Andy Enfield details USC's growth on offense

USC followed their dominant season-high scoring outing, a 97-60 win over California, with another scoring outburst on Saturday defeating Stanford 85-75. The Trojans’ offense has been cooking lately, particularly from three-point range, and head coach Andy Enfield explained why following their win over the Cardinal.

“Yeah I think a lot of that is aggressiveness, someone has to start the dribble penetration,” Enfield said. “It’s hard to just come down and run a play to get a three off because you’re scouted, teams can switch, but when you can get a three off it’s either in transition or in the half court.”

The Trojans currently rank sixth in the Pac-12 in three-point shooting percentage, but in their last two contests have shot an impressive 52.1% from the three-point line on 58 attempts. Three-point shooting prowess is nothing new to USC, as they ended last season as the conference’s second-best three-point shooting team. But Enfield explained how the way they’re getting to those shots differently this year compared to years past due to their personnel.

“You have to have some guys to put pressure on the defense, you either throw it to the post like when we had Isiah (Mobley), and Evan (Mobley), and Chevez (Goodwin), and Chimezie (Metu), and those guys, Onyeka (Okongwu). They could draw a double team of they’d have to sag in, so right now we don’t have that as much,” Enfield explained.

Drew Peterson and Boogie Ellis have been carrying the Trojan’s three-point attack as of late, each having a 30-point plus scoring outing apiece in their last two contests largely from their production behind the arc. Peterson has drained seven three-pointers in their last two games while Ellis has hit 10 during the same stretch.

“So our guards have to do a good job, we play four guards, they have to do a good job of dribble penetration and draw the defense in and kick it out at the right time,” Enfield said. “That’s how I think you get 25 threes up and we were fortunate to make 13.”

USC currently averages the third most points per game in the conference with 72.7 a game, but have scored above that number in six of their last eight games. Their offensive attack has been effective and improving, and it will be intriguing to see they can continue their production in their four remaining regular season games.