By W.G. RAMIREZ The Associated Press
LAS VEGAS — The USC men’s basketball team kicked off its season with a dose of the familiar and a newcomer’s splashy debut then turned away a final challenge for a victory.
Boogie Ellis had 24 points and eight rebounds and touted freshman Isaiah Collier had 18 points and six assists as No. 21 USC defeated Kansas State, 82-69, in the season opener for both teams on Monday night at T-Mobile Arena.
The Trojans led by 19 with 6:33 left, but that margin was trimmed to eight with 1:41 remaining before USC held on.
“We’ve got a lot of vets and people that are experienced and been through it,” Ellis said. “So we just stayed calm and came together.”
Collier scored 15 of his points in the first half, then received a standing ovation when he went to the bench after fouling out with 4:50 to left in the game.
“I thought Isaiah played a great first half, first game on the big stage here in Las Vegas. I thought it was important for us to get out to a fast start,” USC coach Andy Enfield said. “I thought Boogie and Isaiah really controlled the tempo in the first half. Isaiah got downhill and was able to get to the rim, made some great passes. … I was proud of the six assists and 7 of 9 from the field. Very efficient tonight.”
Kobe Johnson finished with 16 points for the Trojans, and Joshua Morgan had 11. USC shot 31 for 60 from the floor (51.7%).
Tyler Perry led Kansas State with 22 points. Cam Carter scored 15, and David N’Guessan had 10 points and 10 rebounds.
“This is exactly why we came here,” Wildcats coach Jerome Tang said. “This is a really good USC team. High-level players. The great thing is that we don’t have to wait for a month or two weeks or before the Big 12 to find out the things that we need to work on. It was very much exposed. … We did a couple of good things and a whole bunch of not-so-good things.”
A strong defensive team last season, the Trojans limited the Wildcats to 31% shooting (22 for 71).
USC held its opponents under 40% in 19 of 33 games last season and finished eighth in the country in field goal percentage defense at 39.3%.
It was the first time the teams met since the 2008 NCAA Tournament, when the Wildcats defeated USC, 80-67. Kansas State, which reached the Elite Eight in March, dropped to 4-2 all-time against the Trojans.
BRONNY WATCH
Bronny James took the court donning grey sweats while his teammates warmed up for the game.
And as his team played, his father – Lakers star LeBron James – revealed what the family hopes is a path to Bronny being back on the floor.
“Things are going in the right direction with Bronny’s progress,” LeBron James said Monday night in Miami, after he and the Lakers lost to the Heat. “He’s done with rehab. Every week, he gets to do more and more and more. We have a big – a big – moment at the end of the month to see how we can continue to go forward.
“If he’s cleared, we’ll be not too long away from him being back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing with the notion of being back on the floor and playing in game situations,” LeBron James added. “Everything’s on the up and up.”
Bronny James is still on his way back from suffering a cardiac arrest during a summer workout. LeBron James said last month that his son had surgery to repair a congenital heart condition that caused the collapse.
“He’s improving,” LeBron James said. “He’s on the right path.”
There is no known timetable for Bronny James’ return to play, though there is hope that it’ll be at some point this season.
Once the Wildcats finished their warmup on the west end of the court, James sauntered to the open space, took a couple of shots near the top of the key, found his place in the corner, and took three more shots from long range before making a 3-pointer and exiting the court with the 21st-ranked Trojans.
It has long been the dream of LeBron James that one of his sons – Bronny or younger son Bryce, a rising star at Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High – would play alongside him in the NBA. Bronny James would be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft if he chose that path.
LeBron James said all the doctors involved in his son’s recovery, along with those at USC, have done “a hell of a job.”
“We’re proud of his progress,” LeBron James said of his son. “We’re proud of his strength.”
LeBron James’ wife, Savannah, and son, Bryce, sat courtside for the game.
“It’s very important to us to show support to all of the kids, and obviously Bronny is not playing tonight, but we wanted to show support to the rest of the young men who have worked all summer to get ready for this point,” Savannah James told The Associated Press during halftime. “We know Bronny is anxious to play, but he will have his comeback soon and then we’ll be here to actually watch him on the floor. But we’re a USC family and we want to make sure that we’re here to support Bronny, as well as the entire team.”
Bronny James sat at the end of the USC bench with freshman forward Brandon Gardner, who was also in grey sweats. James was involved in each huddle during every timeout and stood more than he sat, cheering on teammates during the first half, clapping in tempo while yelling “DE-FENSE!” with the others on the bench.
“Bronny is a terrific basketball player, but he’s even a better person and his family has been so supportive,” USC coach Andy Enfield said after the game. “To have Savannah and his family here, that meant a lot, meant a lot to everybody. … If you watch him or know him throughout his high school career and now into college, all the limelight, he handles it so well and he’s so humble and just a terrific person to coach.”
BIG PICTURE
USC: Collier’s performance came on the heels of an impressive one by fellow freshman JuJu Watkins, who led USC’s 21st-ranked women’s team to an 83-74 victory over No. 7 Ohio State. Collier and Watkins were considered by many as the consensus No. 1 recruits for 2023.
Kansas State: The Wildcats opened their season away from home for the first time since losing 73-64 to BYU in 2002. Kansas State dropped to 12-17 when starting outside Manhattan, Kansas.
UP NEXT
USC hosts Cal State Bakersfield on Thursday.
AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.
