USC Basketball: Trojans Offer Early Look At Boogie Ellis' Offseason Prep

The 2023 All-Pac-12 First Teamer is hoping to take a leap next year.

Boogie Ellis looks more than ready to resume his largely successful individual run with your USC Trojans. As the team's social media revealed, he's been putting in plenty of hours on his own this summer already:

Gym rat pic.twitter.com/OBd8vnXitr

— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) July 6, 2023

"The guys are only going to follow you if [you're] the hardest worker, just leading by example pretty much," Ellis says in a voiceover as a montage runs of him getting shots up, at what looks like Galen Center. "I'm just trying to establish the culture here and continue to lead these young guys."

Now 22 and set to embark on his fifth NCAA season (all U.S. college players who were enrolled when the COVID-19 pandemic first shook up the world have been given a bonus year of collegiate eligibility), Ellis is indeed going to be looked at to lead by example this season.

He's enjoyed an accolade-filled college run to this point. 

While still on the Missouri Tigers, the 6'3" guard out of San Diego was named to the 2021 All-AAC Tourney team while en route to an NIT title, and was also recognized as the 2020-21 AAC Sixth Man of the Year.

Upon transferring to his home state Trojans, Ellis only continued to impress. He was named to the 2022 All-Pac-12 Tourney team, and last season was honored as a 2022-23 All-Pac-12 Team selection.

Last year, across his 33 contests with the Trojans (all starts), Ellis averaged 17.7 points on .434/.386/.805 shooting splits, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 0.8 steals a night. Will he start this year, with top-five NBA prospect Isaiah Collier, a point guard, and another probable first round pick Bronny James, a shooting guard, now rostered? Time will tell, though it seems likely he will at least begin the season as a starting guard.