BASKETBALL

Morning Buzz: USC Basketball Has Officially Become A Circus

USC’s basketball program resembles a soap opera as Gilbert Arenas, the father of star freshman Alijah Arenas, saw fit Sunday night to weigh in on the departure of Chad Baker-Mazara.

An excerpt: “Right before the tournament, this is what we doing?

“I don’t know who he cussed out. but get over it, he’s right. When you the best player on the team, whatever you say, you’re right!

“Now we got to watch this junior varsity ass team.”

I don’t know why Baker-Mazara is no longer on the team, but Arenas’ message is if you lead the team in scoring, you can say whatever you want. That’s a wonderful way to run a team.

Imagine if LeBron James had said something like this when his son was on the team at USC? But LeBron never did and never would.

It’s a good thing USC leaves today for Seattle for its game with Washington, so it can get away from this circus.

20 thoughts on “Morning Buzz: USC Basketball Has Officially Become A Circus”

  1. College basketball was never about having a 26 year-old guy who had played at 5 other programs and who would play only one year for USC. Unfortunate it has come to this.

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    1. KAM: What was Chad Baker-Mazara‘s major? Does Gilbert have a major?

      DON: Spin college basketball off as a NBA minor league and be done with this charade that this has anything to do with college.

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      1. KAM Guess what? AI says:
        Search AssistSorry, no relevant information was found in our search for Glibert Arenas and Chad Baker-Mazara’s majors at USC.

        DON: What a shamamockery!

        Liked by 1 person

      2. None of these guys are college students. There is very little interest at USC in watching them play. All they do is collect millions of dollars without any real benefit to USC and the fan base. Let them go collect their millions playing in Europe and then they can join the NBA.

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    1. KAM: Howard Cosell said this 44 years ago:
      “Big-time college athletics is garbage and it should be abolished … It’s a tragedy, a blot on the conscience of this nation … How many scandals can college athletics endure?”

      DON: Sadly he was right.

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  5. When you recruit prima donnas, this is what you get. It has been said in this blog before that character counts. Recruiting a roster of divas will not win championships because they don’t know how to put team before me. How do the St. Mary’s and Gonzaga coaches win year after year with highly competitive teams….team first. Start recruiting as much for character as skills. You can learn skills, you can’t learn character at 18 or 26. I am glad that we recruited 35 high school football players this year and are being selective with transfers. Basketball needs to do the same. Why does UConn win every year…..coaching and skill players with character. USC women could have that next year. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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    1. A friend of mine attended John Wooden’s basketball camp in the early seventies. He asked Wooden why the Bruins didn’t recruit Raymond Lewis of Verbum Dei who was widely regarded as the most skilled point guard in the nation. Wooden’s response was simple – “I don’t recruit trouble.”

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      1. And that is exactly why I was so glad we didn’t hire Urban Liar. He DOES recruit trouble, if he thinks it’ll help him win.

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      2. PH thanks for the comment about Wooden and the recruitment of Ray Lewis. Great coaches build teams in any sport. Look at how the Lakers have been playing lately, no team play on offense or defense. They have stars but not a team. A great coach like the one at UConn recruits the great players who fit his team and not just because of their recruiting ranking. And, the really good players want to play for him. Cignetti appears to be that type of coach. Let’s hope that the USC administration wants those types of coaches for all of our sports and not quick fixes. Money can’t always buy you happiness. Thanks again for sharing the story. Fight on, Dan, Class of 1962

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  6. wolfman, don’t blame yourself! you Tried to get this team over the top, only to have them all sabotage you!! you built them up after they played a cupcake schedule, and before you could even tear them down, they imploded!!

    #UltimateBetrayal

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