Trojans trio headed to the NBA

AP Photo/Danny Moloshok

After an incredible finish to their 2008-2009 basketball seasons, DeMar DeRozan, Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson have decided to forgo their remaining time at USC and enter the NBA draft.

According to the Los Angeles Times, both DeRozan and Gibson have decided against hiring agents at this point and hold the possibility of returning to school next year. Hackett, on the other hand, has decided to enlist the help of an agent in order to improve his draft stock and, thus, will not be eligible to return for his senior season.

All three players showed remarkable improvement in their game this past season. DeMar DeRozan earned Pac-10 All-Freshman honors after an impressive freshman season that saw him blossom remarkably in the Pac-10 and NCAA Tournaments. Taj Gibson garnered the Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year honors after a season in which he continually made his presence known in fine defensive fashion. Hackett had another solid season as the steady hands of the Trojans earning him 2nd Team All-Pac-10 honors.

DeRozan had an up and down season before coming into his own and making his presence felt in both the Pac-10 Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. DeRozan has demonstrated the versatility that made him one of the top prospects in the country a year a go. With versatility and youth on his side, it is almost certain that DeRozan will be a lock for the Top-10 in the NBA draft.

While Gibson’s game gave Pac-10 opponents fits all season long, it wasn’t until a matchup against Boston College in the NCAA Tournament that Taj started to receive national attention. In that game against the Eagles, Taj shot an amazing 10-for-10 from the field en route to a 72-55 victory. His performance at the tournament will be hard for NBA scouts to ignore and Taj could very well be a late first round, or early second round, draft pick.

Daniel Hackett stands at the crossroads of his career with his decision to hire an agent and forgo his senior season. While he possesses impressive size for a point guard, he lacks lateral quickness needed at that position, making him more of a “tweener” at the pro level. There is a possibility that he will not be drafted, so it will be interesting to see whether of not Hackett will try to make his mark in the NBA summer leagues or whether he will try to improve his game overseas.

Stay tuned for more information regarding other USC prospects in both the NBA and the NFL drafts.