LOS ANGELES — When USC men’s basketball assistant Tony Bland returns to his home and sees his youngest sons hoisting shots on a driveway hoop, they have an imitation ready to show off.
Landon, 9, and Axl, 6, will start to mimic Trojans point guard Jordan McLaughlin, who at 6-foot-1 is their smallest player.
“They can’t dunk it,” Bland said, “so they’re always trying to practice his layup shots. Like, ‘Dad, watch this, I got a Jordan McLaughlin layup.’”
As Bland began recruiting McLaughlin in high school at Etiwanda, he noticed his flair for finishing at the rim.