USC Trojans Basketball Finalist For Five-Star Recruit Jason Crowe Jr.?

Crowe spoke with On3 about the status of his recruitment earlier this summer and liked what he saw at a USC practice he observed.

“I just recently went to their practice. I saw that they play fast-paced, and that is how I like to play. The practice I went to, they didn’t really didn’t get into much, but what I liked about it is that it was high-paced the whole time.”

The No. 3 combo guard and No. 5 player in the country according to 247Sports rankings, Crowe is among the best players in the country, but still is trying to find ways to improve his game. He averaged 35.3 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.0 rebounds during this past season for Inglewood High School.

”I’m becoming more than just a scorer,” Crowe said. “I’m definitely facilitating more and playing defense, I’m trying to be an all-around player. I came out this summer with the mentality that I have to go kill. And that is what I have been doing, I’m going at all the top guys who are ranked ahead of me. Right now, that’s my mindset every game.”

If Crowe pledges to the Trojans, he would be the third highest-ranked player of all time to commit to the program ahead of players like DeMar DeRozan, Bronny James, and most recently, 2025 five-star signee Alijah Arenas.

USC coach Eric Musselman has built extensive recruiting ties to California throughout his short time so far. In addition to being a realistic landing spot for Crowe, Musselman also added Arenas, who signed with the Trojans as the crown jewel of the 2025 recruiting cycle.

Arenas ranked as the No. 1 shooting guard and No. 7 player in the country according to 247Sports and was right in the Trojans' backyard as he prepped at Chatsworth High School.

The Trojans also held a commitment from 2025 four-star forward Elzie Harrington, who eventually de-committed and signed with San Diego State.

Crowe isn't the only California recruit to have receiver heavy interest from the Trojans. USC is heavily involved with four-star center Josh Irving and a pair of five-star forwards Tajh Ariza and Christian Collins.

If Musselman is able to land multiple in-state prospects during this recruiting cycle, it would be a testament to his recruiting chops, which are arguably the best in the Big Ten.