Boseman Bound for USC After Swishing His Final Shot at SAT

In his stellar high school basketball career, Stais Boseman of Morningside developed a knack for scoring clutch baskets.

But the 6-foot-4 guard said making a game-winning shot didn’t compare to the feeling he experienced Monday morning after learning of his 770 score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The score qualified him to be eligible to attend USC on scholarship in the fall.

“I know I’ve made a lot of big baskets in my career, but this is more important than anything I’ve done on the court,” he said. “I don’t know what I would’ve done if I didn’t pass.”

Boseman, who was named Southern Section Division III player of the year and was selected to the first-ever Southern Section team last season, had signed a national letter of intent with the Trojans in November. He went on to average 17.9 points and 7.1 rebounds to lead Morningside to the state Division III final.

Until Monday, though, Boseman’s scholarship was in jeopardy because he failed to score 700--the NCAA minimum to be eligible as a freshman. His previous best was 680.

“I had received a lot of negative press over that and I was just fortunate to pass the test and do what I had to do to get through it,” he said. “This is probably the most difficult thing I’ve ever been through and I’m just glad it’s over.”

When he was handed the envelope containing the test results, Boseman didn’t know what to expect.

“I was kind of scared and nervous. It took me about 10 minutes to open it, but when I did it felt really good.”

Boseman will join a stellar USC recruiting class of guards Claude Green, swingman Jaha Wilson and center Avondre Jones. All four will be eligible as freshmen.

“I think we’re going to have a real good team,” he said. “We’re young and on the rise and I just feel fortunate to have a chance to be a part of it as a freshman.

“I couldn’t ask for anything more. I’m not looking ahead to the pros or anything like that. I just want to go to college and get my degree, and this is the first step.”