USC vs. Washington State - Game Review

by AO on Jan 11, 2008 12:46 AM PST in USC Basketball Comment 5 comments

Final Score: USC 58, #4 Washington State 73
Current Record: 9-6 (0-3)
Current Ranking: Not Ranked
Next Up: Washington (Sat.)

I'm as disappointed as anyone from tonight's game. Like I mentioned in the game preview, I really felt we had a good shot to pull off the upset. Apart from our sloppy play, I thought the absence of Davon Jefferson really hurt us in this game. I'm not sure why he was benched, but he was one of the mismatches I was hoping would be difference in this game. But excuses aside, we played a pathetic 2nd half and the Cougs deserved every single bit of this win. This was the first time all season I saw our players whine and throw up their hands after every negative play; it was astounding to me how unfocused our team was coming into this game. The play where Aron Baynes scored a dunk off of a breakdown in the half-court press and then Kyle Weaver followed it up by stealing the in-bound pass for a dunk pretty much sealed it for me. It epitomized tonight's game and it seemed like the players gave up after that play.

As much as I'm sickened by our play tonight, I'm just as equally disturbed by the response of some fans. Our team deserves to be criticized, but it's almost amusing how some fans are trying to place blame squarely on the shoulders of specific players. It isn't the fault of any single player that we don't have a solid low-post presence. Believe me, I have a few select players on the team that I feel should be benched for the rest of the year, but I know it's plain stupid to blame our current slide on them squarely. Early in the year I felt this team could compensate for lack of size with athleticism, but at this point I've been very wrong. I still feel we're not pushing the ball hard enough on the break and playing too much on the perimeter, but I trust Coach Floyd's judgment on the gameplans. Some fans have already packed it in and given up on the season, and this is the perfect time for the rest of you who are on the fence to hop off the bandwagon, but I still believe this is a tourney team. Maybe my feelings will change 4 or 5 games from now, but I still believe it's too early to be conclusive about this team.

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Jefferson is in the doghouse

Whatever he did, coach must be super pissed off to bench him for an important game like this one. I trust that coach Floyd reasons for doing this were justified, and I hope Davon learns from it.

Wow 6 air balls tonight were brutal. No defense in the last 10 minutes, turnovers, bad rebounding, you name it. This team has a lot of raw talent, but no cohesive chemistry. They aren't playing team ball. Only time will fix this problem, and chances are it will be a whole new lineup next season.

by frak on Jan 11, 2008 1:14 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

This is a tourney team?

Come on, get serious. This is team that has played poorly since UC Riverside and it doesn't look like it's getting better.

It's one thing to lose to the #4 team, it's another to pack it in in the second half with 7 minutes left.

All the standing around and bitching and moaning then selfish play -- it was like watching the Knicks, with OJ Mayo impersonating Stephon Marbury, good stats, no leadership (but without sleeping with the intern in the van).

He's a freshman, you say. Hey, he said he wanted to come to a place to build a program. Remember, he picked USC, not vica-versa (his advisor walked into Floyd office and told Floyd that OJ will call him). And what's Floyd to do, say no? To say he's only a freshman, well, he's one and done. By his own words he was supposed to be a leader. Instead, he busts Hackett's jaw and builds this program to, um no post season play at all? It's possible.

by Zoulou on Jan 11, 2008 8:04 AM PST reply actions 0 recs

Doghouse...

Coach Floyd said Davon is playing on Saturday. My guess he was punished for missing classes or tutoring sessions. I personally don't think he's in the doghouse.

Zoulou, what do you mean get serious? We have 4 opponents in the top 5, our RPI is going to favor us GREATLY come selection time. Stanford got in last year with a 18-12 record plus their SOS wasn't nearly as tough as ours this year.

by AO on Jan 11, 2008 6:51 PM PST reply actions 0 recs

Going 18-12 means

going 9-6 the rest of the way in the conference. With two games left with UCLA and a game with WSU in Pullman, that's probably three loses right there. We got Arizona twice, and even if we do split (and as of today its highly unlikely), that's four probably loses right there, we'll need to go 8-2 against the rest of the confernence.

That's a tall order and I don't see this team doing that. The best team we've beaten on the road is South Carolina, which would be a bottom three team in the Pac-10.

Either that or win the Pac 10 tournament, which it's likely either. I see a six or seven wins in the conference, which might not even be enough for the NIT, unless we make it to the Cahampionship game of the Pac 10 tournament.

But lets face it, this team quit last night. First time I've seen a USC team quit since Henry Bibby. Do you really think that a team that quits in conference play can go on a 9-6 run?

Lets put it this way: the season depends on tomorrow's game with Washington.

by Zoulou on Jan 11, 2008 9:24 PM PST up reply actions 0 recs