Reign of Troy » Jahii Carson

Men’s Basketball: Reviewing Mad Month of March

Evan Budrovich — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:00:08 +0000

The USC Trojans ended their March Madness run with a three-point loss to Utah, finishing off their Pac-12 campaign with a record of 9-10 in the conference and 14-18 overall. After riding a four-game winning streak in the middle of the season, the Trojans faltered down the stretch, winning only two of seven to finish the season.

The Trojans had two opportunities to earn a .500 record this season, including a most recent loss to Cal Berkeley on February 17th, which sent USC towards a negative spiral. In a month full of ups and downs the Trojans could not capitalize on a prime opportunity to build a winning record, which would have given them ammunition to continue some form of play this week.

Here is a look at how the final month of the season unfolded for the Trojans, who finished 1-3. They now look towards the summer to begin preparation for another campaign at the Galen Center.

March 2, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Jio Fontan (1) watches game action with ice on his wrist against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

First Game: Arizona State 57-56 Victory

The Trojans came out firing from the opening tip, seizing their momentum from an impressive victory over No. 11 Arizona State. USC then started five seniors in the contest against ASU and jumped out to an early 19-point lead over the Sun Devils. From that point forward the offense went cold, as the Trojans could only muster 29 points in the final 25 minutes of action. Eric Wise, JT Terrell and Byron Wesley scored in double figures to ensure the one-point victory.

The game itself was full of peaks and valleys as the Trojans found a way to loose numerous double-digit leads, making for desperate times at the Galen center. Fans even booed the team when the Sun Devils cut the lead to three with 53 seconds to play. Wise made some clutch free throws to secure the lead, but the Trojans almos threw the game away as Chass Bryan made a critical turnover in the final seconds. Luckily for the Trojans, redshirt freshmen Jahii Carson could not convert a half-court shot securing the home sweep of the Arizona schools.

Senior Day Festivities:

Bob Cantu pulled his classiest move as interim head coach starting five seniors in this matchup. Tyler Sugiyama and James Blasczyk were the most inspirational stories of the day, as they were the biggest underdogs to achieve on this team. Aaron Fuller also started, showcasing his ability on the offensive glass as an integral role player on this club.

Jio Fontan struggled in his final home game, injuring his wrist in the second half and battling foul trouble throughout the contest. Fontan actually fouled out with under five minutes to play, receiving a standing ovation from the crowd for his three years of hard work and gutty determination for the Trojans.

The athletic department arraigned a great pre-game activity as the seniors walked out with their parents, families and friends out to center court to take photos with Pat Haden and Bob Cantu. The fans in attendance enjoyed one final opportunity to wish goodbye their six seniors who have finished their careers with the USC Trojans.

Washington/Washington State Games:

The USC Trojans were one game under .500, with a pivotal trip to Washington in sight for a chance to clinch a top-four seed in the tournament. USC came out flat in the first half against Washington, shooting under 35-percent in the first half. Defensively the Trojans played strong basketball but could not make the key stops down the stretch.

On the verge of pulling the upset, the Trojans held their final lead of the game with 12 minutes to play before going scoreless for the next five minutes, falling too far behind to mount the classic USC comeback. This tragic collapse spurned the team forward for their final matchup against Washington State, the team with the worst record in the conference heading into the final game.

The Washington State stage was fully set, but the Trojans were anything but prepared for the matchup in Pullman. USC fell considerably behind early and watched Brock Motum and Royce Woolridge dominate the Trojans with their impressive shooting. Motum finished the night with 31 points, singlehandedly outscoring the entire USC front court and making a victory nearly impossible.

Bar Fighting Incident:

News broke over the trip that two USC players, Dewayne Dedmon and James Blasczyk, were involved in a bar fight in Spokane Washington after being out past curfew following their loss to the Cougars. The LA Times reported that two players were linked to crimes at the bar according to the investigation of the Spokane police, cementing USC’s fears that these players were in fact involved in the incident.

March 13, 2013; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Southern California Trojans interim head coach Bob Cantu instructs against the Utah Utes during the first half in the first round of the Pac 12 tournament at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The incident shed a negative light on the program, and gave Bob Cantu no choice but to suspend both players for the remainder of the season. We also learn that the Spokane bar was notorious for fights as other players have been provoked towards fighting alongside the two seven-footers. Either way, the scene leaves a sour note for the program that is ready to recover its already tainted image surrounding the recruiting scandal four years ago.

