No. 6 USC Hoops Destroy No. 3 Kansas From Deep
No. 6 USC hands No. 3 Kansas their worst loss in tournament history with a 85-51 trouncing.
One of the biggest concerns for USC coming into the second round was their inability to knock down shots from the perimeter consistently. But tonight, those concerns were squashed.
USC was blistering hot from the perimeter. As a team they went 11-of-18 from three, seemingly splashing every look they got. And it was mostly from players you wouldn’t expect.
Isaiah Mobley went 4-of-5 from deep for a total of 17 points with eight rebounds and four assists. Isaiah White also went crazy by knocking down three threes for 13 points.
Coming into the matchup, USC was 21-0 on the season when they had at least three players score 10 or more points. Well, what about when they have five players do it because that's what they did tonight.
Evan Mobley had an all-around game by scoring 10 points, dishing out five assists, grabbing 13 rebounds, and swatting three shots. Tahj Eaddy was steady as always with 12 points, and Chevez Goodwin was perfect off the bench (4 for 4) for ten points.
In his postgame presser, coach Andy Enfield talked about the combination of unselfishness and talent that the Mobley brothers possess, “They don’t need to score the ball, they don’t get jealous of each other or other players - they just want to win. You see that in the way they play, the way they handle themselves on and off the court, and how they interact with their teammates. I could not be more proud of Evan and Isaiah because they lead us by example.”
The Mobley brothers lead by example on the court tonight by leading USC’s defense to their most complete game of the year.
Everyone was in lockstep with each other - swarming around the perimeter, switching when they had to, and contesting every jump shot. They held the Jayhawks to a putrid 18-of-62 (29%) shooting from the field, and 6-of-25 (24%) shooting from three.
With their stellar performance, the Trojans have earned their first trip to the Sweet Sixteen since 2007.
They will face their Pac-12 rival No. 7 Oregon. The last time those two squared off, USC had a dominant performance with a 14-point victory.
There are now four Pac-12 teams in the Sweet Sixteen which is something not many expected. Maybe it’s time to stop overlooking the competition.
“It’s a joy to see, and I feel our conference has been a little disrespected throughout the year saying the Big 12, and some of these other conferences were the more dominant ones. Now we’re showing when it matters most what our conference can do,” Isaiah Mobley on Pac-12 teams succeeding in the tournament.
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