot

Could Bronny James come to UCLA?

The USC Trojans saw Bronny James enter the transfer portal along with a flurry of others following Eric Musselman becoming the new head coach. Bronny also declared the NBA Draft but kept his college eligibility open while entering the portal, so there are a lot of different scenarios for the son of LeBron James.

Does he go to the NBA? Does he decide to return to USC? Or does he go elsewhere?

Andy Patton of College Sports Wire laid out some destinations for Bronny, including the NBA, and had UCLA as one of the choices. Here’s what Patton said:

If Bronny wants to stay in the LA area near his family, but he is ready to move on from USC, he could follow in the footsteps of teammate Kobe Johnson and transfer to UCLA.

Mick Cronin’s team already added Johnson and Skyy Clark via the portal, but coming off a disappointing 16-17 season this team could use all the offensive firepower they can find. Cronin isn’t one to promise playing time, so Bronny will have to fight to get minutes, but the fit is there if he is willing to jump ship to the other LA school.

Whether or not Bronny James returns to college remains to be seen, although his NBA Draft stock isn’t very promising after the year USC had.

So, there is a chance Bronny stays in LA and plays for the Bruins.

Photos of Kobe Johnson after he left USC to go to UCLA

Kobe Johnson has a lot of familiarity with the Bruins.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team continued to add talent in the transfer portal. A day after landing Louisville guard Skyy Clark, the Bruins got a commitment from USC transfer Kobe Johnson in a huge move for Mick Cronin’s team.

Johnson now goes from USC to UCLA in an interesting move, and it came just hours before the Trojans announced former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman as the replacement for Andy Enfield.

Johnson brings a lot of versatility to the Bruins roster for next season, and possibly more, and landing Clark and Johnson in back-to-back days has sparked life into the fan base.

Here are some photos from Kobe Johnson’s time with the Trojans.

UCLA reaches out to USC de-commit Trent Perry

UCLA in touch with Trent Perry following USC de-commitment.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball program has been active in gauging the interest of players in the transfer portal.

That continued on Tuesday as talented USC Trojans recruit Trent Perry decided to de-commit from the program with Andy Enfield leaving to take the SMU head coaching job.

Not even a day later, Perry revealed a number of schools had been in touch with him, including the UCLA Bruins (h/t Paul Biancardi of ESPN).

“I chose to de-commit from USC due to Andy Enfield leaving. I believe that was the best decision for me so that I can weigh all my options and decide what is best. Some schools that have already reached out are Alabama, Gonzaga, Virginia, UCLA, Nebraska, Stanford and others. Of course I’m eager to see who the next coach at USC will be.”

If UCLA can find a way to steal Perry away from the Trojans, it would be a massive boost and a monumental addition to Mick Cronin’s team. Perry was named a McDonald’s All-American, and stealing away a Trojn to come to Westwood would be amazing for the program,.

Trojans Wire picks Stanford over USC in Pac-12 Conference women’s predictions

@TrojansWire has Stanford over USC in Pac-12 tournament final.

The Pac-12 Conference women’s basketball tournament is set to begin on Wednesday with the top four seeds not having to play until Thursday.

The UCLA Bruins enter as a 3-seed with the 2-seed USC Trojans, 1-seed Stanford Cardinal, and the 4-seed Oregon State Beavers.

There are a number of ways this tournament can go, especially with the toughness the Pa-12 has shown this year on the women’s side.

Matt Zemek, the site editor of Trojans Wire, gave his picks for the tournament round by round and game by game. He has Stanford winning the tournament over USC in the final.

Everything Mick Cronin said after UCLA’s loss to USC

Mick Cronin had a lot to say after UCLA lost to USC.

The UCLA Bruins men’s basketball team lost a frustrating game against crosstown rival USC on Saturday. Fans flocked to Pauley Pavilion to see the UCLA-USC showdown, and the Trojans came out on top, 62-56.

UCLA scored just 22 points in the second half as both Sebastian Mack and Lazar Stefanovic struggled from the field.

UCLA’s recent streak has come to a crushing end with a loss to USC, who moves to 11-16 on the season.

After the game, UCLA head coach Mick Cronin had a lot of negative things to say about the performance — and rightfully so.

It could be a long week in Westwood.

Foul trouble, JuJu Watkins doom sharp-shooting Buffs at USC

Despite shooting the lights out early, Colorado couldn’t keep pace with the USC Trojans

College women’s basketball superstar JuJu Watkins and a quick whistle from the refs ultimately doomed No. 11 Colorado’s upset bid at No. 7 USC on Friday night.

The Buffs led Southern Cal by two scores midway through the third quarter before the freshman Watkins took over, scoring 14 of her game-high 42 points in the fourth quarter. Following the 87-81 defeat, Colorado (20-6, 10-5 Pac-12) has now lost three straight for the first time all season.

Once Jaylyn Sherrod fouled out at the 8:15 mark of the fourth quarter and Aaronette Vonleh followed three minutes later, the Buffs’ offense was unable to keep pace with USC’s firepower.

Especially in the early going, Friday’s battle at the Galen Center featured an impressive shooting display by both teams. Colorado went 16-for-22 from the field, including 5-for-6 from deep, in the first half. Those numbers helped keep the Buffs alive against a Trojans team that made 10 first-half 3s.

Head coach JR Payne’s Buffs will be at No. 12 UCLA on Monday (ESPN2).

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