TCU basketball receives good news on USC transfer Chuck O’Bannon Jr.
TCU basketball received good news on Monday night.
Southern Cal transfer and junior forward Charles “Chuck” O’Bannon Jr. was granted an immediate eligibility waiver by the NCAA for the upcoming season, coach Jamie Dixon told the Star-Telegram. O’Bannon transferred to TCU in January, and would not have been eligible until the “spring” semester this season.
“I’m really happy for Chuck,” Dixon said. “He’s healthy and ready to go.”
Dixon went on to thank USC coach Andy Enfield for supporting O’Bannon’s waiver request.
O’Bannon is a former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American out of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. The 6-foot-6, 220-pounder is expected to compete for a significant role this season, especially on a team that is looking to fill the void left by leading scorer Desmond Bane.
O’Bannon had an injury-plagued career at USC. He redshirted the 2018-19 season, sustaining an early-season injury to his left pinky that required surgery. He then played just three games last season, sustaining an injury to his middle finger.
He played sparingly as a freshman for the Trojans. In three seasons at USC, O’Bannon played in 18 games, averaging 1.8 points and 0.8 rebounds in 5.6 minutes per game.
O’Bannon is the son of Charles Sr., who was on UCLA’s 1995 national championship team and was a second-round pick in the 1997 NBA Draft. His uncle, Ed, also played at UCLA and has made headlines in recent years for his lawsuit against the NCAA.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 10:20 PM.
