I am not sure what to make of last nights loss to Stanford. AO has some good observations in game review and I have some thoughts of my own. People need to understand that this team is very young and that regardless of the talent on this team it is still very young and inexperienced. There has been too much expected from this team with all the hype that as surrounded this recruiting class. Teams need time to gel and without experienced juniors and seniors to help players mature it will be tough going for the foreseeable future until a leader emerges from this team.
I would agree that this was an ugly game and I am not sure that either team wanted to win this game as it was as sloppy a game that I have ever seen.
Neither finished with a dominant game - Brook played 22minutes because of foul trouble and Robin only scored two points to go with four rebounds - but the duo altered shots throughout the contest.
"You don't see that every day. (The Pac-10 has) got some good bigs, don't we?" Mayo said of the Lopez brothers. "It's so hard to finish around the basket, so you've got to get the outside shot (going)."
That didn't happen for the Trojans on Saturday, as they shot just 2 of 12 from beyond the 3-point arc, including 1 of 6 for Mayo, who finished with 14 points.
USC was outrebounded 48-31, including a 31-15 difference in the second half.
I could not believe the bad shooting that I saw all game last night. It wasn't that some of the shots were missed but it surprised me was the amount of low percentage shots that were taken. SC had a hard time driving the lane because it seemed that every shot was turned away but without any presence under the basket. Without a big man in the middle SC is going to have a tough time controlling the boards and that will big piece missing in this puzzle as the team comes together. But I would agree with DJ in the comment section of the game thread, SC needs improve on the fundamentals that will help pave the way for them to be a better team.
This team likes to run but they aren't good enough as team to do it with any consistency because they can't pass the ball effective enough without minimizing the turnovers that they commit over and over again. SC had their chances in this game, the amount of times that SC had second chance opportunities that they didn't convert is staggering to me.
I disagree that Mayo is overrated but if he doesn't start developing his game and find a way pass the ball just a little bit more I have a hard time seeing how he will be able to make the jump to the next level. Mayo is in a bad spot, he is constantly doubled or tripled teamed because everyone knows he is either going to get the ball or that he will try and make the shot. He needs to find a way to work the ball into the other players to not only remove some of the pressure that he is going to get but also but help the other get into a groove and develop their game.
The defense continues to keep the team in the games but right now it just isn't enough. If the team can start making a difference when it comes to rebounding the ball then SC has a real chance to have a pretty decent season.
I am not sure why Jefferson was utilized so little in the game and I'm not why Diarra didn't see some action if he was dressed, it looked like he was. I am sure there are back-stories behind their lack of playing time and I am sure we won't hear the whole story but if they could play I am curious as to why they didn't see more action.
As I have said in the past I will continue to trust in Coach Floyd as he continues to develop this team. Its going to take some time and the fans who care about basketball need to temper their expectations especially after last seasons success as we lost 65-70% of our scoring from last season when Pruitt, Stewart and Young left for the NBA. The Traditional Media I think place too high a level of expectations and so some are frustrated that the team is not where they think they should be. Coach Floyd has not done anything yet in my eyes that would show me that this team is not developing. They had some good outings against Kansas and Memphis and they had some stinkers like against Mercer. They need to build their confidence, its just going to take time.