Chuck O'Bannon Jr.

Chuck O'Bannon Jr.
O'Bannon with TCU in 2021
Nitra Blue Wings
PositionShooting guard / small forward
LeagueSlovakian Extraliga
Personal information
Born (1999-03-01) March 1, 1999 (age 25)
Long Beach, California, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Listed weight215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
High schoolBishop Gorman
(Las Vegas, Nevada)
College
  • USC (2017–2019)
  • TCU (2020–2024)
NBA draft2024: undrafted
Playing career2024–present
Career history
2024–presentNitra Blue Wings
Career highlights and awards

Charles Edward O'Bannon Jr. (born March 1, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Nitra Blue Wings of the Slovakian Extraliga. He played college basketball for the TCU Horned Frogs and the USC Trojans.

Early life

O'Bannon was born to Valencia and Charles O'Bannon, who was playing professional basketball.[1] O'Bannon lived in Japan from ages 2 to 14 with his parents while his father was playing there.[2]

O'Bannon attended Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas, Nevada. He averaged 21.4 points as a senior at Bishop Gorman. In December 2016, he committed to the USC Trojans. He chose USC over UNLV, NC State, and UCLA.[3] He was named a McDonald's All-American.[1]

College career

O'Bannon was the first McDonald's All-American to join USC since DeMar DeRozan in 2008.[4] He struggled with injuries during his two and a half seasons with the Trojans. After suffering an injury to his left pinky finger that required surgery, he redshirted the 2018-19 season. O'Bannon injured his middle finger early in the following season and played three games. He played a total of 18 games at USC and averaged 1.8 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. In January 2020, O'Bannon transferred to TCU and was later granted a waiver for immediate eligibility.[5]

In 2021–22, TCU was a No. 9 seed in the 2022 NCAA tournament, and earned their first NCAA Tournament win in 35 years. O'Bannon scored a career-high 23 points in a second-round loss to Arizona, ending the Horned Frogs bid to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time.[6]

Professional career

After going undrafted in the 2024 NBA draft, O'Bannon signed a contract with the Nitra Blue Wings.[7]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2017–18 USC 14 0 5.1 .217 .125 1.000 .6 .1 .3 .0 1.3
2018–19 USC 1 0 10.0 .000 .000 .000 1.0 .0 .0 .0 .0
2019–20 USC 3 0 6.3 .000 .000 1.000 1.3 .3 .7 .0 .7
2020–21 TCU 25 15 18.0 .407 .368 .756 3.8 .5 .8 .5 6.8
2021–22 TCU 34 25 24.0 .408 .338 .703 4.2 .9 .9 .6 9.5
2022–23 TCU 35 31 21.9 .381 .311 .750 3.4 1.0 .8 1.0 7.7
2023–24 TCU 31 3 14.6 .420 .365 .776 2.6 .8 .4 .5 5.5
Career 143 74 18.1 .393 .335 .748 3.1 .8 .7 .6 6.7

Personal life

O'Bannon's father, Charles, and uncle, Ed O'Bannon, were teammates on UCLA's 1994–95 national title team.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b Smith, Cam (February 22, 2017). "Charles O'Bannon Jr. plans to channel Kobe Bryant, rep Las Vegas at McDonald's All-American Game". USA Today. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  2. ^ a b Miller, Scott (March 20, 2022). "A Younger O'Bannon Plays in a New College Sports Landscape". The New York Times. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  3. ^ Parrish, Gary (December 23, 2016). "Charles O'Bannon Jr., whose dad and uncle starred at UCLA, commits to USC". CBS Sports. Retrieved May 19, 2019 – via cbssports.com.
  4. ^ Helfand, Zach (April 20, 2017). "Charles O'Bannon Jr. becomes USC's first McDonald's All-American since 2008". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  5. ^ Davison, Drew (August 17, 2020). "TCU basketball receives good news on USC transfer Chuck O'Bannon Jr". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Retrieved October 5, 2020.
  6. ^ "Mathurin, top-seeded Arizona survive TCU upset bid in OT". CBSSports.com. AP. March 21, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  7. ^ "O'Bannon Jr.'s pro career starts at Blue Wings". eurobasket.com. September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.