Andy Enfield’s March Madness message: Stop underestimating the Trojans

Andy Enfield is aware of you’ve in all probability ignored USC.

Don’t fear, he’s used to it by now. After almost a decade spent making an attempt to reawaken a catatonic faculty basketball program, the coach understands you may need been asleep for a lot of the Trojans’ tip instances. Perhaps, for one purpose or one other, you’ve uncared for to note how far USC has climbed since he took over — the Elite Eight run final season, the document wins this season, a prime recruiting class incoming. Or perhaps, regardless of all that, you simply don’t consider in him or USC hoops.

Both method, Enfield has a stat for you.

The coach is aware of, to these unaware of USC’s shocking string of success, that his common references of the Trojans’ statistical standing makes for compelling context to this system’s rise. So Enfield has dedicated lots of his favourite stats to reminiscence, submitting them away for every time the second may name for a reminder. Which, in his thoughts, tends to be very often.

These most well-liked mile markers have developed over time from relative trivia — like former level guard Jordan McLaughlin’s assist-to-turnover ratio — to extra macro measures, like wins amongst Energy Six packages in the course of the previous three seasons (73) — a quantity that trails solely Baylor and Kansas, two of the NCAA event’s 4 prime seeds.

The shift is telling of a change within the Trojans’ trajectory throughout Enfield’s tenure. However the conceit behind his common reciting of stats stays the identical.

“Who else goes to stay up for us, if not me?” Enfield mentioned final week. “No person.”

In order USC prepares for its fourth event look in 9 seasons below the coach, a journey that begins Friday as a seven seed towards Tenth-seeded Miami (Fla.), Enfield leans again in his workplace chair, completely satisfied to relay some credentials — and level out some perceived slights.

It’s a line he nonetheless often straddles. As he closes in on a decade as USC’s coach, the perpetual chip on Enfield’s shoulder continues to be intact, even when he assures he doesn’t internalize the disrespect.

“At sure instances, the top coach wants to stay up for his program,” Enfield says. “Due to the West Coast time distinction, I’ve had the sensation over the previous few years that some components of the nation, whether or not it’s the followers or the media, haven’t acknowledged that there are good groups within the Pac-12 and USC is a type of good groups. We’ve had lots of good gamers and groups right here over the previous few years. I feel there are applicable instances when a head coach can and has to stay up for his program as a result of nobody else is.”

Enfield not often misses an opportunity to defend USC’s progress. His case has solely grown extra convincing lately, culminating with the Trojans’ run to the Elite Eight final March.

“He is aware of the job he’s carried out right here,” assistant coach Chris Capko mentioned. “I don’t assume he cares to be acknowledged or something like that, however he needs you to understand how far this program has come.”

That’s the place the numbers are available.

When the pandemic prompted the 2020 event to be canceled, Enfield requested USC’s director of operations, Mike Swets, to tackle a venture. His job? Discover some statistical context to underscore precisely the place this system stands in relation to the remainder of faculty basketball.

The ultimate end result was a number of Excel sheets loaded with knowledge Swets nonetheless updates as soon as or generally twice weekly. Completely different tabs monitor USC’s convention and out-of-conference data in comparison with its Energy Six friends during the last two years, three years, and so forth. One other counts NCAA event wins amongst coaches with lower than 10 years of expertise. In that class, Enfield (7) trails solely Texas’ Chris Beard (10) — a stat that Enfield was completely satisfied to relay.

“It’s vital to place in context what’s being carried out now versus the previous,” Swets mentioned. “When you have a look at the numbers — effectively, even I didn’t absolutely admire the place we stood.”

When Enfield was first employed at USC in 2013, this system was nowhere near stage floor. Driving excessive from Florida Gulf Coast’s beautiful Dunk Metropolis run, Enfield selected USC over a number of different teaching gives and shortly realized the job required a significant rebuild. 4 starters have been gone, together with future NBA heart Dewayne Dedmon. The one returning starter, J.T. Terrell, would miss eight video games early within the season due to tutorial points.

The tradition wasn’t in a great place, both, recollects Byron Wesley, who led the Trojans in scoring throughout Enfield’s first season. Most USC gamers liked Enfield’s wide-open offense, which was the “polar reverse” of earlier coach Kevin O’Neill’s extra strict system. However some didn’t admire the brand new coach’s different efforts to implement change.

Wesley remembered the staff reacting poorly to the primary time Enfield gave them a curfew.

USC’s Byron Wesley, heart, drives to the basket towards California’s Jabari Fowl throughout a recreation in January 2014.

(Jae C. Hong / Related Press)

“Everybody was doing their very own factor. Guys have been dwelling it up in L.A.” Wesley mentioned. “I don’t assume we prioritized profitable and basketball over all the things.”

The Trojans didn’t do a lot profitable that first yr — or the following. They began simply 5-31 in Pac-12 play over Enfield’s first two seasons. However the final of these 5 wins — a victory over Arizona State within the convention event — prompt to USC’s teaching workers that change was on the best way. USC made the NCAA event the following season.

“Although lots of people questioned us, we by no means misplaced confidence in our short-term and long-term plans,” Enfield mentioned. “We knew it will take time. However once you’re 2-16 within the league, then 3-15 your second yr, lots of people questioned us.”

Solely 12 groups within the Energy Six have gained extra video games than USC within the seven years since. That group consists primarily of basketball blue bloods like Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina. Even UCLA sits 10 wins behind its much less established cross-town rival.

But the apprehension to depend USC and its coach among the many nation’s finest persists.

“They by no means give us our respect,” ahead Max Agbonkpolo mentioned. “UCLA will do one factor effectively for our 5 issues we do effectively and so they get the respect — I don’t even know. I ask myself all these questions: When will we get our respect? We made an Elite Eight. We had a top-three decide within the draft. We had Huge O [Onyeka Okongwu], a top-six participant within the draft earlier than that. We had all these guys. We’re profitable.”

These credentials have been apparently compelling sufficient this season to garner consideration from different faculties, like Maryland and Georgia, who have been trying to find a brand new coach. Enfield had already signed a contract extension at USC in gentle of the Elite Eight run, however that new deal was quick sufficient on ensures that Enfield was anticipated to think about different gives.

USC coach Andy Enfield claps throughout a recreation towards Washington State on Feb. 20.

(Marcio Jose Sanchez / Related Press)

USC by no means let it get to that time, inking Enfield to a brand new six-year contract earlier this month that included extra assured years and cash. The vote of confidence was not misplaced on USC’s coach.

“It means quite a bit,” Enfield mentioned, “as a result of it exhibits the dedication from the president’s workplace to the athletic administration and [athletic director] Mike Bohn, what their imaginative and prescient is for this system and that there’s enthusiasm for the place we’re and the place we need to go.”

There are nonetheless loads of mile markers left to achieve for USC basketball. However as Enfield positions the Trojans for one more postseason run, the outcomes, Bohn advised The Los Angeles Instances, have spoke for themselves to date.

“Andy’s longevity as our coach is crucial for us,” Bohn mentioned. “He’s been a giant a part of altering the trajectory, the respect and the popularity of this system. All you need to do is have a look at the variety of gamers he’s put within the NBA, the variety of wins.”

The numbers actually inform a narrative of how far USC has come, one its coach has been making an attempt to inform you all alongside.