It’s a November Saturday, time for USC football! Wait a minute. We have a schedule change because we’re living in an alternate universe.
There is a USC game on Saturday, Nov. 13, but it’s not football. While the gridiron Trojans stay home due to COVID-19 complications in Berkeley with the Cal Golden Bears, the basketball team takes center stage in one of the most bizarre USC football seasons of all time. We’re gonna watch hoops, not pigskin, this weekend.
The USC Trojans face the Temple Owls in the second game of the 2021-2022 college basketball season. Each program won its first game of the season.
The Trojans defeated Cal State Northridge with ease and Temple topped Maryland Eastern Shore. This game should be an interesting one on Saturday evening.
Andy Enfield’s USC squad has a lot of new faces. USC is most notably without superstar big man Evan Mobley. The Trojans’ star freshman last season went third overall in the NBA draft and has worked wonders in his short time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In his place, brother Isaiah needs to step up and fill that void as best as he can. There is also the incoming freshman class and Boogie Ellis, the star guard who transferred from Memphis.
The game against Temple won’t be a cakewalk like Tuesday’s opener against Northridge. The Owls pose some problems on the court, although nothing too imposing — hopefully — for Enfield’s group. Most notably, the Owls’ guard play is stellar and will pose a tough challenge for USC. Let’s look at some game keys for this late-afternoon game. Tip time is just after 4 p.m. in Los Angeles
CONTAIN TEMPLE'S KHALIF BATTLE
Feb 23, 2020; Omaha, Nebraska, USA; Butler Bulldogs guard Khalif Battle (4) shoots over Creighton Bluejays forward Damien Jefferson (23) in the first half at CHI Health Center Omaha. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports
The Owls guard transferred from Butler after spending just one year with the Bulldogs and made the most of his first year with Temple. He averaged 15 points per game despite playing in just 11 contests.
However, in the Owls first game he had a game-high 22 points on 9-14 from the field. USC needs to prevent him from getting on a roll. Keeping him under 20 points would be a good achievement.
BOOGIE ELLIS EMERGENCE
Mar 13, 2021; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Memphis Tigers guard Boogie Ellis (5) drives to the basket against Houston Cougars forward Brison Gresham (55) during the first half at Dickies Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ben Ludeman-USA TODAY Sports
By this point we know that Boogie Ellis is a stud. He dazzled in his first game as a Trojan, and Enfield and the USC faithful have to love what they are seeing from him thus far. He needs to be a leader for this team at the offensive end of the floor. He faces much stronger competition against Temple than he did versus Northridge. He needs to be the alpha male for USC on the road.
BENCH PLAY
Mar 3, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Boubacar Coulibaly (12) dunks the ball during the second half against the Stanford Cardinals at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
The USC bench got a lot of minutes as a collective unit in the first game of the year. No player scored more than 10 points. However, seven different players scored off the pine. Six players played at least nine minutes. Finding a bench rotation which works will be very important for Andy Enfield. Evan Mobley won’t be replaced with one man. USC needs an army of reliable bench players to compensate for Mobley’s exit. The bench isn’t ready to provide a reliable nine-player rotation right now, but if Enfield can cultivate a solid nine-man rotation by the time Pac-12 play begins, USC should have a very successful regular season. Guys need to begin to learn how to play well when thrown into the fire.
DAMIAN DUNN
Dec 22, 2020; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Tramon Mark (12) dribbles the ball as Temple Owls guard Damian Dunn (1) defends during the second half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
The Owls other guard is another force to be reckoned with. He scored 18 in Temple’s season opener. He and Battle combined to score 40 of Temple’s 72 points, more than half of the Owls’ overall offensive output. Dunn was 5-of-5 at the free throw line. USC can’t put him on the charity stripe.
ISAIAH MOBLEY, STEADY AND STRONG
Mar 30, 2021; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Southern California Trojans forward Isaiah Mobley (3) against the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mobley played a beautifully restrained and responsible game against Northridge. He saw that Boogie Ellis was flourishing. He didn’t get in the way of his teammate. He allowed Ellis to lead the offense and picked his spots. He shot well from 3-point range and the foul line. He handed out more assists (three) than he committed turnovers (two). If he plays like that against Temple, USC should love its chances. USC doesn’t need Isaiah Mobley to be spectacular. It needs Mobley to be reliable and consistent, making sound plays and avoiding the erratic performances which marked a good portion of last season.
It’s better for Mobley to deliver 16 points and eight rebounds with few turnovers every night, than for him to score 25 one night and eight the next, with high turnover counts. That said, if Boogie Ellis struggles, that’s when Mobley needs to demand the ball more and fill in the gaps for USC’s offense. We will see if that scenario emerges versus Temple.
