USC Basketball: After Obliterating Trojans, Mick Cronin Has Kind Words For Andy Enfield

Mick Cronin supports rival Andy Enfield after USC loss.

It hasn't been the easiest season for USC, who took another hit losing to rival UCLA 65-50 at home. This was USC's first home loss to the Bruins under Mick Cronin and a game that did not go the Trojans' way.

Though Cronin came away with the win for UCLA, he sympathized with USC coach Andy Enfield after the game.

"Andy’s a great coach," Cronin said. "Obviously, losing Collier threw everything off for them. They got too many guys in and out. Too many guys hurt, not hurt. And he’ll find a way to right the ship. He always has, since I’ve been in LA.”

via Luca Evans of The OC Register.

The injuries have certainly hurt USC this season, especially Isaiah Collier, who averaged 15.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists before his injury that has caused him to miss the last four games, all losses for the Trojans. 

Even with the return of Boogie Ellis from a hamstring injury, the Trojans could not score consistently, with Ellis being held to eight points. Only Oziyah Sellers scored 10 points, with the rest of USC limited to eight or less on the day.

In total, the Trojans were held to a season-low 50 points against their biggest rivals in front of the home crowd. This five-game losing streak is certainly far from how Enfield and the Trojans wanted their season to go.

After four consecutive seasons with a winning overall record and a winning conference record featuring at least twenty wins, it looks like USC will finish far from that mark this season. The Trojans are now 8-12 and just 2-7 against Pac-12 conference rivals. 

In his decade with USC, Enfield's squads have only posted a losing record three times, with two of those seasons coming when he first took over the team in 2013. If this injury-marred season continues on this trajectory, it could be Enfield's most disappointing.