The 2024-25 season was a whirlwind of newness for the USC Trojans. Eric Musselman took over in his first season as head coach, and the roster was essentially put together on the fly with only one returner amid a big group of transfers. This season, there are a couple more returners alongside the incoming transfers for USC, but there is one transfer in particular who is primed to have a major impact in Amarion Dickerson.
Amarion Dickerson hit the transfer portal during the offseason and chose USC among interest from other schools. Last season, Dickerson helped lead Robert Morris to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in ten years.
What was equally impressive was that last year was Dickerson’s first playing Division 1 basketball. He played two seasons of junior college basketball at Mineral Area College before transferring up. And now, the Trojans will be the beneficiary of his talent.
For Dickerson, it was his belief in the Trojans’ coaching staff and their ability to get him ready for a professional career that swayed his decision to come to USC.
“As far as being as pro ready as possible, Coach Musselman and the staff they got over there, I feel like me being a part of that coaching staff that I can be as pro ready as possible,” Dickerson told ClutchPoints in an exclusive interview. “Just continue to advance my game and learn the game at a high rate. I feel like out of all the schools that were recruiting me, mostly the staff that he’s got, they’re good.”
During Dickerson’s two seasons playing junior college, Mineral Area compiled a record of 51-12. In his final season during 2023-24, he was the junior college leading shot blocker at 2.4 per game. He was also among the junior college leaders in rebounds (third) and steals (fourth).
For many young players coming out of high school, the transfer portal has limited the number of opportunities immediately available at D1 schools. Junior colleges have become more of a popular option for players ultimately looking to get to a D1 school.
That was the pathway for Dickerson who landed at Robert Morris after his two seasons at Mineral Area. It kept him eager to get better and prove that he could play at the next level.
“It just kept me hungry. It kept it in the back of my mind to just continue to put the work in and grind in order for me to get to that level,” Dickerson said. “It’s always just going step by step. It happened to be that junior college was the first step that I had to take in order to get where I’m at now.”
Amarion Dickerson’s fit with USC
Judging by Dickerson’s skill set, one of the biggest ways he can make an impact on the court for USC is on the defensive end of the floor. He was one of the best defensive players in the nation last year as evidenced by his Horizon League Defensive Player of the Year award.
Dickerson’s 2.3 blocks per game were good enough for top-15 in the country, and he was the only guard in that group among plenty of forwards and centers. His height and length allow him to be an effective shot blocker, and his mobility gives him the quickness to be able to keep up with his man. He guards multiple positions and is without a doubt a top contender for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award.
Even with his physical ability, playing defense boils down to pride for Dickerson.
“Just trying to stop my man, to stop the opposing team as much as possible. Honestly, I pride myself on that end,” Dickerson said. “I’m a prime believer that defense wins games. Offense just determines the amount of points you win by. Just putting all my pride in on the defensive end, trying to get as many stops and as many possessions for my team as possible.”
This past season, Dickerson was a starter for Robert Morris, starting 31 of the 35 games he played in. He averaged 13.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals in addition to his blocks. He shot 53.1 percent from the field.
He’s able to put the ball on the floor and get to the basket, and he uses his athleticism to finish at the basket while drawing contact and getting to the free-throw line as well. He got to the line around four times per game last year. As a wing, his three-point shooting (27.6 percent) stands to improve, but that can be worked on.
The entire starting lineup from last season’s USC team is gone, either having transferred or exhausted their eligibility. Dickerson appears to be a leading candidate for a starting position, although it’s probably way too early to speculate on that. But in any case, Dickerson is confident his talent will mesh with Musselman’s system.
“I can fit with my versatility, and not just on the defensive end but on the offensive end too. I’m able to do multiple things like spreading the floor and attacking the rim,” Dickerson said. “And on the defensive end, whether it’s guarding a point guard, a four-man, a wing or sometimes maybe even a five. I just feel like my versatility in Coach Musselman’s system, can definitely make a huge impact on the offensive and defensive side.”
