WKU Basketball: Talkin’ Tops vs. USC Trojans With Alicia de Artola of Reign of Troy
After what seems like an eternity, the Hilltoppers are set to take the floor again, this time in the NIT second round, to face the Southern…
After what seems like an eternity, the Hilltoppers are set to take the floor again, this time in the NIT second round, to face the Southern California Trojans, who needed two overtimes to dispatch UNC Asheville.
To get a better feel for tonight’s game, I reached out to Alicia de Artola, the site expert for FanSided’s USC site, Reign of Troy.
The Towel Rack: Is there any sort of excitement or buzz around USC regarding the NIT or is it kind of a lost cause after not getting an NCAA bid?
Alicia de Artola: There is a decided lack of excitement/buzz around the NIT in Los Angeles. Going into the first round game against UNC Asheville, there were a lot of fans wondering why USC even accepted the bid. Head coach Andy Enfield said it was out of his hands and while he didn’t say if he would have accepted, there was the distinct impression around USC that they didn’t want to be there. Now that they’re in the second round, there’s a bit more of a sense that maybe this team could make a run, but I wouldn’t call it excitement.
TTR: The Trojans were without Chimezie Metu, who is sitting out the NIT because he wants to stay healthy for the NBA draft. What is the difference between a USC team with him as opposed to without him?
AdA: Not only is Metu USC’s best player, he’s one of just a few big men who have seen significant playing time this season. Essentially, the Trojans relied on Metu and Nick Rakocevic as their forwards this year. There are big guys like Harrison Henderson and Victor Uyaelunmo on the roster, but they barely saw the court until Uyaelunmo stepped up as the first man off the bench in Metu’s absence on Tuesday.
With Metu, USC could go with a taller lineup using both Metu and Rakocevic at the same time. Now they’re stuck with a smaller lineup and less flexibility. They’re also without Metu’s scoring ability. Though he didn’t show it in the Pac-12 Tournament, he’s a guy who can absolutely take over a game, as a scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. USC misses that presence.
TTR: Did UNCA wake the Trojans up in anyway, and should WKU be extra prepared for an angry team?
AdA: It’s very hard to say. The first three quarters of the UNCA game featured a Trojan team going through the motions. The most encouraging thing about that game was how USC turned it on to avoid the loss, overcoming multiple deficits in each of the final three periods. At the same time, the effort on the defense end was still much less than they’ll need to beat more quality teams like WKU.
Will USC be angry? I don’t think so. Is there now reason to believe senior guard Jordan McLaughlin wants this badly enough to drag the team kicking and screaming to the finish line? Maybe.
TTR: Especially in Metu’s absence, what are some names to watch on the floor for the Trojans?
AdA: McLaughlin is the key man for USC now. He was already the veteran leader running point, but he was able to take a backseat and maintain a role as a distributor with Metu, Bennie Boatwright and others getting the glory. Now, the team is on his shoulders and he showed on Tuesday night that he can put up points when he wants to. He had 26, with 13 assists, against the Bulldogs.
Other big names to know are Rakocevic and Elijah Stewart. Rakocevic is now USC’s primary big man; he’s not as smooth as Metu but he’s more of a defensive force and his game runs on effort and energy. If he can stay out of foul trouble, he’s a potential focal point. Stewart is a shooter, perhaps the streakiest in USC history. In fact, he owns the record for most made three-pointers by a Trojan. It’s also his senior sendoff and he was key to USC putting away UNCA.
Finally, keep an eye on Jonah Mathews. The sophomore guard and heir apparent to McLaughlin was outstanding in the Pac-12 Tournament, but he was oddly quiet vs. UNCA. I expect him to play more of a role on Monday.
TTR: In what ways does USC matchup well against WKU?
AdA: USC’s biggest advantage may be depth. Even without Metu, Boatwright and De’Anthony Melton, the Trojans can find standout performances from the starting lineup as well as the bench, including a guard like Derryck Thornton and swingmen Shaqquan Aaron and Jordan Usher.
Otherwise, the two teams seem to matchup evenly. They’re similarly framed in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, turnovers, shooting percentage and three-point percentage, while neither side seems to claim much of a height or experience advantage.
TTR: Flip that — how does WKU matchup well with USC?
AdA: If I’m WKU, with a field goal percentage of 49.3, I’m licking my chops at the prospect of playing a Trojan team with a shaky record in the defensive end. It’s not that USC doesn’t have the athletes to play solid defense, it’s that their effort has been inconsistent. And with motivation still in question in the NIT, that could be the single biggest factor to decide the game.
TTR: Got a prediction? Will USC sleepwalk until they feel they could really lose, or as I asked earlier, are the Trojans awake and ready to inflict some pain?
AdA: This is the most impossible prediction I’ve ever had to undertake, as gauging USC’s motivation is a losing proposition. I’ve taken a pessimistic perspective on the Trojans for the most part this year and that’s largely served me well, so I’ll stick with it. The effort it took to dispatch UNC Asheville was encouraging, but that was still a double-overtime game against a №8 seed. As much as I’d like to see McLaughlin further solidify his legend at USC, I don’t like the matchup against a WKU team that can shoot.
Hilltoppers win, 80–75.
I’d like to thank Alicia once again for taking the time to answer our questions, and if what she said comes to fruition, it should be a great game this evening.
The Tops and Trojans will tip at 10:30 p.m. CT tonight on ESPN2.