USC basketball: ‘Maturity, heart and courage’

March 11th, 2009, 10:00 am · 3 Comments · posted by Michael Lev, staff writer

I asked three members of the USC basketball program what it will take for them to win three games in three days at the Pac-10 Tournament — probably the only route to the NCAA Tournament for the barely-on-the-bubble Trojans.

Taj Gibson’s response was far and away the best: “Maturity, heart and courage.”

It was such a “Wizard of Oz” thing to say, I had to ask Gibson where he came up with it. Alas, Gibson didn’t credit the Wiz, but assistant coaches Rudy Hackett, Dwayne Polee and Phil Johnson.

(That shouldn’t discourage Tim Floyd from splicing the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion into the Cal scouting tape. Phil Jackson totally would do it!)

Here were Daniel Hackett and Floyd’s answers:

Hackett: “This conference is wide open. Once you’re at Staples (Center), it’s a neutral court. Anything can happen. Whichever team plays the best basketball in three days is going to have a shot. If we practice hard and come in focused, we’ve got a shot.”

Floyd: “You have to do all the little things. You have to get easy baskets off of inbounds plays, in transition, on the offensive board and at the foul line. You’ve got to make your free throws. You’ve got to do little things on the other end. You’ve got to help on screens, you’ve got to get back defensively, you’ve got to rebound it at a high level on the defensive board and stay out of foul trouble. I think all those things are critical.”

Related link:

USC needs Lewis to rediscover the ‘Dwight stuff’

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pkcourt says:

March 11, 2009 at 11:04 am

If Washington doesn’t play and Lewis continues to slide its see ya next year.

Michael Lev, staff writer says:

March 11, 2009 at 11:37 am

You mean for them? Or for Floyd?

Doug says:

March 11, 2009 at 7:59 pm

For Tim Floyd:

1) “Do little things?” You mean like fighting with other players and between themselves?
2) “Make the easy baskets…off the inbounds…in the transitions, blah, blah, blah?” How about just scoring points? Get ball, run with ball, shoot ball and score?
3) ” Make free throws?” What’s the option - don’t make free throws?
4) “Little things on the other end?” Like play defense? Don’t leave the floor when the other team has the ball. Wait till the half to get a drink of water.

Yes the above is silly. Just as silly as the thought that by spending millions to provide the basketball program with first class facilities would get them to win games.

This is a mysterious fact. UCLA football has only shared one National Title in the history of the school. No matter the coach, the facilities, or the money they plug into that program, it just doesn’t win.

Likewise, USC basketball is not a good product - period. I recall at the end of last season, some announcers predicted USC was going to make it to the Final 8 this year. Yeah, in the PAC10.

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