USC Moves Closer to Signing 3 More Basketball Recruits

USC basketball Coach Charlie Parker is close to landing three more recruits for next season to go along with early signees Damion Dawson of Long Beach Poly and Maurice Strong of East High in Memphis, Tenn.

Sai Tuialii, a 6-foot-6 forward from Los Angeles City College, and James Brown, a 6-6 swingman from Compton Dominguez High, are expected to officially sign with the Trojans early next week.

Avondre Jones, a 6-11 center who played as a freshman at USC two years ago, also has indicated that he will sign with USC next week, but he also is weighing offers from Fresno State and Louisville.

Jones was a prize USC recruit out of Artesia High in 1993. He played as a freshman under then-Coach George Raveling but was unhappy with his role and decided to transfer at the end of the 1993-94 season. He played for Chaffey College last season.

USC has 12 of its 13 scholarships already filled, including Dawson and Strong, a 6-8 power forward who visited USC’s campus Friday along with Tuialii.

Two solutions for the Trojans could be junior center Kirk Homenick switching to a medical scholarship because of a knee injury suffered late last season and sophomore guard Stais Boseman switching to a football scholarship since he is expected to join the football team this fall.