2014-15 Pac-12 Conference Preview: #11 USC Trojans

2013 Season Results: 11-21 overall, 2-16 conference record. Last place in the Pac-12, 56-59 first round loss vs. Colorado in the Pac-12 Tournament.

Key Losses: Byron Wesley (transferred to Gonzaga), Pe’Shon Howard (graduated), J.T. Terrell (graduated), Omar Oraby (graduated)

Key Returns: Sophomore Forward Nikola Jovanovic, Sophomore Guard Julian Jacobs

2014 Recruiting Class (ESPN No. 16 in the nation): PG Jordan McLaughlin (4-Star, ESPN 100 No. 41), SG Elijah Stewart (4-Star, ESPN 100 No. 96), SF Malik Marquetti (3-Star), PF/C Malik Price-Martin (3-Star)

Started from the bottom now we’re, well, near the bottom again. The USC Trojans hired head coach Andy Enfield last season to inject some life into a floundering basketball program that hasn’t qualified for the NCAA tournament since the 2010-11 season when Nikola Vucevic was lurking in the paint.

Enfield did the best he could with the players he didn’t recruit, but the results weren’t pretty. The Trojans went 11-21 for the year, including an abysmal 2-16 in conference play. Their record was mostly attributed to the USC defense giving up 75.3 points a game, good for 301^st in the nation.

The good news was that the season was over and Enfield had a talented group of his recruits that were going to make an immediate impact. The bad news was that 4 out of 5 top scorers left school, including Enfield’s best player Byron Wesley who averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. Wesley transferred to Gonzaga to participate in the annual Bulldog NCAA tournament run, a run he correctly felt he would not get to make as a senior on this Trojan team.

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For as talented as their recruiting class is, they won’t be able to make up for the fire power that they lost. With all roster losses taken into account, USC lost 76.33% of their total scoring. As good as they are the incoming freshmen aren’t exactly physical specimens that can quickly adjust to the rigors of the college game.

Jordan McLaughlin is widely considered to be the best point guard prospect from the west coast, and will be the engine keeping Enfield’s high tempo offense moving. His exquisite ball handling, quickness and court vision will allow him to be effective even with his lack of experience.

Elijah Stewart (6’5, 180), Malik Marquetti (6’6, 190), and Malik Price-Martin (6’11, 220) are all athletic scorers, but they aren’t used to being guarded by wings and forwards as big or even bigger than they are. The step up in physicality and game speed will prove to be difficult for them to adjust. Look for them to be dependent on McLaughlin to create shots for them or get most of their points in transition.

USC doesn’t have a stable of productive returners to make up for the inexperience either. Forward Nikola Jovanovic returns as the low block threat and resident campus hunk. His 2013-14 season was littered with inconsistency, but this summer he averaged 11 points in the last three games of the Pac-12 All-star tour against China, so there is some hope that he can improve on his 8 points a game last year. Guard Julian Jacobs (6.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.1 steals per game) also returns and will provide his versatile skill set once again for the Trojans, but he will most likely spell McLaughlin and Stewart off the bench much like he did for Pe’Shon Howard and Byron Wesley last season.

One thing USC can count on this season is that it will be entertaining. Enfield was the coach at Florida Gulf Coast University (aka “Dunk City”) when they made that magical run to the sweet sixteen in 2012-13. We can still expect some growing pains from this young Trojan team where they can’t stop anyone on defense, but at least they will be flying up and down the court trying to force turnovers and finishing with an array of jump shots and powerful finishes in transition. Huh, why does that formula of Los Angeles + run-and-gun offense + no defense = few wins sound so familiar?

The Trojans are maybe one year away from really making an impact in the Pac-12 conference if their team stays together, but this year will see them near the bottom of the Pac-12 once again. Coach Enfield is building a great program, but USC will have another long, albeit entertaining year with that high-flying offense.

Projected Finish: Best looking 11^th place in the country

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