Not only was Fontan a great scorer but he held control over this team, after playing two seasons and spending three total years at the helm in Southern California. Fontan had his best scoring year in 2010 as the starting point guard for the last squad to make the NCAA Tournament. The next class of point guards is led by Chass Bryan with a strong recruiting class on the way, looking to make their mark.

Feb 10, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Chass Bryan (13) dribbles the ball against the Washington Huskies at the Galen Center. USC defeated Washington 71-60. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports

Leading Candidate: Chass Bryan 5’9″ 165 Freshmen 1.8 PPG 0.8 RPG 1.3 APG

Chass Bryan played 31 games for the Trojans coming off the bench in the point guard position. Bryan is an electric player that moves with the basketball in a rather dysfunctional fashion, keeping fans on the edge of their seats every time he touches the ball. The walk-on is a half-scholarship winner for his academic prowess that will develop his basketball game as he continues to learn the college game.

Although Bryan was known more as the backup, he and Jio Fontan played together on the same line during the middle of the season. This combination gave the Trojans a nice mix of shooting and penetration as Bryan took over the reigns on offense. This can best be attributed to his 10-point game in 24 minutes against Stanford. Bryan ended the season with four games of at least four assists, as the scrappy backup for the Trojans.

The biggest weakness in Bryan’s game is decision-making when pressure arrives, a facet that pays the most dividends late in the game. Bryan did have trouble staying on the court this season because of his reaching defense but he did show a great first step on the offensive end. For USC to build confidence in their freshmen floor general, Bryan must look to improve his vision but continue to play with that strong motor.

Help On the Way: Julian Jacobs Class of 2013 6’3″ 175 16.2 PPG 6.9 RPG 5.5 APG (Desert Pines High School)

Julian Jacobs is a three-star recruit that has officially declared in the Class of 2013 for the USC Trojans. Jacobs will be the top recruit for the Trojans, as a three-star talent from Las Vegas choosing USC over St. Mary’s, Santa Clara and Utah.

Jacobs is a freak athlete with long arms and an explosive first step who is very raw in terms of point guard fundamentals. The Las Vegas guard plays true to his hometown; full of potential but very sporadic with the basketball. This explosiveness could also be his biggest strength, as Jacobs possess excellent vision combined with a strong first step.

The Trojans will definitely love Jacobs frame on the defensive end of the floor, as the 6’3″ guard possesses quick hands, strong lateral defense and a strong sense of how to handle rotation defense. Based on ESPN Scouting, Jacobs seems rough around the edges in terms of leadership but has great potential to develop thanks to his gaudy athleticism.

Game Changer: Kendall Yancy-Harris Class of 2013 6’4″ 195

Yancy-Harris is the 23rd ranked point guard in the class of 2013, who initially committed to USC last summer as the Trojans’ best recruit. The issue for the Trojan faithful is that Yancy-Harris continues to explore his options as he was granted the ability to shop around for other institutions during late February.

Yancy-Harris, a combo guard who can score the basket as an explosive athlete, can attack the basket with his size and quickness. This man has a strong family pedigree as his brother Terell, played for Oklahoma State and is now in the D-League with Miami. That being said, the young guard has the capabilities to put a team on his back late, carrying the offense with his scoring and driving ability.

If the Trojans were to acquire Yancy-Harris services’ the Trojans would have the perfect compliment guard alongside the likes of JT Terrell and Chass Bryan to drive and kick, or finish at the whole himself. Trojan fans should definitely keep an eye on Yancy-Harris, as he continues to explore his options with USC being near the top of the list.

Feb 17, 2013; Berkeley, CA, USA; USC Trojans J.T. Terrell (20) on defense during the first half of the game against the California Golden Bears at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Ace in the Hole: JT Terrell 6’3″ 185 Junior 11.7 PPG 2.1 RPG 0.8 APG

JT Terrell became the shot-taker and playmaker for the USC Trojans during certain stretches of the game. Terrell will be the starting shooting guard moving forward and is one of the teams best scoring options. He supplies that innate ability to make you miss on defense with a deep shooting range; one that rivals Jimmer Fredette.

