USC Basketball: Boogie Ellis' Big Night Vs UCLA Impresses 5-Star Comrade

Can this team win the Pac-12 Tournament?

In scoring a team-leading 24 points to power his USC Trojans to a surprise 62-56 victory over the UCLA Bruins on the latter's home turf last night, fifth-year senior point guard Boogie Ellis seemed to silence that doubters that his regression this season was due to anything beyond a hamstring injury, after. The 6'2" vet looks to have fully rediscovered the explosive athleticism that made him an NBA prospect.

Per Luca Evans of The Orange County Register, USC sophomore center Vincent Iwuchukwu, at least, was fairly impressed, as Ellis got off to a blistering start.

Vincent Iwuchukwu on Boogie Ellis postgame:

“I think by the five-minute mark, I was on the bench and I was looking over … I was like, ‘He has 17?’ I was like, ‘That’s a quiet 16.’ But man, Boogie’s impact is so much bigger than just the offense.” pic.twitter.com/4RQrri3LeK

— Luca Evans (@bylucaevans) February 25, 2024

There is only one path for your Trojans to make the NCAA Tournament this year: winning the Pac-12 Tournament straight-up. Avenging their 65-50 blowout home loss against the Bruins in January with a monster game from Ellis at least suggests that it can, potentially, be done.