Andy Enfield, now the coach of Bronny James, meets his big moment at USC
Coaching major college basketball is a pressure-packed job, and Andy Enfield has faced a lot of pressure in his decade at USC.
In 2015, after two very difficult seasons at the start of his tenure, he felt a lot of pressure to get USC to the NCAA Tournament in 2016. He withstood the scrutiny and got the job done.
He felt immense pressure after failing to make the NCAA Tournament in 2018 and 2019. He really needed to get USC to the 2020 NCAA Tournament. While that tournament was never played, USC was going to get in. Enfield steadied the ship late in the season and guided USC home.
Enfield shouldered the pressure of coaching Evan Mobley in 2021 and thrived, taking USC to the Elite Eight for just the second time since 1954.
USC’s coach has handled the heat for 10 years, and yet, he has never had to deal with anything as intense as this next season.
With Bronny James coming to Heritage Hall, Enfield will step into a whole new world.
Let’s explore that world, shall we?
LEBRON'S SON
Apr 16, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) passes the ball as Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) defends during the first half during game one of the 2023 NBA playoffs at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
Evan Mobley and Isaiah Collier are better players and more prominent recruits than Bronny James if we are focusing solely on NBA upside and overall potential. However, Bronny James is LeBron James’ son. That’s an entirely different universe in terms of pressure and visibility for Andy Enfield.
Coaching LeBron’s son will bring intense local news interest, constant speculation about Bronny James’ NBA future, endless questions about LeBron James and his plans … and none of that has to do with the actual basketball coaching Enfield has to do.
This will be a unique challenge.
This is more than just handling a recruit; it’s handling LeBron James’ son.
BRONNY'S MINUTES
Apr 28, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Bronny James attends game six of the 2023 NBA playoffs between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Bronny (and LeBron) would probably like to see Enfield give maximum minutes to the newest Trojan. Yet, that shouldn’t be automatically given; Bronny needs to earn those minutes. Enfield has to coach Bronny straightforwardly, in the interests of the team as well as Bronny himself. Bronny has to be coachable and allow Enfield to push him to a certain degree. Bronny’s minutes will also be connected to matchups and whether USC needs to play two bigs instead of a backcourt-dominated lineup.
ONE AND DONE?
Mar 28, 2023; Houston, TX, USA; West guard Bronny James (6) during the McDonald’s All American Boy’s high school basketball game at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James has made no secret of his desire to play with Bronny in the NBA. However, LeBron has at least three years left. It’s not as though LeBron has to play with Bronny in the 2024-2025 NBA season. If Bronny needs a second year at USC, he can then go to the 2025 NBA draft and join LeBron as an NBA player two and a half years from now, in October of 2025.
Yes, LeBron probably wants Bronny to be one and done, but similar to the discussion about Bronny’s playing time at USC, this has to be earned, not given. If Bronny looks like an NBA-ready player at USC, great. That’s fantastic … but if it’s clear he needs another year, everyone has to be honest about the situation.
Would Enfield love to have two years of Bronny at USC? Of course … but if Bronny really is ready, everyone should be able to recognize as much and adjust accordingly.
BRONNY, BOOGIE, AND COLLIER
Dec 7, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Andy Enfield reacts against the Cal State Fullerton Titans in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
How does Enfield juggle the USC lineup and, more specifically, backcourt rotations with Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier? Boogie and Collier will be starters and play extended minutes. How much should Enfield play Bronny with both players? How much should he put Bronny with one of the two while resting the other player? USC will have depth and versatility, but Boogie will be a senior while Collier and Bronny will be freshmen. There are a lot of puzzle pieces here; Enfield has to make them fit.
BRONNY IS NOT THE ULTIMATE SUPERSTAR, THOUGH HE BRINGS AMPLE PUBLICITY
Dec 14, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Andy Enfield reacts against the Long Beach State Beach in the first half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
How does Enfield balance the development of Bronny the player with the need to win games at USC? How does he weigh the need to coach Bronny hard with the need to not push too hard? Let’s be clear about one thing: Isaiah Collier is the superstar on this roster, and Boogie Ellis is the proven veteran. Bronny is a more uncertain piece compared to those two players. Enfield is building this team around Collier and Boogie, not Bronny. He has to integrate Bronny into the rest of the rotation. It will require a lot of wisdom and a deft, delicate touch.
USC EXPECTATIONS
Jan 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA;The opening tipoff between UCLA Bruins forward Adem Bona (3 and Southern California Trojans forward Joshua Morgan (24) at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
With Bronny James aboard, USC will probably be a preseason top-15 team, possibly top-10. That’s rare for the program. Fans will expect a deep NCAA Tournament run, at least the Sweet 16. USC will finally have high-end expectations entering a basketball season. Enfield has to embrace expectations but also block out the noise.
REALISTIC GOALS
Jan 26, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans guard Tre White (22), Southern California Trojans forward Kobe Johnson (0) guard Boogie Ellis (5), guard Zach Brooker (15) and forward Harrison Hornery (30) celebrate at the end of the game against the UCLA Bruins at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
It would be a dream come true if USC can make the Final Four, but the NCAA Tournament’s single-elimination format makes that hard. Realistically, USC needs to check at least one of these three boxes in the coming season, if not more than one:
Pac-12 championship
Top-3 NCAA Tournament seed
Sweet 16
The season will be a waste if the Trojans can’t at least achieve one of those goals. We’re not asking for all three or even two, just one of them. That seems reasonable.
BUILDING BLOCK
Dec 21, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Colorado State Rams head coach Niko Medved (left) and USC Trojans head coach Andy Enfield look on during the second half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
In addition to making this coming season a success, Andy Enfield needs to make sure that if Bronny James is a one-and-done player, USC can build off this moment and continue to grow as a destination program for top recruits. This is a tremendous chance for USC to earn national respect in college basketball. Enfield has to produce a product which earns admiration on a large scale.