Terrell has never been known for his passing ability, but he does possess skills with the basketball. He can weave the ball with dribbles between the leg, behind the back and even a fancy step back jump shot. These type of moves can save possessions, something that Terrell has performed numerous times this season. Obviously this offense would not work long-term, but having the ace in the whole in JT Terrell to finish games could play suit for the more up-tempo offense that thrived in the second half of this season.

The Trojans have much to build on this offseason, and the direction that this program continues to take–with or without Bob Cantu at the helm–will surely play a large factor in how these players develop.

Jio Fontan applied excellent defense on Chasson Randle with 1.8 seconds to play, forcing a missed shot at the buzzer to give the Trojans an upset victory over Stanford, 65-64.

Eric Wise missed two free-throws with 18 seconds to play which put Stanford in position to spoil the Trojans perfect night. USC dominated most of the night, leading by as many as 14 in the second-half.

Stanford (15-10, 6-6) came storming back from a 12-point half-time deficit behind a 16-point effort from junior sensation Chasson Randle. Despite the strong surge, USC won the basketball game in an unconventional manner, similar to those during the Kevin O’Neill era.

USC was placed in a pivotal situation down the stretch leading by four with 5:47 to play. The game was swinging in Stanford’s favor as the Cardinal switched to zone defense, USC’s greatest kryptonite. In a desperate state, the Trojans drove to the rack, finding success in the paint.

Early in the season the USC Trojans (12-13, 7-5) were outrageous from the free-throw line, losing many games–like against Cal and Oregon–due to their horrendous shooting. This has all seemed to change as of late as USC shot 18-23 from the charity stripe, including 9-9 from senior point guard Jio Fontan.

Stanford could only muster 12 free-throws on the night, making only four of them. The Cardinal ultimately lost the game by not attacking the basket and missing their shots from the charity stripe.

Jio Fontan took over for USC down the stretch, using his speed and quickness to attack the Cardinal defense leading to five assists and only two turnovers in the contest. The big recipient of his good play was Dewayne Demdon, who posted his best statistical game of the season.

February 14, 2013; Stanford, CA, USA; USC Trojans forward Dewayne Dedmon (14) looks to the basket during the first half of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at Maples Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports

Dedmon scored 13 points on 6-8 shooting including two rim-rattling dunks that sparked huge cheers and awes from the crowd.

While Dedmon and Fontan played well, Byron Wesley  and Eric Wise recessed from the field shooting a combined 6-22. Both players have hit rough patches over the last two games, and will need to improve their shooting with red-hot Cal this Sunday.

USC stormed out to an impressive 12-point lead at the half behind a promising 12-2 run to end the frame. J.T. Terrell capped the strong half by draining a nearly 40-foot shot before the buzzer in classic style.

The first half was dominated by pace and aggressive defense, something Bob Cantu has implemented quite well with this team.

While USC controlled the game with their tempo, Stanford mashed in the paint on the other end of the court. Josh Huestis scored a game-high 22 points on 10-13 shooting from the field, while his counterpart Josh Powell added 17 points and an impressive 17 rebounds.

The Trojans may have struggled in the paint but they definitely came to play from the perimeter limiting the Cardinal to only 28-percent shooting from deep. This, for a team shooting 45-percent from downtown in Pac-12 play.

Chasson Randle is a classic example of the Cardinal struggles against USC, scoring zero points in three halves of action against the Trojans. The second half was a different story for Randle who nailed three deep balls en route to his 16 points.

USC was able to hold on for dear life and position themselves quite nicely in the Pac-12 race. The Trojans have now won four straight games as the streak of close games continues. In six out of their last eight  games, the score has ended up within eight points or less.

Expect the Trojans to continue grinding out games as the season progresses as the Trojans high-intensity unit continues to move the basketball. With the victory, Head Coach Bob Cantu extends his coaching record to 5-3 with a rejuvenated USC Trojans squad.

Interim Head Coach Bob Cantu took over the reigns for USC on January 14th guiding the Trojans through a very difficult stretch of their schedule. After 12-years as an assistant coach, the substitute teacher was granted the opportunity to run a program for the rest of the season, in the midst of an important Pac-12 race.

