USC snagged the third member of its 2018 recruiting class on Monday with the addition of four-star guard Elijah Weaver. A 6-foot-4 lefty lead guard with a college-ready frame and plenty of defensive versatility, Weaver becomes the third top-40 senior recruit to pledge to the Trojans basketball program.
Weaver, who boasts great strength and length, chose USC over Oklahoma State, Florida and Ohio State.
Weaver spoke further on his decision.
“I just trust the coaching staff and the player development that they have there is second to none,” he said. “They have all been to the league, they are going to develop me and get me ready for the next level and also teach me how to grow up and be a man.”
The plan was originally to commit on Oct. 4, though with the recent FBI investigation that saw assistant coach Tony Bland arrested, Weaver decided to push things back a bit.
“I just wanted to see what would happen and my parents just thought that the best thing that I could do at that time was to hold off and continue to see what might happen,” he said.
No other dominoes have fallen since the initial impact of the FBI investigation, though things remain in the wait-and-see stage.
“They just keep reassuring me that everything is going to be fine,” Weaver stated. ”I talk to coach (Andy) Enfield all the time and he has remained positive with me that nothing is going to happen to them or the university.”
Weaver showed the ability this summer to defend all three perimeter positions and also the ability to make others around him better. While his jump shot remains a work in progress, Weaver has a sturdy skillset and averaged 13.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this summer on the Under Armour circuit.
The third commitment in the 2018 class for the Trojans, despite the recent decommitment of four-star forward J’Raan Brooks, USC remains with a top-10 recruiting class nationally. Joining Weaver in the backcourt next fall will be top-50 scoring guard Kevin Porter along with the services of multi-dimensional top-35 power forward Taeshon Cherry.
