Lack of attention should help USC


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The USC football team’s bye week came at the perfect time in the calendar, as Saturday marked the second year of the Andy Enfield era, kicking off with an exhibition game against Cal State Los Angeles. With all the buzz and hype surrounding the football team, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the Trojans have another national brand just across Figueroa at the Galen Center. This season especially, it seems like the Trojan basketball team is flying under the radar.

The lack of fanfare surrounding the team is probably explainable by the Trojans’ record in conference play the last few seasons, combining to win just 12 conference games in the past three years. The fickle nature of L.A. sports fans is fairly evident in this regard. The lack of attention could be a good thing; going unnoticed could help the young team for many reasons. Much like the Pac-12 conference as a whole, the Trojan basketball team is on an upward trajectory.

Without the national attention of a Kentucky or a Duke, USC’s players can use the early season and a soft non-conference schedule to feel each other out and start to develop some team chemistry. No one is expecting this year’s Trojans to be national title contenders right out of the gate, but they should be significantly better than last year’s team. If the team can battle competitively in all of their Pac-12 games and demonstrate they are on the right track under Enfield, this season will be a roaring success.

Enfield took over a program last year that was devoid of talent. Over the last few years of his tenure, former coach Kevin O’Neill had been so focused on the present that he turned USC into Transfer University. The majority of the guys he brought in only had a few years left of eligibility, and the few freshmen he did bring in generally transferred pretty quickly. As it is, this year’s Trojan squad only has three juniors and zero seniors.

Understanding this, it’s pretty hard to judge Coach Enfield on last season’s showing, as he was handed a roster that would have fared a lot better competing in the Sun Belt Conference or Horizon League. Though he did mitigate the roster deficiencies somewhat by bringing in sophomore guard Julian Jacobs and sophomore forward Nikola Jovanovic in his inaugural recruiting class, Enfield didn’t have the weapons to run his fast-paced offense effectively last season.

This season is a completely different story. The Trojans brought in four talented freshmen prospects for the first time since 2010. Jacobs looks to have worked on his jump shot throughout the offseason. Already one of the most athletic guards in the conference, Jacobs will be one of the most dynamic and complete offensive players in the Pac-12 South if he is a threat to score from deep this season. Jovanovic is coming off a freshman year where he flashed glimpses of double-double potential. The lanky Serbian native appears to have added substantial strength in the offseason and will be a formidable presence on the block this year. His progression is eerily similar to that of former Trojan and current NBAer Nikola Vucevic thus far, and one can only hope his development continues to mirror Vucevic’s time as a Trojan.

The Trojans will also be buoyed by the eligibility of two sophomore transfers, guard Katin Reinhardt and forward Darion Clark. Reinhardt, who played at Mater Dei, averaged double digits as a freshman at UNLV, while also displaying great court vision as he finished second on the team in assists. Clark, who was originally a USC commit, brings much-needed offensive prowess and unlimited range to the Trojans.

Finally, Enfield’s first full recruiting class is led by Jordan McLaughlin, a highly touted local prospect who could soon be the court general that commands the high-octane offense that USC will run this season. Additionally, Malik Martin, Malik Marquetti and Elijah Stewart all provide immediate upgrades over the rotation players who filled their roles last season.

The USC basketball team isn’t going to go from Pac-12 basement dweller to national powerhouse overnight. The team this year is laying the foundation for the Enfield era, where his “Dunk City” mentality will hopefully fill the Galen Center and bring much needed excitement back to the Trojans basketball program. Already, USC has secured the commitments of two recruits on the ESPN 100 list for next season.

USC is a program on the rise and while nobody is really paying attention to the Trojans now, they could be a team to watch come this time next year. If USC can win eight or more games out of conference and go around .500 in conference play, the Trojans will be the team no one wants to play when February and March approach. One thing is for certain, though: From the first game against Portland State this Saturday night, this year’s USC team will be very entertaining to watch.

Jake Davidson is a sophomore majoring in accounting. His column, “Davidson’s Direction,” runs Mondays.