Bennie Boatwright keeps in good touch with Chimezie Metu, his former classmate who is playing in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs. Last month, Metu was only a few miles from the USC campus at Staples Center, getting a taste of the big time while Boatwright was busy rehabilitating another knee injury.
After a sophomore season in which he averaged a team-high 15.1 points and helped the Trojans to two wins in the NCAA tournament, the 6-foot-10 forward debated making himself available for the NBA draft but ultimately decided he could use another year to develop and be a part of a much-hyped USC team with his buddy Metu.