Pac-12 Tournament:USC vs. Utah in the first game of the Pac-12 Tournament. The Trojans dominated the Utes by double digits in their final game under Kevin O’Neill, but nothing came easy in this matchup. Both teams started off slow from the field, looking to find their groove, something that has plagued USC teams in the past.

Once the second half rolled around, Utah built two double-digit leads as the Trojans once again played carefree basketball and started shooting their way back into the ball game. A crucial 12-0 run cut the lead to one in the final minutes before senior Jarred DuBois put the Utes over the top, ending the Trojans’ NCAA Tournament chances.

Selection Sunday:

The Trojans were ineligible for the NCAA, NIT and CTI based upon their record and poor performance in the critical month of March, that previouslyhad the ability to work wonders for USC Basketball. Finally, the Trojans were not selected for the CBI Tournament, oficially ending their stake in the 2012-2013 season.

This year was full of controversy, and fading expectations for a team that actually made huge strides from their six-win campaign last season. The Trojans finish the season 14-18 with changes coming in the not too distant future as two starters leave, a head coaching search continues, and a change in philosophy could be coming for the entire basketball program.

USC Men’s Basketball: Trojans Senior Day

Evan Budrovich — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 20:41:34 +0000

March 2, 2013; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Jio Fontan (1) goes to the bench with guard J.T. Terrell (20) and head coach Bob Cantu after suffering an apparent injury against the Arizona State Sun Devils during the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Senior day was emotional for everyone involved at USC as fans watched six esteemed players finish their careers at the Galen Center on Saturday.

The Trojans sent the seniors home with a one-point victory, capping the powerful day at the Galen Center. The pre-game ceremony was fitting, as each senior received a strong introduction, an ovation from the crowd and an embracing hug from Head Coach Bob Cantu.

Captain Jio Fontan was the most celebrated of the group, playing three years at USC and serving as the emotional leader of the team. James Blasczyk, Tyler Sugiama, Renaldo Woolridge, Eric Wise and Aaron Fuller joined in the festivities as the remaining seniors to be honored against Arizona State.

It all starts with Jio Fontan, the transfer from Fordham who is averaging 9.7 points per game and a career-high 5.3 assists. He fouled out with under five minutes to play, leaving him on the bench for the final moments of his last home game. Despite the rough ending, Fontan led the Trojans with seven first-half points, and fought through a wrist injury suffered in the second half.

The Trojans looked out of sync without him, something that speaks volumes to his leadership qualities. He has developed his basketball IQ from the second he stepped foot in Southern California and the team will dearly miss his late-shot presence and composed vision on the court.

Eric Wise has been a sound addition to Troy, leading the team in scoring with over 12 points per game while shooting 47-percent from the field. Wise was dominant on the offensive end against Arizona, scoring 22 points on an efficient 9-12 shooting. Although he struggled from the field against Arizona State, he made big baskets to secure the Trojans one-point victory.

He came on strong for the Trojans, providing a great interior scoring presence. The aspect of Wise’s game that was vastly underrated was his rebounding, especially with his smaller frame. He could play the three or the four, giving USC a much-needed scoring presence from all over the floor.

Aaron Fuller has been an inspirational figure while at USC, and was properly rewarded for his never-die attitude. Last season Fuller was second on the team in scoring before suffering a season-ending shoulder surgery. In a season full of ups and down, Fuller started the final game for the Trojans in what was a great weekend for his playing stock after scoring 12 points against Arizona. Fuller racked in seven rebounds in his final home game, and should be used a solid forward option for Head Coach Bob Cantu.

In a surprising and yet revealing move, Head Coach Bob Cantu started five of the six seniors with Renaldo Woolridge not entering the game. Tyler Sugiyama received quite the standing ovation after playing a minute of action, getting playing time as part of the early zone defense. This team-oriented approach sat well with the starters who were more than willing to give up their fame for their elder counterparts.

James Blascyzk kept to the script, taking a charge on Jahii Carson in the first minute of action. The seven-foot senior may never have been truly healthy but his impact was immense, especially on the defensive end of the court. Blascyzk worked hard on defense and pushed Dewayne Dedmon and Omar Oraby to improve their respective games.

The most gutsy performance of his career was the fact that he played the entire 2011-2012 season injured. James Blascyzk may not get the accolades of Wise, Fuller and Fontan but his impact can be seen in the next generation of Trojans that will man the paint by taking charges, scrapping for rebounds and playing every minute with urgency on the floor.

