USC Basketball Report Card: Renaldo Woolridge

The player known as ‘Swiperboy’ was one of the seven transfers to take his talents to Southern California this past season, fighting for playing time under head coach Kevin O’Neill. Renaldo Woolridge never amounted to much more than an initial media sensation, given his musical success, while he had a few games with success coming off the bench with his three-point shooting.

Oct 2, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Renaldo Woolridge (0) poses during a portrait session at the Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-USA TODAY Sports

What Stood Out:

Woolridge was an interesting player to say the least. He averaged one point per game coming off the bench, playing a career low 5.3 minutes a night in his fifth season of NCAA eligibility. The fifth-year senior struggled to get out of Kevin O’Neill’s much publicized dog house, and that did not change once Bob Cantu took over back in January. The 6-foot-9 transfer from Tennessee showed little tenacity on the either end of the floor, and was known more for his performance than his statistics.

The only game that Woolridge truly made a positive impact  was on January 26th against Arizona, a game the Trojans lost by 24 points. Woolridge accounted for eight points, three rebounds, a block and a steal coming in the second half and playing 13 minutes. The final stat line actually placed Woolridge as the Trojans most important player, according to ESPN.

What Needed Work:

The greatest weakness for Renaldo Woolridge was that he never truly applied himself in the gym, known as a man who used his time more in the recording studio than on the court for the Trojans. After participating in the Slam Dunk Contest from Atlanta, Woolridge showcased his raw potential in front of a national audience, a potential the Trojans never saw in a game. When Woolridge reached the floor he struggled to find proper spacing, utilize his size on either end of the court. Woolridge is an athletic wing player but played too passively in practice and on the court to make any impact this season.

Summer Prospectus:

Woolridge has now finished his final days at USC with the large Los Angeles market to pursue his dreams as recording artist. Swiperboy is a self promoter, with a motor to achieve success in the performance industry. Expect Renaldo to hang the gym shorts for good as his basketball days seem well destined for trips to the YMCA for three-point shooting contests on Sunday afternoons.

Grading: How would you assess Woolridge’s performance? Grade him in our poll and leave your thoughts below in the comments.

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