Well, that was fun while it lasted

While USC’s 74-69 loss to Michigan State was certainly frustrating in the moment; in reality, it’s hard for me to be too upset with the game. After a season ending sweep of the Oregon schools, a Pac-10 Tournament title, and an opening round win over Boston College, it’s important for any fan to realize that the Trojans’ nice little run wouldn’t last forever. But nevertheless, the loss does leave a bitter taste in my mouth knowing how close these guys were to actually beating the Spartans and advancing to the Sweet 16. So before I get carried away, let me share some of my thoughts in a more informal, bullet-point format.

• We were lucky to be that close. If you told me before the game that USC would lose by 5 points without Taj Gibson scoring a single field goal, I would have called you crazy. Considering that Taj had more fouls (5) than points (3), it’s remarkable that USC had any points in the paint.
• However, please don’t blame the referees for Gibson fouling out. With four fouls, Taj must be able to alter his game, knowing that he is one foul away from being forced to take a permanent seat on the bench. But instead, Taj reached over the back on a rebound attempt, forcing the ref to blow the whistle. That’s a foul that will get called on nearly every single possession. 
• But even with Taj’s horrific outing, it was refreshing to see the Trojans getting some contributions from some of their younger players. Both Nickola Vucevic and Leonard Washington had breakout games in replace of Taj. Vucevic scored 6 points and collected four rebounds in just 22 minutes of action. While starting in place of Marcus Simmons, Washington scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. Luckily for Tim Floyd, both of these guys are freshman.
• Today’s game was a case study on how depth equals victories. Take Michigan State’s Travis Walton for example. This season, Walton has averaged 4.9 points per game, but with his teammates in foul trouble, the senior guard stepped up by scoring 18 points. If Dwight Lewis or DeMar DeRozan was having an off-night, do you think anybody on SC’s roster could step up and score eighteen points?  I sure don’t.
• Luckily, neither Lewis or DeRozan had an off -night. Lewis scored 19 points, while DeRozan added 18 of his own. That’s the kind of scoring Floyd needed out of his two top perimeter scorers, and both of them delivered. 
• While both Lewis and DeRozan did a pretty good job scoring, the team as a whole didn’t shoot too well, especially compared to Michigan State. Collectively, the Trojans went just 1-for-10 from beyond the arc. In comparison, MSU shot 6-of-13 from three point. It’s hard to beat a team that shoots 46.2% on three point shots. 
• After these final six games, I think DeRozan is headed to the NBA. He really elevated his game in the Pac-10 and NCAA Tournament and made a lot of scouts start to believe in him once again. As of right now, NBADraft.net has him projected as the tenth overall pick, and with good pre-draft workouts, he could rise even higher in a fairly week draft class. As for Taj’s NBA draft status, I have no clue what the future holds for the Brooklyn native.
• Even if DeRozan and Gibson do leave, the Trojans should have a pretty good team in 2010. Daniel Hackett, Lewis, Washington, Simmons, and Vucevic, are all returning. Plus, the Trojans will get some much needed help with junior transfer Alex Stepheson, and a recruiting class that includes center Renardo Sidney (Rivals #10), Soloman Hill (Rivals #28), and Noel Johnson (Rivals #38).