Ugly, Sloppy, at times Exasperating. And yet ...

Melton is such a key component in many facets but mostly in rebounding. I noticed Enfield mention that, the thing they'll miss the most from JuJu was his ability to rebound at a high clip from the guard position. Well De'Anthony has filled in quite nicely. He'll continuously improve as the season goes on as will Rakocevic &a Melton. Looking forward to A&M. It'll be a great match up between Tyler Davis & Chimezie Metu. Here's to hoping Boatwright can suit up and play.

Had to follow the game online.

Who was on the floor for USC during the crunch time?

It seemed like Elijah's 3 pointer wasn't falling but he contributed with rebounds. That's an improvement from last yr.

Good to hear the new players stepped up: DAM; NR; and JM.

Who played defense in M. Tyus and how did he light us up for 33 points?

I only started watching midway through the 1st, but Tyus is a good player. It wasn't just luck. Just like Rorie on Friday, he hit some really big shots and they drew up a ton of plays designed to get him open.

As for the game, it was pretty sickening for 35 minutes. Omaha's a solid team with a few really good players, but USC is more talented across its roster. Melton was the biggest reason USC won, future star and should make a case for the Pac-12 all freshman team even with all the one and dones. Stewart couldn't get his shot to fall and probably fouled out over frustration. Aaron scored well, but he had some really ugly TOs. J-Mac struggled shooting the three, but he had some really pretty plays setting his teammates up. Overall, J-Mac was a big reason the team won today.


Rakocevic played some big minutes and even though it seems like he's playing out of control near the hoop and just throws it up, with Bennie out, someone had to step up and produce. Rakocevic did today and he may be working his way above Buggs on Enfield's depth chart.


I love what Metu brings, their bigs were never comfortable and Metu had some great dunks. That said, every single time I see the offense running through him it frustrates me to no end. There were three straight possessions to start the 2nd half where Metu either shot an ugly long range shot or fumbled the ball away. I know he wants to sell himself as a complete player to the NBA scouts, but he needs to earn it first. He's rarely going to be relied on as a big who puts it on the floor and uses his post moves to score as a professional. He's just not that comfortable with the ball and it should never stop with him. He can still get his stats by letting his players set him up or on put backs and transition dunks. Watching Metu with the ball reminds me of Clark and it's just not a good feeling. I hope he plays to his strengths and doesn't try to dominate the ball like Jovanovic. Still only a sophomore so there's still hope.


Besides Melton and Rakocevic, the other freshman, Mathews, impressed me today. He didn't play tentatively and was strong with the ball. He's a good shooter and the shots will fall. He'll definitely have a role in Pac-12 play. Really need Bennie to heal up so the team can find its groove and Enfield can figure out the most productive rotations. It was an ugly win, but USC turned it on when it mattered and beat a solid team.

Yeah, I don't know much about A&M, but USC will lose badly if they play like they did against Montana and Omaha. Too many wasted possessions. Hope Bennie can suit up and shake off the rust fast. They'll need him to play well to have a chance.