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USC First Four: 3 players to watch

By Evan Lovett

Mar 9, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC Trojans head coach Andy Enfield watches game action against the UCLA Bruins during the first half during the Pac-12 Conference Tournament at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 9, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC Trojans head coach Andy Enfield watches game action against the UCLA Bruins during the first half during the Pac-12 Conference Tournament at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joshua Dahl-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 8, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC Trojans guard De’Anthony Melton (22) passes to a team mate during a Pac-12 Conference Tournament game against the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2017; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC Trojans guard De’Anthony Melton (22) passes to a team mate during a Pac-12 Conference Tournament game against the Washington Huskies at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports /

USC wants out of the First Four with a win over Providence.

The USC Trojans begin their quest for NCAA Tournament redemption tonight against the Providence Friars at 6:10 PDT tonight in Dayton, Ohio. As one of the last four in, the Trojans are part of the First Four.

They will compete in the play-in game for the right to take on SMU in Tulsa on Friday.

The Trojans, who finished the season 24-9, finished fifth in the conference. Their record included a resounding win against UCLA, a three-seed in the south bracket.

They also played half of the season without their best player, and seem to be rounding in to form at the perfect time.

Coach Andy Enfield has the Trojans ready to play, and will need contributions up and down the roster to ensure that USC does not have a reprise of last year’s heartbreak.  Though the Trojans average a robust 79 points per game on the season, their defense is questionable, ranking 208th in Division I with 73.2 points allowed.

So who will Enfield and the Trojans rely on the most to advance in this matchup?

I analyze the most important three players here.

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