USC Trojans Basketball Recruiting: Updated Rankings For Elzie Harrington, Jerry Easter

USC Trojans basketball coach Eric Musselman has secured commitments from four-star guards Elzie Harrington and Jerry Easter. Both prospects were listed in ESPN's updated rankings of the top 100 recruiting rankings for the class of 2025.
Jan 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Jan 14, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Eric Musselman reacts in the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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The USC Trojans men's basketball has been trending upwards on the recruiting front as USC coach Eric Musselman begins his tenure as leader of the program. ESPN recently listed the Trojans' 2025 recruiting class as one of the top 25 class in the nation. With commitments from two-highly rated four star prospects, guards Jerry Easter and Elzie Harrington, it's easy to see why USC's future seems bright.

Paul Biancardi of ESPN released his updated ESPN 100 rankings for the class of 2025 and the Trojans have both of their commits sitting high on the list.

The higher ranked of the two recruits, guard Jerry Easter sits at No. 42 on Biancardi's list. Easter committed and signed to the Trojans back on Nov. 25, 2024. Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports said that if he is able to provide more on the defensive end, Easter could become an impact player on the court.

Easter is a high-volume scoring guard who plays with a physical, attacking style. He’s at his best in the open floor, where he can get downhill with speed and force," Finkelstein said. "He is an excellent rebounding guard and has all the physical tools to be a plus defender, but needs to consistently commit to impacting the game on that end regardless of his offensive volume or production."

A riser in recent months, combo guard Elzie Harrington found himself No. 66 in the rankings. He is the most recent pickup to the recruiting class as he committed to Musselman and the Trojans back on Dec. 31. Finkelstein said that Harrington could become a defensive nightmare at the next level thanks to his versatility on offense.

"Harrington’s backcourt size, floor vision, and passing ability have always been the basis of his upside. He has terrific perimeter size at 6-foot-6 and wiry strong frame. He has a well-developed handle though, is a skilled lay-up maker around the rim, good passer off the dribble and potentially a nice secondary pick-and-roll threat on the second side of the floor," Finkelstein wrote.

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Jan 3, 2025; Gilbert, AZ, USA; Roosevelt High School (CA) guard Brayden Burries (5) against Sandra Day O’Connor High School (AZ) during the Hoophall West High School Invitational at Highland High School. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Imagesn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

One of the best players in the state of California sits just outside of Biancardi's top 10 as guard Brayden Burries finds himself at the No. 11 ranking. The uncommitted Burries has drawn heavy interest from almost every school on the West Coast, including USC and UCLA. Finkelstein says Burries has all the tools to succeed at the next level and beyond.

"While he is focused primarily on scoring, Burries possesses soft hands, solid floor vision, and a reliable enough handle to have some on/off ball versatility. He is also an excellent rebounding guard. Defensively, he is fully engaged, physical, and competitive. Overall, Burries is a strong and physical scoring guard, who can get his buckets in a variety of ways," Finkelstein wrote.

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Gabriel Duarte
GABRIEL DUARTE

Residing in Los Angeles, Gabriel Duarte is a senior at Cal State Northridge and is pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. Gabriel is passionate about college athletics and is a writer for USC Trojans on SI and Oregon Ducks on SI. Gabriel has covered many college sporting events around the Southern California area including basketball and football for USC. Gabriel also writes for his local newspaper on high school sports.