USC basketball touts nonconference accomplishments ahead of Florida Gulf Coast game
As USC head coach Andy Enfield sat at the post-game press conference following his team’s victory over LSU last weekend, he at times sounded more like he was giving a stump speech than an interview.
It’s the unique position that college coaches are put in, given that some NCAA Tournament berths are awarded based on a subjective process. A group of people must decide who is worthy of filling out the field every March, and coaches have to convince this committee that their teams’ accomplishments fit the bill.
And so there was Enfield, touting USC’s credentials.
“To beat an SEC team as good as LSU, a terrific basketball team, that was big for us and for our league,” Enfield said. “To beat a Big 12 team like TCU in a road game, that’s obviously the same.”
The Trojans are 10-2 heading into their final nonconference game, on Sunday against Florida Gulf Coast. USC has wins over LSU, TCU, Harvard and Nevada, and losses to Temple and Marquette.
USC’s strength of schedule is ranked 67th nationally. The Trojans are 40th in the latest RPI rankings and 65th in KenPom. This puts USC firmly in the conversation for the 68-team tournament in March, with a chance to pick up more marquee wins during Pac-12 play.
“We’ve had a tough schedule,” Enfield said. “So to be 10-2 where we are and have wins on the road and at neutral-site games against power-conference teams, to be playing like where we are now, I feel like we’re a much better team than we were a month ago. We’re excited for our next game and conference to start.”
But first, the Trojans have one final nonconference game. Sunday’s opponent is a familiar one for Enfield, who coached Florida Gulf Coast for two seasons from 2011-2013.
The 2012-13 team became a cult classic in the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles, a No. 15 seed, upset No. 2 seed Georgetown and No. 7 seed San Diego State to make a shocking trip to the Sweet 16. The energy with which FGCU played in transition and in the air earned the team the moniker “Dunk City.”
It was after that season that Enfield was hired by USC. It will be his first time facing his old program, now run by his former assistant Michael Fly and nursing a 3-11 record and 0-6 mark on the road.
“Mike Fly’s a good friend of mine,” Enfield said. “Should be a fun game, but just because it’s my old school, we still want to win the game and get ready for it. But it’ll be nice to see some familiar faces on the coaching staff and the administration.”
FLORIDA GULF COAST (3-11) AT USC (10-2)
When: Sunday, 7 p.m.
Where: Galen Center
TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network/790 AM