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Namely, USC smashed a pretty good squad on national TV on the East Coast. A great way to get some positive attention for the program.
But also...
-- Some of the good things that showed up in the first two games showed up again here. Namely, lots of offense, quality shooting, high percentage shots, good ball movement. It could very well be that this is just how the team is rather than it being a fluke. Good trends become good habits after a while, so this is a good sign.
-- Some of the bad things that showed up were muted -- better three point shooting, better perimeter defense, and fewer turnovers while the game was still competitive.
Individually...
-- I said a while back here that I didn't agree with those who thought that Mobley's offensive game was not going to be as good as Big O's. I think it's pretty clear now that not only were those people wrong, but that Evan has a chance to be better this year than even I thought he would be. The only thing that might hamper Evan's total offensive production is not getting enough opportunities due to all the other offensive threats around him getting their shots, but his efficiency is off the charts and he has the tools to carry the team when he needs to and he can affect the game in other ways due to his passing, shot blocking and rebounding. Further, what I saw today with Evan was a level of toughness and nastiness that I hadn't yet seen. He really upped his game against one of the few guys he will play this year who is both bigger and taller and stronger (and older) than he is. His athleticism is really outstanding and his hands are excellent and he's getting better at finding rebounds in traffic. Right now, he's got a face up game, an outside game, baby hooks, put backs, the footwork to get off his shot from the blocks whenever he wants to, and a nice soft shot that usually falls in. He almost always takes the shot when he should and never shoots it when he shouldn't. You can see how he is already processing the step-up in competition and bringing his best, and it's scary to think how good he might be by the end of the year. I know that a lot of people liked Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green more, but right now he's the best freshman in the country and he has a chance to be an All-American this year. He's already better now than Big O was at the end of last year (though in a different way) and one shudders to think what these two would've been like together.
-- I really liked Peterson from the start and, again, he's already better than I had hoped. He's a long, rangy guy who can score at all levels and has the handles he needs to be an all-conference level player.
-- I don't think Isaiah is ever going to be an NBA prospect, but I think he's going to end up being a really good college player. He has smartly understood that his role is to be the blue collar rebounder and defender and it looks like he has embraced that role. He's gonna bring his lunch pail every game and grind. It won't look pretty and he will occasionally get in his own way, but on balance he will become more of a plus as the season continues.
-- This is a deep team with a lot of scoring options. Goodwin and White came in an keyed one of the early runs in this game and bring energy, defense, rebounding and scoring. Boubacar is a real find...a coordinated athletic big who has a bright future. I know some people are down on Max but his defense has been good and it's only a matter of time before his shot starts falling. When it does, look out.
Lots of weapons, shooters, defenders on this squad and a budding superstar to boot. This is looking right now like this very well could be Enfield's best squad.
2019 vs 2020 team - The USC Hoops Forum
http://uschoops.com
But also...
-- Some of the good things that showed up in the first two games showed up again here. Namely, lots of offense, quality shooting, high percentage shots, good ball movement. It could very well be that this is just how the team is rather than it being a fluke. Good trends become good habits after a while, so this is a good sign.
-- Some of the bad things that showed up were muted -- better three point shooting, better perimeter defense, and fewer turnovers while the game was still competitive.
Individually...
-- I said a while back here that I didn't agree with those who thought that Mobley's offensive game was not going to be as good as Big O's. I think it's pretty clear now that not only were those people wrong, but that Evan has a chance to be better this year than even I thought he would be. The only thing that might hamper Evan's total offensive production is not getting enough opportunities due to all the other offensive threats around him getting their shots, but his efficiency is off the charts and he has the tools to carry the team when he needs to and he can affect the game in other ways due to his passing, shot blocking and rebounding. Further, what I saw today with Evan was a level of toughness and nastiness that I hadn't yet seen. He really upped his game against one of the few guys he will play this year who is both bigger and taller and stronger (and older) than he is. His athleticism is really outstanding and his hands are excellent and he's getting better at finding rebounds in traffic. Right now, he's got a face up game, an outside game, baby hooks, put backs, the footwork to get off his shot from the blocks whenever he wants to, and a nice soft shot that usually falls in. He almost always takes the shot when he should and never shoots it when he shouldn't. You can see how he is already processing the step-up in competition and bringing his best, and it's scary to think how good he might be by the end of the year. I know that a lot of people liked Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green more, but right now he's the best freshman in the country and he has a chance to be an All-American this year. He's already better now than Big O was at the end of last year (though in a different way) and one shudders to think what these two would've been like together.
-- I really liked Peterson from the start and, again, he's already better than I had hoped. He's a long, rangy guy who can score at all levels and has the handles he needs to be an all-conference level player.
-- I don't think Isaiah is ever going to be an NBA prospect, but I think he's going to end up being a really good college player. He has smartly understood that his role is to be the blue collar rebounder and defender and it looks like he has embraced that role. He's gonna bring his lunch pail every game and grind. It won't look pretty and he will occasionally get in his own way, but on balance he will become more of a plus as the season continues.
-- This is a deep team with a lot of scoring options. Goodwin and White came in an keyed one of the early runs in this game and bring energy, defense, rebounding and scoring. Boubacar is a real find...a coordinated athletic big who has a bright future. I know some people are down on Max but his defense has been good and it's only a matter of time before his shot starts falling. When it does, look out.
Lots of weapons, shooters, defenders on this squad and a budding superstar to boot. This is looking right now like this very well could be Enfield's best squad.
2019 vs 2020 team - The USC Hoops Forum
http://uschoops.com
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