USC’s Elijah Weaver enters transfer portal

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California guard Elijah Weaver has entered the NCAA transfer portal, seeking to leave the Trojans after two seasons.

He averaged 6.6 points and 1.8 assists in 31 games last season, coming off the bench for the final 17 games. He shot 41% from the field and 33% from 3-point range.

The sophomore from Cocoa, Florida, was expected to be a key part of the Trojans’ lineup next season.

“The past two years in Southern California have been nothing but fun. Memories and relationships that I’ve built and people I’ve been able to meet I’ll cherish forever,” Weaver wrote Tuesday night on social media. “But all good things come to an end and with that being said I’ve (decided) to enter my name in the transfer portal and explore other options in my basketball career. Respect My Decision.”

The Trojans’ roster will look different next season after they lost all five of their top scorers. Jonah Mathews, Nick Rakocevic and Daniel Utomi graduated; Onyeka Okongwu declared for the NBA draft after one season; and backup guard Kyle Sturdivant transferred to Georgia Tech following the death of his father.

The Trojans went 22-9 and 11-7 in the Pac-12 last season. Guard Ethan Anderson and forwards Isaiah Mobley and Max Abonkpolo will return as sophomores, joined by recruits Evan Mobley and Boubacar Coulibaly. Guard Noah Baumann becomes eligible after sitting out a year following his transfer from San Jose State.