USC has made three straight NCAA Tournaments once in its history (2007-09). Next season, that quite likely will change. 

Bennie Boatwright's decision to return for his junior season, rather than turn pro, puts the Trojans in line for a third straight NCAA berth for the second time. Under Andy Enfield, USC has won 47 games the past two seasons. With Boatwright back on board, USC should be regarded as a consensus top-15 team heading into the 2017-18 season. 

Here's how the 6-foot-10 sharpshooter, who averaged 15.1 points and 4.5 rebounds on 54-percent shooting from 2-point range and 36 percent from beyond the arc, made his announcement. 

Also returning are Elijah Stewart, Jordan McLaughlin, De'Anthony Melton and Chimizie Metu. Shaqquan Aaron is the only Trojan still weighing his option to turn pro. He'll probably return, but even if he doesn't USC has one of the country's 10 most talented rosters for next season. This is big news for the school and the Pac-12, which will have two Final Four hopefuls in USC and Arizona (the Wildcats should be the preseason pick to win the conference). 

Plus, USC brings in Derryck Thornton, who is transferring from Duke and is expected to be a big contributor. The Trojans also will have Charles O'Bannon Jr., a McDonald's All-American recruit who will help in the backcourt. 

This amounts to one of the most anticipated seasons in program history and that's big for the Pac-12 because UCLA and Oregon will regress after losing key personnel to the NBA. The UCLA-USC rivalry has improved in recent seasons, so if the oft-overlooked Trojans conquer the Bruins next season it only enhances the spotlight on the conference. 

Enfield and Co. won two games in this year's NCAA Tournament. He was hired at USC in 2013 after his 15th-seeded Florida Gulf Coast squad made the Sweet 16, authoring an entertaining Cinderella story. And now Enfield has put USC on the doorstep of the nation's top 10.