Taeshon Cherry commits to USC
Taeshon Cherry is a Trojan.
The 6-8 215-pound rising senior forward out of San Diego Saint Augustine HS verbally committed to the Trojans Friday afternoon during a ceremony at his high school.
Cherry (Prep Hoops SoCal’s No. 4 2018 prospect) selected USC over Arizona, Oregon, Texas A&M, Gonzaga and San Diego State.
The San Diego Section Player of the Year had a strong spring playing with the Oakland Soldiers on the Nike EYBL Circuit. He displayed a vastly improved perimeter game and lockdown defense both in the post and on the perimeter.
His father, Darnell Cherry, said Taeshon’s relationship with the Trojans coaching staff and the team’s style of play ultimately tipped the scales in the Trojans’ favor.
“He’s known Coach Tony (Bland) since he was 8 years old, and I think that familiarity with the staff and the open style of play was huge,” Darnell Cherry said. “The staff said they are planning on using him like they do Bennie Boatwright, and they like his versatility and the fact he can play inside and outside.
“A lot of people saw him in the EYBL and there, he’s on the perimeter, but at Saints, he’s played down low and he rebounds and protects the rim, so I see him be able to do a lot of things, playing in pick-and-pop, pick-and-roll and impacting the game in a variety of ways,” he added.
Taeshon Cherry is the second big commitment for the Trojans in less than a week. Earlier this week, Garfield HS F J’Raan Brooks – Cherry’s longtime friend – committed to the Trojans.
Taeshon said Brooks’ commitment played a big role in his decision.
“It played a big part because that’s like a brother to me so we’ve been talking about this for a while,” Taeshon said. “When he committed I knew I wanted to play side by side with him.”
Cherry is the second top San Diego forward to commit in advance of the fall signing period. Helix F Miles Norris committed to the Oregon Ducks in May.
Darnell Cherry said by committing early, Taeshon can focus on his senior season. Cherry has goals of repeating as San Diego Section Open Division champions, player of the year and potentially participating in the major postseason all-star games, including the McDonald’s All American game.
“We’re very proud of Taeshon, but we know this is only the start. We’re gonna get back in the gym, continue the grind and get ready for July,” Darnell Cherry said. “But we are a very proud family.”