BASKETBALL

Thanks, Enfield!

Did Andy Enfield have a game plan today for Marquette?

Markus Howard had 51 points so no defensive plan for him. Howard had zero resistance.

But worse, yes worse, was that USC had a huge height advantage and it doesn’t play through its big men.

It’s just the same disorganized run-and-gun offense Enfield always runs. Do you ever see him doing any coaching on the bench?

He has to love the way Clay Helton sucks up all the attention of USC fans.

On the bright side, USC does not have to play Maryland now.

51 thoughts on “Thanks, Enfield!”

    1. 7 years is enough to see that Football Head was never ready for prime time. Why does USC settle for such mediocrity in men’s basketball? Over a century of nothing.

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      1. Well, there were the 70s team of Riley, Gus Williams and Westphal. The 90s with Miner, and the 2000s with Clancy and an Elite-8, only to be stopped by Duke. But by and large, and you are correct, gotroy22. But I still think this freshman-laden team can be special.

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  3. Can’t argue with the legitimate criticism of AE.
    I still cannot get over fact that all of his teams have been consistently awful at free throws. Watch any of those March Madness teams and you usually see outstanding free throw teams.
    The man can recruit (or hire the right parent) but he is not in the top 100 of college coaches today. Thanks to Haden for another horrific decision based slowly as a result of a Florida Gulf Coasts sweet 16 run.
    Let’s hope once our new AD makes his football coaching decision that he starts focusing on basketball.

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    1. I have been willing to ‘wait’ on Enfield but this was, if i am not mistaken, this team had one of the top players in the nation? I know the scandal hit and hard but really great coaches get through such.

      Neutral court today and totally ‘owned’ from beginning to end.

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    2. https://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/la-xpm-2013-apr-15-la-sp-0416-usc-andy-enfield-20130416-story.html

      AE: “If you doubt my recruiting ability, just look at my wife.”

      You have to admit, that is a great line.

      But the LA Times article also quotes Haden as saying that AE’s business success is what led Haden to believe that he would be a great hoops coach for SC.

      Sadly, it turns out that Haden’s business success didn’t translate into success as an AD. Nor AE’s success as a hoops coach so far.

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      2. But, as the Bucket once observed, Andy’s Old Lady has bird legs.

        So a better Andyain’twinning line would have been: “…just look at the top half of my wife.”

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    3. Rakocevik doesn’t bring it on both ends and he gets beat like a stepchild against aggressive teams. He’s a good rebounder, but in terms of holding down a man it wont happen..

      Mathews is choking in my opinion. I can’t believe they nicknamed him Baby Lebron❗

      Really?
      BABY LEBRON⁉️⁉️⁉️

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      2. He played a lot like jordan at SC. He was clutch in the regular season. You have to admit to that. His NBA career was non existent.

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    4. Following your logic (to which I agree, #whydid), then USC Football should not hire a FB HC who posts 1 or 2 winning seasons in the Sunbelt, AAC, CUSA, MWC. Agree?

      How’s Shaka Smart doing at UT?
      Scott Frost at Nebraska? (I admit he had a fine pedigree at Oregon and UCF, but…)

      Success in a less-competitive conference does not always translate to success on the big stage.

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  4. Duke lost to SFA. Kentucky lost to Evansville. Blowouts are more common in BB and this is not FB. As long as SC improves, makes the tournament, and goes Sweet 16, that is good progress. The PAC12, unlike FB, is respectable in BB. SW’s knowledge of football is limited, it is primitive in hoops.

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    1. Arturo, good thoughts, nearly all of which I agree strongly with. One good point Scottie makes is that Marquette is largely known to be a one-man team, as Howard has gone for more than 40 points on several occasions. Seems that Trojans should have been ready for this. Box and 1? Match up zone? Something. But you are correct in that the hoops season is long, blowouts happen even to the best, and one really needs to wait to see how the season evolves.

