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Overview

Prior to the 2006-07 season, it was announced that Pruitt would sit out the fall semester due to academic problems. With the team coming off three consecutive losing seasons, the USC men's basketball team entered the season with uncertainty due to the tragic shooting death of freshman point guard Ryan Francis last May and Pruitt's academic ineligibility.

But under the guidance of coach Tim Floyd, the team held on until Pruitt returned with a vengeance for the final 26 games. Even though his scoring was down slightly, Pruitt proved to be the missing ingredient for the Trojans with his deft ball-handling skills, improving his assist average (from 3.2 per game in 2005-06 to 4.3 in 2006-07 while also reducing his turnovers (from 2.7 per game as a sophomore to 1.8 as a junior).

The result was a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. The Trojans finished with a 23-11 record, as they advanced to the Pacific-10 Conference Tournament final and were rewarded with a No. 5 seed in the East Region, where they swept through Arkansas and fourth-seed Texas.

Pruitt earned Parade All-American fourth-team honors as a senior at Westchester High School. He added Roundball and Student Sports All-American accolades and was named to the Los Angeles Times All-City and All-South Bay/Westside first-team squads. He was also selected the South Bay Daily Breeze Player of the Year.

Pruitt was rated the 20th-best prep player in the country by Basketball Times after his senior year and among the top 20 prep point guards by Athlon Sports and Insiders.com entering his final campaign. In his only season at Westchester High, he averaged 22 points per game. He sat out his junior season in 2003 because of High School transfer rules, but averaged 15 points and six assists as a sophomore at Centennial High School in 2002, leading his team to the California Division III state final.

In 2004-05, Pruitt started 21 of 29 games at Southern California. He shared team MVP honors with fellow freshman Nick Young, as the pair put together two of the best freshman seasons by Trojan basketball players in Schoolhistory. He led USC in points (356), scoring average (12.3), 3-point percentage (.450), assists (92) and steals (56) en route to being named to the Pac-10 Conference All-Freshman team. His 3-point field goal percentage set a Schoolseason-record and he hit at a .547 clip (41 of 75) in the second half of the season.

Pruitt ranks among the top freshmen in points (fourth), average (T-fourth), field goals (seventh), field goals attempted (eighth), field-goal percentage (ninth -- best ever by a freshman guard), 3-pointers (first), 3-pointers attempted (second), 3-pointer percentage (first), free-throw percentage (ninth), assists (fifth) and steals (second). He scored in double-digits in 20 of his 29 games, including a season-best of 23, which he scored in both games against Stanford. In the game at Stanford, Pruitt knocked down a season- high of seven 3-pointers (7 of 11). The seven 3-pointers tied him for the second-most made in a game by a Trojan in USC history (Anthony Pendleton had nine on Dec. 9, 1987). He also had a season-best eight assists in the game vs. San Diego in December and grabbed a high of eight rebounds vs. Arizona State in February.

As a sophomore, Pruitt started all 25 games in which he played, finishing second on the team and fifth in the Pac-10 with a 16.9 scoring average, while grabbing four rebounds and 3.1 assists. He was named to the All-Pac-10 Conference first-team along with teammate Nick Young, becoming the first pair of Trojans to make the team since 1992 (Duane Cooper and Harold Miner). He was also selected to the NABC District XV first-team.

Pruitt recorded his first career double-double vs. BYU, scoring 17 points and pulling down a career-high 10 rebounds. He poured in a career-high 36 points in a 71-69 win at Loyola Marymount, earning him Pac-10 Player of the Week honors, as he was 13 for 19 from the field (68.4 percent), including 5 for 10 from 3-point range. He also became the 12th Trojan to score 36 or more points in a game.

The USC point guard sealed the team's win over Stanford on New Year's Eve by making 10 of 12 free throws down the stretch, including 6 for 6 in the final 47 seconds of the 82-71 win at Staples Center. He scored 30 points on 11 for 18 shooting (5 for 11 from 3-point range) in a 66-65 win at Arizona State six days later. He tallied 30 points again on 8 for 12 shooting (six 3-pointers made) in an 84-78 win at Oregon in late January, becoming just the ninth Trojan to score 30 or more points in three games or more in the same season and the first since Harold Miner in 1992 (11 times).

Pruitt was forced to sit out the first semester of 2006-07 with academic problems.

In 80 games at Southern California, Pruitt started 70 times. He was successful on 43.3 percent of his field goals (358 of 826), including 179 of 456 from 3-point range (39.3 percent), chipping in 207 of 266 free throws (77.8 percent) for 1,102 points. His 179 3-point shots made rank third in Schoolhistory behind Brandon Granville (218, 1999-2002) and Desmon Farmer (203, 2001-04). He also ranks sixth on USC's career-record list with 158 steals. His 1,102 points places him 27th on USC's all-time scoring list.

