It was fascinating to see: On Saturday night in Boulder, the USC men’s basketball team competed really well. They held the Colorado Buffaloes under 70 points. Their defense was better than it had been for much of the season.
USC was without three starters: Isaiah Collier, Boogie Ellis, and Josh Morgan. Does that tell you anything about how wrong this season has turned for the Trojans? They competed better and defended better without three core players.
It will always remain a mystery as to why this is the case, but the actual reality is hard to ignore: Andy Enfield coaches grunt-worker, blue-collar players better than he coaches stars. He maximizes modest talent but fails to develop elite talent. If the Trojans defended other teams the way they defended Colorado on Saturday, they would not be 8-9. They would probably be 11-6 or 12-5 with a real chance to make the NCAA Tournament.
As it is, USC has no shot at March Madness beyond winning the Pac-12 Tournament, and USC will be a very low seed at the event after falling 68-58 to Colorado. The Trojans, despite a good effort, still couldn’t make shots. USC teams under Enfield have rarely been good jump shooters, and this game was no exception. Oziyah Sellers hit 7 of 14 shots and Vince Iwuchukwu went 5 for 8 from the field, but the rest of the team went a combined 10 of 39 from the field. USC made just 36 percent of its shots, 24 percent in the second half. Bronny James went 0 for 7. His effort was terrific, but he couldn’t score, and at some point, he will need to if this shorthanded team is going to win games.
Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire.