USC Basketball: Columnist Details Trojans' International Struggles Without Top Interior Defender

They were missing him during the trip!

We were able to get a first look at what to expect from the new-look USC men's basketball team these past few weeks as they took a summer tour to Greece and Croatia and took the floor with a number of new faces such as Isaiah Collier, DJ Rodman and more!

Even though these games were not make or break by any means, head coach Andy Enfield made it clear that he wanted to see his guys competing and following his game plan night in and night out. When the Trojans were not competing against international squads, they were enjoying the culture and everything else the countries had to offer.

The final scores were definitely pretty close at times and we recognized that right off the bat as the first game came down to a pair of free throws from Rodman to seal the deal. Trojans Wire's Matt Zemek raised a number of questions about the team that we'll have to find out the answers to in the coming months.

"However, when the game gets slower and uglier, the Trojans might be in a difficult spot this coming season. Can they win a slog and manage to grind out possessions? Can they win in the mud? These are legitimate questions which will follow the team as it moves along."

(Via Trojans Wire)

Specifically, Zemek wants to see some improvement on the defensive side of the ball and he believes that the absence of Vince Iwuchukwu hurt them during their international trip.

The 7'1 big man did not suit up due to injury and his role with the Trojans is clear when he does play.

"If you’re worried about USC’s defense, you should be, but if Iwuchukwu enters the picture and can consistently play 20 minutes per game this season, USC becomes a better defensive team and a far more complete team. USC really needs him on the floor this November. We’ll see what happens."

(Via Trojans Wire)