USC basketball knows what it needs to do, but actually doing it will be the big challenge. The news that Vince Iwuchukwu had offseason back surgery, and will return at some point “during the first half” of the upcoming season, likely means Iwuchukwu won’t be available for USC’s November 6 season opener against Kansas State.
Not having a deeper big man rotation limits Andy Enfield’s options for that game, and presumably for the first few weeks of USC’s season before Iwuchukwu comes back.
The Trojans have a clear goal for the Kansas State game, their first significant test in the upcoming season and an important occasion for one of the most talented USC teams in recent memory. That goal: Play opponents even when Kijani Wright is in the game.
Wright played a lot of minutes on USC’s August European tour. Those minutes now become more valuable. The Trojans need Wright to be a stabilizing presence in relief of starting center Joshua Morgan. As long as USC doesn’t get significantly outscored when Wright plays, USC can rely on its backcourt to win games. USC doesn’t need its frontcourt to score. Wright can make a huge impact simply by defending and rebounding, making sure opponents don’t get easy baskets when Morgan is sitting and Iwuchukwu is unable to play.
Freshman power forward Arrinten Page might now figure into Enfield’s plans a little more before Iwuchukwu returns to the court, but his youth showed in Europe. It will be up to Wright to be the main backup to Morgan. The other option is for USC to go to a very small lineup in which D.J. Rodman might have to guard bigger opponents.
The best-case scenario — within this worst-case situation involving Iwuchukwu — is that Kijani Wright gives USC 15 minutes a game in which opponents find it difficult to score. If that happens, the Trojans should be fine.
Kijani Wright has to be able to raise his game this coming November.
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