The Trojans are 4-3 since Bob Cantu has taken over the reigns and are now tied for 5th place in the conference. This from a team that won only one conference game last season. The tides turned from bad to worse after playing the nations toughest, according to BPI rankings, while losing to bad teams like UCI and Georgia.

All that being said, the fate of USC’s future was placed in Cantu’s hands with a calm demeanor. This style has led the Trojans to a more relaxed style of basketball on the court and confidence off the court. This in contrast to the hard-nosed, intense Kevin O’Neill who brought the passion to every possession of the game, with a certain sense of disconnect with the current group of Trojans.

The long-time babysitter has seized his opportunity on the center stage, making a legitimate case to run this program in the coming years. Let’s take a closer look at how the Trojans have fared, and more importantly played, under Interim Head Coach Bob Cantu.

In his very first game as a Head Coach, the Trojans battled with No. 21 Oregon on January 17th. The Ducks were 14-2 heading into the contest, including wins over UNLV, Arizona and Vanderbilt. On the other side of the court, the USC Trojans began their Cantu Era coming off an impressive road victory over Utah, winning their first Pac-12 road game in over two years.

Before this game USC was averaging 63 PPG near the bottom of the conference. That night the Trojans came out firing from the field, scoring 74 points on 44-percent shooting. This was the beginning of a USC offensive explosion, so to speak, in which the Trojans have scored less than 69 only once.

The Trojans have gone 4-2 since that point by playing team-oriented basketball on the offensive end of the floor. Now averaging close to 72 PPG in Pac-12 play, the offense is taking and making more shots; something USC fans and players are thoroughly enjoying.

The ball is moving much faster around the court, as players are acting with more aggression and fluidity under Head Coach Bob Cantu. This allows for more open-shots and in-turn higher shooting percentages from the field. Once the Trojans started making more shots, defenses are forced to respect their shooting prowess, opening the lane for attacks to the basket.

This style of offense works with an athletic team like USC that can beat opponents in many ways, whether it be with the 3-PT shot or finishing at the rim. Three-point shooting may actually be the most telling stat under Bob Cantu as the Trojans are shooting over 36-percent as a team. When the shots start falling, the confidence spreads amongst the locker room.

Eric Wise and Byron Wesley have played well the entire season scorers throughout the season, but are taking the next step in conference play. Wise has been averaging 14 points and 6.4 rebounds in his last 12 games at USC while Wesley has scored in double figures in five of seven games.

The man who has really flourished during this transition has to be J.T. Terrell. The star transfer was in Kevin O’Neill’s dog house, but is now playing like a free man with confidence and swagger on the court.

“Right now we’re just playing with no leash, no limits,”  Terrell said. This is the feeling amongst the entire team as the Trojan Team of Transfers are finally starting to feel at home.

The proof is in the pudding as the Trojans have increased their scoring totals, free-throw shooting percentage, and have played and won numerous close games. Five of the first seven games that Bob Cantu has coached have come down to five points or less, with the Trojans going 3-2 in that stretch.

The team is definitely improving but the on-the-court antics can drive many insane. Pre-game dunks, half-court shots and shenanigans on the bench would have driven Kevin O’Neill over the edge. I am not necessarily supporting or denying this behavior, it just seems to be allowed much more in the last few weeks.

Cantu seems to have won over his players, and won over many fans when he beat UCLA on Jan. 30, but will he win over Haden? Haden has publicly said that he was hired on a part-time basis, with a full coaching search expected after the season.

The Trojans have played well under Cantu this season, for many reasons, but can the success continue. This man has coached through numerous tenures at USC including Mike Bibby, Tim Floyd and Kevin O’Neill. Through the thick of USC Basketball one thing remains constant: the confident presence of Bob Cantu.

If Bob Cantu can keep his Trojans at this high-paced style of play, the team will continue to compete and the fans will keep responding positively. The home crowd bought into the final product they witnessed Sunday night against Washington, so maybe this is the type of coaching USC Basketball has always needed.

Regardless of what happens in the offseason, one thing is for sure: the Trojans needed a change of direction in leadership and Bob Cantu has been just the spark to get the electricity flowing for these USC Trojans.