At the end of the day, the Trojans got the best of both worlds on Senior Day. An important one-point victory over Arizona State and a tremendous send-off for their hard working players. The victory propels the Trojans to sixth in the Pac-12, winners of five out of the their last six games. The seniors must now hit the road for a critical series in Washington that could propel the Trojans to fourth in the Pac-12.

USC Vs. Arizona State: Men’s Basketball Preview

Evan Budrovich — Sat, 02 Mar 2013 19:48:57 +0000

January 24, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils center Ruslan Pateev (23) and USC Trojans guard Jio Fontan (1) battle for the ball during the second half at Wells Fargo. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

USC Trojans vs. Arizona State Sun Devils

Galen Center | Los Angeles, CA
12:00 PM Pacific | Fox Sports Net

USC and Arizona State square in a critical matchup for seeding purposes in the Pac-12 tournament. If the season ended today, the Sun Devils and Trojans would own the sixth and seventh spots in the race to face the “bottom three” teams in the first round.

The Trojans have won five of their last seven, shooting the lights out in the process. In their last contest on Wednesday, USC won their most impressive game of the season, dominating Arizona from the tip to avenge their 24-point loss.

The Sun Devils have been falling in the other direction, losers of four out of their last six games. In their last game against UCLA, the Sun Devils came storming back in the final minutes only to fall in overtime. After losing at home to Washington, chances at the NCAA Tournament are fading quickly, making this game extremely important.

The first meeting did not lack the flair for the dramatic as Arizona State won in overtime 98-93. The Trojans shot the lights out from behind the arc draining 15-28 shots including a few desperation shots from 30-feet by J.T. Terrell. In the end however Jahii Carson and Evan Felix 49 points propelled Arizona State to the victory.

In terms of actual matchup, Arizona State presents numerous problems all over the court. The Sun Devils are led by redshirt freshmen Jahii Carson, who leads all freshmen with 17.7 PPG, on 45-percent shooting. The issue for Arizona State is that Carson takes too much of the burden for the offense.

Evan Gordon and Carrick Felix will work to provide support in the scoring department. Gordon lives and dies by the three, draining 36-percent of his shots from downtown. Felix meanwhile, is a smaller power-forward who rebounds the basketball proficiently because of his ability to time missed shots, despite his smaller frame.

The Sun Devils are playing poor basketball at the most important time, largely in part due to their lack of ability to win the battle on the glass. In a staggering home loss to Washington, they got outrebounded by 14, resulting in numerous second chance points for the Huskies.

Despite the Trojans size on the front-court, USC is a below-average team in the rebounding department. The Trojans were out rebounded by Arizona State in their frist meeting and rank 10th in the conference in rebounding with only 34 per game.

If Omar Oraby can repeat his epic performance against Arizona the Trojans will have a strong chance. Oraby played the game of his life against Arizona, recording five blocks and eight rebounds in 18 minutes of action. The Trojans can handle a loss of Dewayne Dedmon to foul trouble if Oraby and swingman Aaron Fuller can defend the paint.

The Sun Devil’s Jordan Bachynski and Jonathan Gilling will attempt to battle the Trojans’ front court. Bachynski will look to protect the paint with his conference-leading 3.7 blocks per game. This underrated matchup could decide the game because both teams love to push the pace and attack the basket. Whichever team can defend the paint by grabbing key defensive rebounds will control the tempo.

Projected Starting Lineups

USC (13-15, 8-7)

Pos.	No.	Name	Ht./Wt.	Class	PPG	RPG
G	1	Jio Fontan	6-0/175	RS-Sr.	9.7	1.7
G	22	Byron Wesley	6-5/210	So.	10.6	4.5
G	20	JT Terrell	6-3/185	Jr.	11.3	2.0
F	14	Dewayne Dedmon	7-0/255	RS-Jr.	6.5	7.0
F	34	Eric Wise	6-6/240	RS-Sr	12.3	5.8

Arizona State (20-9, 9-7)

Pos.	No.	Name	Ht./Wt.	Class	PPG	RPG
G	1	Jahii Carson	5-10/175	Fr.	17.7	3.2
G	10	Evan Gordon	6-1/187	Jr.	10.6	2.9
F	0	Carrick Felix	6-6/197	Sr.	14.3	8.3
F	31	Jonathan Gilling	6-7/219	So.	9.9	6.4
F	13	Jordan Bachynski	7-2/250	Jr.	9.4	6.4