USC Basketball: 3 reasons the Trojans will be better than UCLA in 2018-19

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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 03: Nick Rakocevic #31 of the USC Trojans blocks a shot by Aaron Holiday #3 of the UCLA Bruins in the second half at Pauley Pavilion on February 3, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

Disruptive Defense

Dating back to his time with Florida Gulf Coast, Andy Enfield has coached his teams to turn defense into offense. This requires his roster to stifle ball handler and create transition opportunities via missed shots and turnovers.

Last season, the Trojans were able to succeed in Enfield’s scheme, boasting a +87 turnover differential in Pac-12 play. UCLA, on the other hand had a 22 turnover deficit during conference play, due in part to their incredibly high pace.

While UCLA scores points in bunches, their offensive efficiency is not that much better than USC’s. Since the Trojans’ team looks to end possessions early and finish with points at the other end, UCLA will need to find ways to protect the ball and slow down the transition game.

Beyond the forced turnovers, USC will still look to protect the paint with authority, despite losing Chima Moneke. They were in the Top 50 in the nation in blocked shots and did so without fouling all that often.

This means UCLA will have to spread the ball out in the half court, without being lazy or fancy with their passes. UCLA has managed to do this in the past two seasons, taking four of the last five matchups, but their point guard play will take a step back this year without Aaron Holiday to play off Jaylen Hands.

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