gran409

SoCal Hoops College Basketball News

NEWS FLASH--Brandon Granville
Is Now Officially A Trojan--(April 9, 1998)

Like we didn't know this was coming. It's been rumored for the last two weeks, and it finally happened today, one day after the official opening of duck hunting season, er, the spring signing period.

Here's the official press release from the Trojans. Congratulations to Henry Bibby and to USC (wow, I never thought I'd say that). With Brandon, David, Lakey, Clancy, Scalabrine and the rest of the team, this could be one of the best Trojan teams in memory.

Anyway, here's the official press release:

Guard Brandon Granville from Westchester (Calif.) High has signed a letter of intent with the
USC men's basketball team, Trojan head coach Henry Bibby announced today.

"Brandon brings a new dimension to our basketball team," Bibby said. "He's a good student, an unselfish player and he and returning point guard Kevin Augustine give us super quickness in the backcourt."

Granville, a 5-foot-10 point guard, averaged 12 points, 10 assists and three steals per game last season as a senior, helping guide the Comets to the Coastal Conference Western League championship, the L.A. City 4-A title and the CIF State crown. At USC, he will continue playing with Westchester power forward David Bluthenthal, who signed with the Trojans last November during the early signing period.

Granville was recently named to the All-City 4-A team and earned South Bay Daily Breeze All-Area first team honors for the second consecutive season. He also was selected to the Cal-Hi Sports All-State third team.

During the Comets' post-season run to every championship they competed for, Granville made two free throws in the final seconds to defeat Artesia High of Lakewood, Calif., in the CIF Southern Section Regional finals.

Granville and Bluthenthal will not be the only Westchester graduates associated with the USC men's basketball team next season. Director of basketball operations Sam Williams, who joined the Trojan program last year, attended Westchester prior to his days at Arizona State and in the NBA.

The signing of Granville gives Troy five new players for the 1998-99 season. In addition to Bluthenthal, USC signed three other players -- forward Sam Clancy from St. Edwards High in Lakewood, Ohio, and guard Quincy Wilder and forward Brian Scalabrine, who are both from Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash. -- during the early signing period last fall.

All five of USC's recruits won their respective state championships this past season.

"I feel that this could be the best-ever recruiting class at USC," Bibby said. "It's a super class and I give all the credit to our entire staff. Everybody did an outstanding job. We worked really hard to get to the position we are in so that we can nail down some of the top players in the country. They are all top basketball players as well as good students, so I could not be any more pleased about signing them."

USC Men's Basketball Signees

NAME POS. HT. 1998-99 CLASS HOMETOWN (CURRENT SCHOOL)
Brandon Granville* PG 5-10 Freshman Los Angeles, CA (Westchester High)
David Bluthenthal F 6-7 Freshman Los Angeles, CA (Westchester High)
Sam Clancy F 6-7 Freshman Fairview, OH (St. Edwards High)
Brian Scalabrine F 6-9 Sophomore# Enumclaw, WA (Highline Community College)
Quincy Wilder G 6-3 Junior Tacoma, WA (Highline Community College)

* spring signee (all others signed in the fall)
# used redshirt year this past season