USC, stunned into silence after NCAA tournament loss, is positioned to make a lot of noise next season

PNC Arena was empty. The USC basketball team trudged noiselessly down a sideline that, an hour before, nearly had become a place for a celebration.

The Trojans’ season had ended with a late collapse against Providence. Their first NCAA tournament game since 2011 was much like their season. They took control with athleticism. They showed flashes of a bright future. Then, at the end, their inexperience showed.

During a nightmarish final two minutes bad memories began to creep back, point guard Julian Jacobs said. Late last season, when USC finished last in the Pac-12 Conference standings, USC had a habit of keeping opponents close only to fail in the end.

The Providence game felt similar for one reason: “We looked very young at the end,” Jacobs said.

That won’t be a legitimate excuse next season. For the first time in Andy Enfield’s tenure as coach, he will have an older, experienced team.

Last season, USC had the youngest roster of any power-conference team. This season, Enfield’s third with Trojans, the only senior was Strahinja Gavrilovic, who averaged less than three minutes per game.

Next season, USC will be as balanced, age-wise, as any team in the Pac-12, with multiple contributors across all four classes. Barring an unlikely departure to the NBA draft, or a surprise transfer, USC won’t lose any major contributors from a team already loaded with depth.

The Trojans haven’t won a conference regular-season title since 1985, and they have rarely been close.

But could next year be the year?

“I’m very optimistic,” Enfield said after Thursday’s loss. “I believe in our players, and I think they believe in themselves.”

USC has enjoyed brief spurts of success in the past, only to fizzle. This time, after weathering two seasons of ineptitude, Enfield has struck a balance tailored to the one-and-done era. USC’s players are more athletic than most opponents. But no player so far has exhibited enough star-level talent to leave school significantly early.

Jacobs and McLaughlin are good examples. Already, both are among the best point guards in the West. Jacobs led the Pac-12 in assists and McLaughlin, the team’s scoring leader, was fifth. And each brings experience: Jacobs will be a senior, McLaughlin a junior.

Fellow guards Elijah Stewart and Katin Reinhardt, who both showed significant improvement this season, will also return to a backcourt that could be the deepest in the league.

Privately, opposing coaches didn’t worry most about USC’s backcourt. Most were more preoccupied by freshman forwards Chimezie Metu and Bennie Boatwright. Metu, perhaps the most athletic player on a team full of athletes, must add offensive polish and learn to avoid foul trouble. If he does, he could steal more minutes from center Nikola Jovanovic.

Boatwright might be USC’s best NBA prospect. When he found a rhythm, his ability to hit outside shots as a power forward made the Trojans difficult to defend. In his second season, he must develop more consistency.

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USC guard Julian Jacobs gets to the basket for a layup against Providence guard Kris Dunn during the first half.

  (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)

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USC guard Julian Jacobs grabs a rebound against Providence forward Ben Bentil during the first half.

  (Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

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5. MINNESOTA: Kris Dunn, guard, 6-4, 205, Providence – The Timberwolves need help at point guard. Dunn is a really good defender, but must work on his three-point shot.

  (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

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USC forward Malik Martin tries to protect the ball from the reach of Providence forward Ben Bentil during the first half.

  (Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

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USC guard Julian Jacobs looks to pass after driving down the lane against Providence during the first half.

  (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)

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Providence forward Ben Bentil collides with USC forward Bennie Boatwright while trying to score in the first half.

  (Chuck Burton / Associated Press)

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USC forwards Nikola Jovanovic (32 and Chimezie Metu (4) celebrate after scoring against Providence in the second half.

  (Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

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USC guard Julian Jacobs drives to the basket between Providence’s Kris Dunn (3) and Rodney Bullock (5) during the second half.

  (Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

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USC forward Nikola Jovanovic can’t prevent Providence forward Rodney Bullock from making the game-winning basket with one second left.

  (Streeter Lecka / Getty Images)

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Providence forward Rodney Bullock is swarmed by teammates after hitting the game-winning basket against USC in the final second Thursday night.

  (Gerry Broome / Associated Press)

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USC forward Chimezie Metu (4) walks off the court along with teammates after a 70-69 loss to Providence last season in the NCAA tournament.  (Grant Halverson / Getty Images)

Another intriguing player is Shaqquan Aaron, a 6-foot-7 guard who sat out this season after transferring from Louisville. In high school, Aaron was more highly regarded than any current USC player. Most recruiting services graded him as a four-star prospect. The most bullish gave him five stars.

Aaron played sparingly for Louisville as a freshman and will have three seasons of eligibility remaining. If he can avoid rust after a redshirt season, he could be USC’s best addition.

USC will also add a three-man recruiting class that includes two more guards and another long, athletic forward.

Talent will no longer be an issue. The “next step for our program,” Enfield said, is winning on the road.

USC went 16-2 at home but just 3-7 in non-neutral away games. Enfield blamed youth. As the team gains experience, he said, the road wins will come.

For that same reason, moments after USC’s loss on Thursday, McLaughlin called the game a “great experience.”

Said Enfield: “I’m sure they will be thinking about this in the off-season.”

Follow Zach Helfand on Twitter: @zhelfand