USC basketball notebook: Trojans picked 4th in Pac-12 media poll, get crushed by Dana Altman
Sometimes, the truth hurts, and there’s only one way to make the truth hurt less: Change the truth.
Oregon head coach Dana Altman said something very simple and factual about USC this past week at Pac-12 basketball media day in San Francisco, before the start of the new college basketball season. He didn’t intend it to be mean. He was just stating a basic fact about the past 10 years of Pac-12 basketball.
Nevertheless, USC needs to absorb what Altman said and use it as fuel for the coming campaign.
There’s a lot to catch up on in the world of USC hoops with the season just over a week away. Let’s take you through the various news items of interest, including the new preseason USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, in which USC was left out of the top 25:
DANA ALTMAN'S INCONVENIENT TRUTH
Oregon's Dana Altman on exit of UCLA/USC: "Since I've been in the league, USC hasn't won the conference title or the tournament. UCLA maybe won one tournament, one league title. Arizona's been up there. We've won 4 conference titles. So our basketball league is going to survive."
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 26, 2022
PRESEASON PAC-12 MEDIA POLL
UCLA was picked to win the Pac-12 basketball title in the preseason media poll, followed by Arizona, Oregon, USC, Stanford, Colorado, Arizona State, Washington State, Washington, Utah, Cal and Oregon State.
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 26, 2022
PAC-12 TEAMS IN THE USA TODAY SPORTS COACHES POLL: UCLA
The Bruins are No. 7.
USA TODAY SPORTS COACHES POLL: ARIZONA
The Wildcats are No. 13.
USA TODAY SPORTS COACHES POLL: OREGON
Follow Ducks Wire for complete coverage of Oregon basketball this season.
USA TODAY SPORTS COACHES POLL TOP 10
Gonzaga
Houston
Kentucky
Kansas
Baylor
UCLA
Duke
Creighton
Arkansas — follow Razorbacks Wire for full Hogs hoop coverage this season.
MEANWHILE, GEORGE KLIAVKOFF THEATER CONTINUES
ICYMI: Four months after UCLA announced its exit from his conference, Pac-12 commissioner George Kliavkoff continues to lobby against the move. https://t.co/7YbiGnGTGB
— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) October 27, 2022
USC'S OZIYAH SELLERS
Andy Enfield said at Pac-12 Media Day that freshman guard Oziyah Sellers is "an elite shooter."
"He's the best shooter in our program, one of the best shooters I've ever coached and that includes the NBA as well."
Full video and more notes in the link:https://t.co/fJafNKTFvP pic.twitter.com/6fPRMs4qS8
— Ryan Young (@RyanYoungRivals) October 26, 2022
ANDY ENFIELD ON PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
Andy Enfield and @USC_Hoops are all about player development!
📺 Pac-12 Network
📱 https://t.co/7bHMYBrFK8#Pac12MBB | @PaycorInc pic.twitter.com/0uYFdxdn7V— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) October 26, 2022
STUNNING USC MBB FACT
Not bad for a "football school." pic.twitter.com/Wj6LGCYL5f
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) October 27, 2022
EYE-GRABBER
Wins By Power Conference Teams Since 2019:
Kansas 83
Baylor 81
𝐔𝐒𝐂 73 ✌️📺: @Pac12Network
📱: https://t.co/uP2WdsM7Fr pic.twitter.com/t2KHE0j5zc— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) October 26, 2022
BIG EXPECTATIONS
Congratulations to @Drewpeterson23 and @BoogieEllis on earning Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team honors for the 2022-23 season! pic.twitter.com/qmWroeZamy
— USC Men's Basketball (@USC_Hoops) October 24, 2022
DREW PETERSON SPEAKS
Drew Peterson on the potential of the @USC_Hoops this season in @pac12 for @MarchMadnessMBB: pic.twitter.com/KItbHBAySv
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) October 26, 2022
PUTTING IN THE WORK
Drew Peterson and Boogie Ellis both used the summer to work on different aspects of their game to improve this season. ✌️ @USC_Hoops | @PaycorInc pic.twitter.com/OORU4CbQ40
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) October 26, 2022
FULL ROSTER
Pac-12 Preseason First-Team, per release.
Tyger Campbell, UCLA
Branden Carlson, Utah
Boogie Ellis, USC
Mouhamed Gueye, Washington State
Harrison Ingram, Stanford
Jaime Jaquez Jr., UCLA
Spencer Jones, Stanford
Drew Peterson, USC
Will Richardson, Oregon
Azuolas Tubelis, Arizona— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) October 24, 2022
HOPEFULLY THIS PAYS OFF
Andy Enfield 5 Minute Toughness Shooting Drill https://t.co/ChUG4gJH93
— Brian Williams (@BrianWWilliams) October 22, 2022
REESE DIXON-WATERS
This makes me think of one thing: USC's Reese Dixon-Waters is a prime breakout candidate for 22-23. Averaged 10 PPG in the final six games of last season and had 16 an NCAA Tournament loss to Miami. Big sophomore year ahead. pic.twitter.com/lUwCmcjAAD
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 3, 2022
VINCE IWUCHUKWU
The five-star big man, who suffered cardiac arrest this past summer, has not yet been cleared to play by doctors. No further developments have emerged. We will keep you posted.
USC SCHEDULE: EARLY-SEASON HIGHLIGHTS
The USC basketball season begins Nov. 7 against Florida Gulf Coast.
First big game: Vermont, Nov. 15.
Battle 4 Atlantis: Nov. 23 in The Bahamas.
First Pac-12 game: Cal, Nov. 30.
Showcase game against Auburn: Dec. 18.
Colorado State: Dec. 21 in Phoenix.
Full Pac-12 schedule begins Dec. 30 against Washington.
First UCLA game: Jan. 5.
