Trojans prepare for rematch with Utes
Following the disheartening loss to crosstown rival UCLA, the USC men’s basketball team (10-13, 1-9 Pac-12) will host the Utah Utes (16-7, 5-6) today with hopes of getting their elusive second conference win and halting their current four-game snide.
Shining example · Senior guard Pe’Shon Howard led the Trojans with 16 points, including perfect marks from the three-point and free-throw line, in USC’s 84-66 loss to Utah last month. Howard averages 10.5 points per game. – Jojo Korsh | Daily Trojan
USC made a visit to Salt Lake City earlier in the season and walked out the losers by a score of 84-66. The Utes controlled the game the whole way, but, like most games for the Trojans, USC fought to stay within striking distance before eventually biting the dust.
In that contest, the Trojans struggled to contain Utes guard Delon Wright, as the Los Angeles native dropped 22 points.
“Delon Wright really put us in a bind,” said USC head coach Andy Enfield after the game. “He drove the ball really well — got to the foul line 11 times.”
In general, it seemed to most that the better team won that contest.
“I thought Utah played a good game,” Enfield said.
The Utes are not necessarily one of the elite teams in the Pac-12, but the Trojans have no right to overlook any given team. The excitement that surrounded Enfield and his squad coming into this campaign quickly turned into embarrassment when conference play began.
The Trojans’ 1-9 mark in Pac-12 play is one of the worst in recent memory. Enfield will be given a few seasons to bring in the type of players that fit his run-and-gun system, but he certainly did not want to start off his tenure in Troy like this.
In spite of all this failure, one of the surprising qualities that has defined these Trojans is their ability to continue playing hard. The on-court product has been abysmal at times, but no one watching a USC basketball game this season has seen the apathy that plagued the Trojans during the Kevin O’Neill era.
Enfield, for his part, is continuing to see the silver lining in his team’s play, continuing to find signs of progress.
“We’ve improved defensively,” Enfield added. “The last four games, we held opponents to 40 percent shooting.”
Freshman phenom Nikola Jovanovic has been a big help in that category, and he too is choosing to remain positive and look forward to the next game.
“When we do everything that Coach says in the locker room, we play real well,” the Belgrade, Serbia native said.
Jovanovic’s early success is a good sign for the future of the program, proving that there is a light at the end of the USC basketball tunnel. But that light probably won’t shine for another couple of years.
“Everyone wants to see our men’s basketball program be successful,” said USC Athletic Director Pat Haden of the team’s progress. “But it’s not going to happen overnight.”
Fans can look forward to that success in the future. For now, they’ll settle for a simple win at the Galen Center tonight.