After a season of bouncing back from the wrong side of the bubble, one more win seemed proof enough to dispel any doubts about USC’s rightful place in the NCAA tournament. A narrow victory in the Conference Quarterfinals and USC can sit back on selection Sunday.
But there was no reassurance for USC in Las Vegas, and there will be no quiet nights. If the committee needed more convincing, USC didn’t make much of an impression in a 77-72 loss to Arizona State.
Now they have to wait and keep their fingers crossed that enough bubbles pop on Sunday. Ironically, even though the loss jeopardized USC, it probably earned Arizona State a spot on the field.
“They just wanted it more than we did tonight,” said USC point guard Boogie Ellis.
Whether or not USC earned its place in the NCAA tournament ahead of Thursday night’s debacle is bound to be debated. Most predictors seemed to indicate that USC had already played on after going 22-9 in the regular season. Enfield spent a few minutes making his own statement as the players seemed largely unfazed by their place in the bubble.
“I’m still confident,” said Kobe Johnson. “I know we’re supposed to be there. I don’t know how the NCAA will rank us, but if we’re lucky enough to get in, we’ll have a big chip on our shoulder.”
However, nothing on the night’s performance indicated that either team intended to make a statement about their postseason status as the Trojans were outplayed and outplayed by Arizona State from start to finish.
There was no desperation from USC, at least until the last few minutes, when the Trojans began firing at will from the depths. They sank three-pointers on three consecutive possessions and trimmed Arizona State’s lead to just four points, providing a glimmer of hope on an otherwise disappointing evening.
USC’s recent loss in the first round of the Pac-12 tournament ended an 11-21 season, Enfield’s first Trojans lead. This time his team had what it takes to go on a much deeper run, which didn’t go as planned on Thursday.
USC frayed early and never fully recovered. It opened stationary from the field. It was muscular on the offensive boards, allowing Arizona State to score 21 points for second chances.
It was a miracle that USC was able to stick around for so long. That was thanks to Tre White and Kobe Johnson, as the two young Trojan wings combined for 31 points on 11-of-18 shooting. The rest of the team shot 12 of 37 out of the field.
Enfield pointed to the toll a season of adversity had taken on the team. Grinding pain increased. This week, a cold spread in the locker room, preventing several players from training. Drew Peterson spent the week with a stiff back as freshman Vince Iwuchukwu struggled with a back injury that forced him to miss Thursday’s game.
Peterson said he feels “a little bit better” than last Saturday when the two teams last met. He shot just 2 for 12 from the field, leaving USC with a gaping hole in their offense.
Five nights earlier, these two teams went to the wire despite Arizona State shooting a measly 29% from the floor, the second worst shooting performance of the season. USC stuck around anyway and even gave the Sun Devils a chance to send the game into overtime. They missed and the Trojans breathed a sigh of relief, knowing their tournament hopes were probably safe.
There was no relief on Thursday. Arizona State flew a breathless 8-0 run in the first minute as USC struggled to land its first shot.
“We came out soft,” Johnson said, “and you can’t come out soft this time of year.”
Things didn’t get any easier for USC from then on, as the Trojans looked like a team that ran out of gas. They shot a miserable 26% in the first half, with several scoreless periods lasting five minutes or more. At one point, they turned the ball over on four consecutive possessions, causing Enfield to throw his hands onto the touchline.
USC played much better in the second half. But by then the damage had already been done, the conclusions already drawn. The comeback would fall short and give the committee much food for thought.
“Where that takes us on Sunday is not my decision,” said Enfield.
But his Trojans have done enough for the coach. Even when they crossed the finish line.
Source: LA Times