“Simonds Says” is a column by Will Simonds, in which he shares his thoughts on sports at USC and beyond.
Thursday’s loss to Oregon might have felt like rock bottom for USC men’s basketball. It marked a sixth consecutive loss for the Trojans, who have been straight-up bad this season — there’s no denying that.
The Trojans were picked second in the Pac-12 preseason media poll, not far behind Arizona. It made sense; USC seemed to head into this season with one of its most talented rosters on paper in recent history, if not ever. It’s rare that USC fans will look forward to basketball season to make up for the disappointment of Trojans football.
There’s a reason for that — we’ll get to it later.
In particular, a backcourt of fifth-year Boogie Ellis, freshman Isaiah Collier and junior Kobe Johnson projected as perhaps the best guard trio in the nation. USC also had potential in the frontcourt, with sophomore forward Vince Iwuchukwu getting a full offseason under his belt and the addition of graduate transfer DJ Rodman.
But the Trojans haven’t lived up to that billing. In fact, they’ve fallen way beneath the floor anyone expected for this squad. That is often a sign of shortcomings in a coaching staff, as seemingly no USC players have played up to their full potential this season. In particular, USC struggles with rebounding, turnovers and free throw shooting — those are often signs of poor coaching as well.
So, it’s no surprise that head coach Andy Enfield’s job security has become a topic of discussion as of late, especially given that recent six-game drought. A win Saturday at home over Oregon State was finally a light at the end of the tunnel, though USC still sits at just 9-13 overall and tied for last in the conference.
After that previous defeat to Oregon, Enfield expressed some clear frustration with his current roster. In his complaints about the Trojans’ effort and rebounding, he seemed to reminisce on the days of Onyeka Okongwu and the Mobley brothers, other top recruits brought in by Enfield that have since moved on to the pros. It’s one of the rare times I can remember the Trojans’ coach putting blame on his players during my four years at USC, and it came across as if Enfield realized his seat was beginning to warm up.
Given his squad’s underperformance, that development would typically make sense at most programs.
However, Enfield does have one very easy excuse for his team’s issues that he can’t control, and one that he’s referenced much of the season — player availability. Collier has been out for several weeks with a fractured hand, Ellis missed three games during USC’s losing streak with a hamstring injury and redshirt senior forward Joshua Morgan still doesn’t seem to be at 100% after a bad illness. Only sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers has played in all 22 of the Trojans’ contests.
But that won’t be the reason Enfield keeps his job. After all, coaches, both in college and the pros, get fired all the time despite overseeing banged-up rosters. I’m not sure USC would be in much better shape this season at full health, anyways.
Still, there are several other reasons why Enfield won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.
First, credit has to be given where credit is due. Enfield is pretty comfortably the best coach in program history. He boasts a .601 winning percentage, five NCAA tournament appearances and one of USC’s meager two Elite Eight trips in the last 70 years. This is an impressive body of work for a program without a rich basketball history, even with his current struggles.
Enfield’s success primarily comes from his proven track record as a recruiter, which shouldn’t be ignored either. Although his No. 3-ranked freshman class this season hasn’t quite lived up to expectations, Enfield has another top-15 class for 2024. People have shown up to watch Collier and freshman guard Bronny James all season even with the Trojans’ dismal performances. The NBA success of Okongwu and Evan Mobley should allow Enfield to keep attracting blue-chip players to Galen Center.
It’s also a turbulent period at USC. New athletic director Jennifer Cohen has not even held her position for six full months. The university is currently embarking on massive renovations for various athletic facilities. Oh, and I’m not sure if you’ve heard by now, but the Trojans are off to a whole new conference this summer! This just doesn’t feel like the time for more chaos within a USC athletic department that could probably really use some stability at the moment.
On a related note, Enfield’s contract has him signed through the 2027-28 season. USC would likely have to pay a fairly significant buyout to part ways with Enfield anytime soon, and the university is focused on other big-money projects at the moment. I already mentioned the ongoing construction around campus, and in the current age of lawless Name, Image and Likeness deals, the Trojans are surely dishing out tons of cash to players in order to keep them in Los Angeles.
All of that leads to a larger point about USC men’s basketball as a whole. How much does the university really care about having an elite program?
CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein has recently dubbed the Trojans as “more than a football school.” But, let’s be real. USC is a football school, through and through. Based in the heart of Los Angeles, this university could have built a better basketball program by now if it really wanted to do so — or could.
It’s very difficult to win in both sports at the college level at the same time; there’s a reason none of the basketball “blue bloods” have much of a college football history, and vice versa for college football’s current powers. Sure, Florida won multiple titles in both sports in the mid-2000s, but that’s more of an outlier than a trend.
The USC administration is content to have a “fine” basketball program, one that makes the tournament more often than not with the occasional deep run, if that means it can field a successful football team.
Besides, the move to the Big Ten was made to benefit the football program (it won’t help the basketball teams). Most of USC’s athletic budget goes to the squad at the Coliseum, not those at Galen Center or anywhere else. And, if people are still going to line up around the block several hours early to watch 8-11 USC host 8-11 UCLA, is there really a ton of motivation to make a big change at the helm?
I’m certainly not convinced.
So if you’re dissatisfied with Enfield’s capability to lead USC men’s basketball to greener pastures, put down your pitchforks. A new face in the role might seem appetizing, but expect more of the same for the time being.