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      1. 67, Good stuff. A good bb coach knows how to adjust to the talent that s/he has. It will be interesting to see how well Enfield does this and to see how well he molds the team’s identity. Stephen, nice thoughts as well. I think SC has sweet 16 talent and my point was more of a dig on SW crying and it is barely November.

        #thewhiningstartedearlythisyear

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  5. Wisconsin held Howard to 18 points….all in the first half….. ZERO IN THE SECOND HALF!……the Badgers, who’ve since dumped two games to a good Richmond and New Mexico….thumped Marquette by 16….

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    1. Sweet 16? Not this year….but, #21 and #15 are very good players…Rakocevic, sitting on the bench, T’d up and ejected. Players play….they’ve got yo take responsibility…

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      1. The good news is, the Trojans were only outscored in the second half by 1. 44-43….Howard is setting records…obviously, someone didn’t make any adjustments to him, or USC’s perimeters can’t hold up…

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      2. This team should improve by leaps and bounds….I’d like to see them in the final 16, or better….But, the point differentials they’re putting on paper, present major obstacles…

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      3. Wisconsin held Marquette to 61 points FOR THE ENTIRE GAME! Ole SC gave up a c note+1! How do you make up 40 points?

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      4. Teams like Wisconsin usually have less individual talent than a team like SC. Wisconsin will a system in place and will have upperclassmen running said system. SC has a Fr, I believe, and a grad transfer as their starting backcourt so it doesn’t surprise me that a player like Howard lit them up ( I am assuming Howard was either a 1,2, or 3). SC’s strength is in their front court, but their guard play will dictate how far they go.

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      6. Let’s just settle on the Trojans even making the big tournament being a good sign….cuz right now, they can’t beat Marquette, they can’t beat Wisconsin, and, they probably can’t beat Richmond, who has an outstanding point man, Francis….that’s 3 teams USC can’t beat right now, and those teams aren’t anywhere on the radar….I played Wisconsin in August at 75-1…..they look middle of the Big 10 pac, so there’s other teams in the Big 10 that could beat USC. The number of teams ahead of them right now is mounting…throw Temple in there, as well. Heck, Penn State is better in basketball 🏀 this year, than football?

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      7. But, I’ll hang on to my Wisconsin play because, if they start to shoot better, and they should🙏, they’ve proven they can lock a guy down, like very few…plus, they gotta nother big body, Micah Potter, 6’11”, that’s lawyered up trying to get eligible soon. He’s a transfer from Ohio State. Wisconsin could use another big man, cuz, unlike many years, they gotta nuff on the perimeter…

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      8. Michigan looks the part, and Juwan Howard seems to have put together a conducive environment, for a run. But, the Big Ten is very competitive at the top…there’s no easy meals to be had…..they’re no shoe in….I haven’t seen the whole league yet, but Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan St., Penn State all look like they want to play……Purdue has already shown some chinks in the armor….no decisions, yet, on Indiana, Minnesota, Norhwestern, Maryland, Illinois, Rutgers, Nebraska or Iowa, but we all know, if any more, in this league, rise up, you’re going to accumulate some L’s…

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      2. I like small plays, on long odds teams, who I think are in with a shot at all the marbles, to win championship…..that way, you don’t have to get too involved with point spreads regularly, especially with legalized gambling coming across America, and more Josh Shaw’s on the horizon…they need to send a loud and clear message now, ALL SPORTS, because Vegas was usually able to enforce their own, people don’t realize….it could get ugly when so many different outlets come on board…Frankly, I don’t think they can keep the games straight, a huge test! …and, that could undermine the public’s confidence, which crushes viewerships!

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  6. Mr. Wolf, Andyain’twinning is always screaming at the officials. He just never says anything after the de rigueur, bozo 46′ brick.

    Competitive BB opponents aren’t Andy’s forte

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    1. “Competitive BB opponents aren’t Andy’s forte” – owns

      Says the guy whose team lost to hofstra and BYU, and beat those powerhouses Southern Utah and Chaminade.

      owns, you have to do better if you want to hang here.