Pruitt had 247 rebounds during his career, with 48 offensive boards. He averaged 3.5 assists per game (283 total) and blocked 16 shots. He had 189 turnovers and was charged with 180 fouls.

On April 27, Pruitt announced he was entering the 2007 NBA Draft. Pruitt indicated he did not plan to sign with an agent, leaving open the possibility of returning to the Trojans for the 2007-08 season.

"I want to go through the process to see where I stand with the NBA people," said Pruitt. "I am leaving all of my options open, but I want to test the waters. It is a tough decision for me because I love being part of the Trojan family. My ultimate goal is to play in the NBA and I look at this experience as another step in that direction."

Scouting Report

Positives: Has very good size for his position and, despite a lean frame, he shows good leg drive and power driving to the basket...Has the explosive quickness to lead an up-tempo attack and does a very good job of pushing the ball...Very good in a half-court offense, where his slashing style to the basket helps him draw contact and a trip to the free-throw line and he is also quite capable of executing the pick-and-roll...Good long-range shooter who keeps his body upright when firing from the perimeter...Hurts an opponent as a scorer, but really developed nicely as a distributor late in his junior year, as he increased his assists average from 3.1 per game as a sophomore to 4.3 as a junior...Smart on-court player with a good understanding of the game...Has the ability to drive or pull up, doing a nice job of creating his shot off the dribble...Improving defender with quick hands and nice anticipation...Shows good agility and balance coming out to defend along the perimeter and likes to have the ball in clutch situations...Best when breaking down defenders off the dribble...Shows precise passing ability in traffic...Has the ability to control the tempo of the game and shows the court vision to easily spot passing lanes prior to them really opening and while he lacks ideal bulk, he will twist and contort his frame in attempts to get his shot up while also drawing a foul while operating around the basket...Clutch long-range shooter whose 3-point ability forces the defense to put a man out on him, leaving a teammate open down low...Good ball hawk with the quickness and reach to make steals...Gets good elevation shooting beyond the arc...With his tall frame, he is most effective firing jumpers over the smaller defenders...Loves to run the fast break, as he has the ability to convert from mid-range...With his quickness into the paint, he does a nice job of finding the open man and working the ball around...Very good free-throw shooter with a smooth release and nice rotation on his attempts...Has good arm flexibility to whip the ball around and keep it away from a pressing defender...When he pushes the ball, his teammates benefit from his pinpoint passes...Keeps bigger players involved...Has improved the range on his jump shot and when he gets good elevation, he can sink the ball from 15-20 feet out...Shows very good quickness...Likes to hit the spot-up jumpers, but must be conscious of setting his feet.

Negatives: Has good length, but will need to bulk up some for the NBA level to prevent him from getting abused on drives to the basket...Good ball handler, but wants to make the flashy play instead of settling for the easy one...When he gets too careless with the ball, the entire team suffers...Has good 3-point range, but needs to be more alert of making an easy shot rather than trying to chuck it down from long distance...Has a good outside jump shot, but his selection is questionable at times...Does a decent job of creating his own shot off the dribble, but sometimes falls in love with the jumper...Still relatively inexperienced at the point, as he was utilized more as a scorer in the prep ranks, but has shown improvement in this area and more creativity as a junior...Still needs to refine his skills at the point, but even while developing them, he can give decent minutes sharing playing time at the next level.

Compares To: JASON TERRY, Dallas. At this young stage of his development as a point guard, Pruitt can dazzle you with his slashing and scoring, but like Terry, he lacks consistency. Pruitt sometimes gets too comfortable shooting from long range and, while he has the distance and quick release, his accuracy has declined each year. Late in the first round, he would be ideal pick in developing behind a solid ball-handler. He's talented and receptive as a pupil. While he's not ready for primetime just yet, he's the most underrated point guard in this draft and has the length and athleticism to become a star.

High School

Attended Westchester (Los Angeles, Cal.) High School during his final two years of High School after transferring from Centennial High School...Earned Parade All-American fourth-team honors as a senior, adding Roundball and Student Sports All-American accolades...Named to the Los Angeles Times All-City and All-South Bay/Westside first-team squads...Also selected the South Bay Daily Breeze Player of the Year...Rated the 20th-best prep player in the country by Basketball Times after his senior year and among the top 20 prep point guards by Athlon Sports and Insiders.com entering his final campaign...In his only season at Westchester High, he averaged 22 points per game...Averaged 15 points and six assists as a sophomore at Centennial High in 2002, leading his team to the California Division III state final.

Personal

Undeclared major, but would like to become a computer engineer...Nicknamed "Smilin' Gabe." ...Born 4/19/86...Resides in Los Angeles, California.

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