If you’ve ever met Jerry Easter II, I’m willing to bet one of the first things you learned about him is that he’s from Ohio.
The freshman guard for USC men’s basketball wastes no time hyping up his hometown of Toledo, notably its museum scene and local zoo. It’s clear his focus on family grounds him, despite his distance from home. And it’s no small distance – Monday’s season opener against Cal Poly at Galen Center was over 2,000 miles from Easter II’s hometown. That game, a 94-64 rout by the Trojans, was his first at the college level.
But for Easter II, his ‘welcome to college basketball’ moment came earlier, during preseason play against Grand Canyon when he had his name announced as a starter for the first time.
“I always dreamed of getting my name called in a big stadium like that,” he said in an interview with Annenberg Media. “That was a cool experience because I got to hear it, my parents got to hear it.”
Easter II attributes his love of basketball to his parents, who both played in college. His extended family was also heavily basketball-oriented, and he talks about the game as if it were an inevitability. He spoke with gratitude about his parents’ ability to make the season opener and to witness his exhibition double-double against GCU, a contest he finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds and three steals.
“They always make time for me,” Easter II said. “It’s a blessing… They always talked about it, just like, ‘That’s gonna be you in 10 years’ when I was younger.”
“Hopefully I can contribute [to the team],” he added.
Easter II didn’t stuff the stat sheet on Monday by any means, but contributed key plays, particularly on the defensive end. He finished the game with four points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Head coach Eric Musselman – who Easter II characterized as “really huge on defense” – spoke positively about the freshman’s ability to adapt to a new role at USC.
“Super impressed with what Jerry has done at the point guard position,” Musselman said. “He alters shots from that position. He’s super strong getting to the cup… all those things are super positives.”
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Musselman stressed that Easter II still has a lot to work on. But he appears locked in on executing the plans his head coach envisions for the team.
“Whatever my role is, I feel like I’d be fine doing it,” Easter II said. “Anything it takes to win… I just do it.”
That kind of relentless attitude – fueled in part, potentially, by a pregame regimen featuring Lil Baby, Meek Mill and Lil Durk – may be just what USC men’s basketball needs this season. Easter II’s growth as a floor general will certainly be crucial for a USC team missing five-star freshman guard and 2025 McDonald’s All-American Alijah Arenas so far this season.
Easter II isn’t the only guard adjusting to Arenas’ absence: junior Rodney Rice, junior Jordan Marsh and graduate Ryan Cornish are also taking on new (and often dynamic) roles. Only Easter II faces the additional challenge of adapting to the rigor and demands of college ball.
The most impressive thing to him about collegiate play?
“I was able to bring my Pedialyte [on the plane],” he said. “I’m used to TSA and stuff like that.”
It remains to be seen how Musselman will shape his squad throughout the season and which players will emerge as consistent contributors. But it’s a strong start for Easter II, who insists that it’s an honor just to have his name called.
USC men’s basketball returns to play on Sunday when they host Manhattan at Galen Center at 3 p.m. You can view Annenberg Media’s full interview with Easter II here.