USC finds its own path to success


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A long three-year rebuild finally paid its dividends after USC upset No. 7 Arizona at the Galen Center on Saturday night. The win gave Andy Enfield his first signature win as head coach of the Trojans, while matching last season’s Pac-12 win total at three games.

The Trojans have jumped back into the national picture after half a decade of irrelevance. The way they got there is even more fascinating.

Andy Enfield was hired in 2013 following a surprise Sweet 16 run in the NCAA Tournament with Florida Gulf Coast. The picture was clear: Enfield would help rebuild a program tarnished by NCAA sanctions by bringing his up-tempo, flashy coaching style to Los Angeles, similar to the quick rebrand of the “Lob City” Clippers. Unfortunately for USC, the transition did not work out so well.

In his first year as coach, USC went 11-21 and won just two conference games. Star guard Byron Wesley opted to transfer to Gonzaga instead of sticking around for his last year of eligibility. The Trojans improved slightly in the second year of Enfield’s reign, finishing 12-20 with just three conference wins.

While the Trojans were struggling mightily on the court, Enfield was quietly bringing in the pieces to run his system efficiently. Instead of focusing on one-and-done players, Enfield looked to build his program from the bottom up. His first feat came in getting guard Katin Reinhardt to transfer from UNLV in 2013.  Reinhardt, who is only a junior, had to sit out one season due to NCAA rules, but now currently leads the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game.

Enfield continued his prowess off the court by landing one of the best rookie classes in recent USC history in 2014. Enfield brought in two ESPN 100 recruits in standouts Jordan McLaughlin and Elijah Stewart. In McLaughlin, Enfield found his point guard of the future while Stewart brought the athleticism and defense that was missing from the squad. McLaughlin and Stewart had an up and down rookie campaign, but have been key to the Trojans this season.

Enfield finally had a competitive team, but was still lacking the depth and rim protection needed to be competitive in the PAC-12. These issues were addressed with USC’s only two recruits for the 2015 season, freshmen Bennie Boatwright and Chimezie Metu. Boatright’s size and ability to spread the floor has opened up the court for the likes of McLaughlin, Stewart and Reinhardt, while Metu has brought the toughness and defense that has been missing from the Trojan squad.

USC is still a very young team, one of the youngest in the country in fact, but Enfield has recruited a strong foundation for the Trojans to build upon. The Trojans only field one senior, Strahinja Gavrilovic, and only have three juniors on their roster ,who contribute heavily. The underclassmen run the show for USC, which is why the future is so bright.

Most powerhouse schools such as UCLA, Kentucky and Duke focus in on the one-and-done studs like Kevin Love, Anthony Davis and Jahlil Okafor. Those schools constantly have huge roster turnover which can lead to up and down seasons. Kentucky, over the past four years, is a prime example.

The Trojans have rebuilt the exact opposite, looking for highly talented players who fit the system and will stay in school rather than jump to the NBA after one season. In fact, the Trojans have rebuilt like an NBA team, garnering young talent in hopes of turning a corner.

While the Trojans are still very young this season, no player except for the seldom used Gavrilovic is expected to leave the program after this season. That means the core of Jovanovic, Reinhardt, Stewart and McLaughlin will have played more than 63 games together entering next season.

Just like in the NBA, having the ability to build a strong foundation will garner lots of attention. The Trojans already have one ESPN 100 recruit committed for next season and the list should continue to grow as USC knocks off more top rated opponents.

The future of USC basketball has never looked brighter.

Nick Barbarino is a senior majoring in business administration. His column, “Beyond the Arc,” runs Tuesdays.