hutchinson signs with USC

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SoCalHoops Recruiting News

It's Official: Hutchinson
Signs LOI With USC--(Apr. 18, 2000)

Yesterday we posted an article announcing that Robert Hutchinson (6'-1" So. PG/SG) had signed a Letter of Intent to attend USC next season. While a local Florida paper (where Hutchinson attended a JC) announced the signing on April 13, USC had not done so as of April 17. Well, today they made it official. And while the press release didn't really contain any new information about Hutchinson, it did note, somewhat cryptically, that "The 6-foot-1 Hutchinson will enter USC as a redshirt sophomore. . . " [our emphasis] which is, we suppose, an interesting way of saying that next year, Hutchinson will be a junior at USC, having already used a redshirt year at Okaloosa-Watson JC.

In any event, it's now official. Here's the press release from the University of Southern California:

Men's Hoops Signs Guard Hutchinson
Juco transfer will add depth in backcourt

April 18, 2000

LOS ANGELES - Point guard Robert Hutchinson from Okaloosa-Walton College in Niceville, Fla., has signed a letter of intent with USC, men's basketball coach Henry Bibby announced today.

"Robert Hutchinson is a great addition to our team," Bibby said. "He handles the ball well, knows how to direct an offense and will also lend some shooting touch from the outside. He is a great combo guard who can play the 1 or the 2."

The 6-foot-1 Hutchinson will enter USC as a redshirt sophomore. He was a 2000 All-Panhandle Conference and Region 8 state tournament first team selection. He led his team to a 26-5 overall mark, a first-place finish in the Panhandle Conference (9-3) and an appearance in the Region 8 state finals.

On a team with six players scoring in double figures, Hutchinson averaged 13.5 points, 7.2 assists and 2.6 rebounds per game. He shot 44.0% from three-point range and 75.0% from the foul line. His three-point percentage was a school record, as were his season totals in three-pointers (78), assists (208) and steals (48).

Hutchinson prepped at Westover High in Albany, Ga., where he led his team to the state championship as a 1998 senior. That year, he earned All-State Division III first team honors and was a USA Today All-USA honorable mention pick for Georgia.