      #ALotBetter

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      1. Thing is ’67, UCLA didn’t recruit a top 10 2019 – 2020 BB class like bozo u.

        This is the Andyain’twinnings 7th season, and he’s still 44 – 64 in Pac 12 games and 4 – 9 vs UCLA…..Oh well.

        Lastly, ’67, remind Dear Pisley, the CK news he’s proudly copied and regurgitated on this thread is at least three days old.

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  7. Nah, you can’t put what Howard did to USC on anyone other than Howard. He was straight-up on fire. He’s in the zone right now. I watched the game, but the highlights just came on SportsCenter and they show’d him making 25 points worth of impossible shots. The only way you could’ve stopped him was to blow him up every time he ventured into the lane. The current rules don’t take kindly to that type of play though.

    The one thing I can’t figure out is how Enfield – the greatest free-throw shooter in NCAA history and former NBA shooting coach – is how he can’t teach anyone how to shoot. His teams miss at a minimum 75% of their threes and 40% of their free-throws.

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    1. Howard scored ZERO on Wisconsin in the second half! 18 in the first half! You have to have deep, physical guards to run at him and wear him down….Wisconsin does…USC doesn’t….Jonah Matthews very questionable on defense against quick shooters, and his offense is too inconsistent to make up for it…

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      2. I liked him better his freshman year…he hasn’t progressed enough….why? Ask coach the tough questions, if you’re the AD……

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  8. Enfield is below Helton in the actual coaching business. He has done
    nothing during his tenure. He was a one trick pony with FGCU, and Pat
    Haden fell for his bullshit. Women volleyball coach is another big-time
    loser who came cheap thanks to that dog catcher caddy Lynn Swann.
    The Athletic Dept. is pure garbage right now with Bohn needing to
    make sweeping changes with the coaching staffs in many programs.

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    2. I would not insult Lynn Swann myself, but if you choose to, please pick a different line of insult, Mr. B.

      I agree that the WVB coach has been a disappointment. With Lanier graduating, he’s in big trouble come September. After the Mobley brothers move along, Enfield will be in trouble also. There are ~350 D1 MBB teams with ~70 invited to the NCAA tourney. 1:5 chance.
      USC should make the tourney 10 yrs/10, no?

      Womens soccer and Lacrosse are reliably Natty calibre. Track and Field has been Natty Calibre under Smith-Gilbert. T&F rewards the long distance runner, which has never been our strength. If we can recruit some distance runners–watch out. Water Polo was dominant–though some of Vavic’ practices were questionable. Did the NCAA come down on Men’s/Women’s water/polo with sanctions? So, Bohn has inherited some successful programs to nurture. As FB returns to 10+ win seasons EVERY YEAR, our spirits will improve.

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  9. I remember when I told my bro “I hope that idiot Haden doesn’t hire Enfield”. He better not fall for the flavor of the month coach. What does the incompetent charity grifter do? Hires Enfield a week later!. When Mark Jackson was available. I read somewhere he had interest in the job. His son was a recruit and he wanted to coach his kid.. Oh yeah we know why he didn’t even get an interview because Hadens gay son. He must of found out about the Reverend Mark Jackson’s conflicts with the gays in the GS Warriors upper management. There was also a rumor going around about Eddie Orgeron not getting the permanent head coaching job because he used to throw F bombs when Haden was around attending practices.

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    1. He Mr. Insider is that true? Can you let us know if these Rumors were true and covered up when Haden resigned his A.D. duties.? To save face.

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  10. Pepperdine game x10…predictable
    Marquette like other small schools BASKETBALL is everything . They practice practice practice iron sharpening iron…you an see it, SC does not. Not nearly as quick on defense or offense…was hoping this yr would be different, there is still time IF the coaching exceeds what has been displayed so far.

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  11. Duh, it is early in the season with a bunch of freshmen who need testing and losses to grow. In high school these players were not tested. Coaching had little to do with Marquette game. Let’s see where they are later.

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