Two USC Basketball Prospects De-commit

Inside USC Basketball Coach Darrin Horn’s program, the victory (58-55) over Clemson on Sunday was a much-needed boost to morale, but the outside perception of a fledgling program picked up steam on Monday night when point guard Ian Baker and small forward Carlos Morris de-committed from the Gamecocks program. According to Phil Kornblut of the South Carolina Radio News Network, the pair of Jacksonville, FL prospects reneged on a verbal commitment to Coach Horn and staff because of “uncertainty” with Horn’s future at South Carolina, compounded by the slow start to the season (3-5) with tough early losses to lesser non-BCS schools. The pair had committed to USC back in late August but, upon the urging of their high school coach, never signed a LOI, Letter of Intent, to play at South Carolina. Baker and Morris are now free to communicate with other schools but both players state that USC is still under consideration, as long as Horn and staff remain in Columbia, SC.

SPURspective’s Insight: Darrin Horn is in a tough situation going into his fourth year at the helm of USC men’s basketball. The apathy towards USC men’s basketball, the dwindling attendance at the Colonial Life Arena and the poor performance of a young basketball team provide little inspiration that Horn & Co. can turn around the fortunes of Gamecocks basketball. USC plays six straight home games before they begin SEC Conference play. Five of the six non-conference games are winnable with the lone exception being 2nd ranked Ohio State on December 17th in a nationally televised game. After wrapping up the non-conference portion of the Gamecocks basketball schedule against S.C. State, USC plays at Kentucky, home versus Vanderbilt and home versus Florida. The SEC schedule makers did Carolina no favors as those three teams are all Top 25 teams and more talented than USC. The Gamecocks have three wins right now. I’ll predict Carolina goes (4-2) over the next six games with losses to Ohio State & Presbyterian College (won at Cincinnati earlier this season). My prediction is that South Carolina will enter its SEC schedule with no more than seven wins and it’ll take a miracle for this team to reach double-digit victories. I anticipate no more than three conference wins and another first round loss in the SEC Basketball Tournament, which would make Horn winless (0-4) in four years in the SEC Tournament. Athletic Director Eric Hyman will have a tough decision to make at the end of the season as to whether he sticks with his guy, Horn, or goes in another direction of leadership for the men’s basketball program. My guess is the latter scenario plays out and USC will have a new men’s basketball coach for the 2012-13 season.

Go Gamecocks!