Andy Enfield reveals biggest strides USC has made this year

It has been a year of growth for USC. Head coach Andy Enfield has even called it one of his most improved teams as a coach.

A turning point for the team happened well before the season in the summer when freshman big man Vincent Iwuchukwu suffered a cardiac arrest in a practice. Iwuchukwu was expected to be one of the top players on the team this season, and his unknown time table changed things for the program.

“We had an issue this summer with Vince,” Enfield said. “So we had some plans to play two true big men together like we have the last few years. But then we realized that our best offensive players were guards, including Drew Peterson and Boogie Ellis, who are returning guys and had big game experience. We anticipated them being our leading scorers, which they ended up to be.”

Iwuchukwu was able to return in January for USC and has been a solid role player since returning to the court.

As the Trojans enter their first round matchup against Michigan State, Enfield reflected on how his underclassman have stepped up to the task.

“But we were not very good in the beginning of the season,” Enfield said. “We had a lot of new faces: five freshmen, four sophomores. Even our younger sophomores had not been relied upon to do what they are doing now. We knew it would take some time for this team to develop and improve and get some experience. And they did.”

Enfield then gave credit to one of his senior leaders in Boogie Ellis. The guard has elevated his game to a new level for USC this season, earning a spot on the Pac-12 All-Conference first team.

Ellis is currently averaging 18.0 points per game on 43.9% shooting from the field, 39.2% shooting from beyond the arc and 80.5% from the free throw line.

“Give this team a ton of credit because, you say who is your most improved player?” Enfield said. “We have a lot of most improved players including Boogie Ellis, who is a senior. If you would have seen Boogie last year compared to what he did this year, especially the second half of this season, it’s a really dramatic improvement. And he spent so much time focusing on how to lead a team how to make plays for his teammates. His assist-to-turn ratio went up, his scoring went up, his shot selection became more efficient.”