Through 8 games this season, USC men's basketball sat at just 4-4 despite a schedule that did not feature a ranked team.
In that stuttered start, senior captain Marcus Simmons struggled to impose his defensive will on the Trojans lesser-known foes.
But as the level of competition rose, Simmons again became an invaluable piece at the center of Kevin O'Neill's defensive strategy.
Each game, O'Neill identifies the opponent's top perimeter talent and assigns Simmons to nullify the threat.
"You put him out there on an island and you try to isolate him on one guy," O'Neill likens Simmons to a great NFL cover corner like Darrelle Revis. "He's responded in those situations really, really well."
Against some of the nation's best, the results have been staggering (season averages in parentheses).
Jordan Hamilton (Texas) - 12 points on 4/13 shooting (19.4 ppg)
Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas) - 7 points on 2/7 shooting (9.3 ppg)
Scotty Hopson (Tennessee) - 8 points on 1/5 shooting (16.5 ppg)
Klay Thompson (Washington St.) - 17 points on 6/18 shooting (22.3 ppg)
Tyler Honeycutt (UCLA) - 10 points on 3/10 shooting (14.3 ppg)
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In that stuttered start, senior captain Marcus Simmons struggled to impose his defensive will on the Trojans lesser-known foes.
But as the level of competition rose, Simmons again became an invaluable piece at the center of Kevin O'Neill's defensive strategy.
Each game, O'Neill identifies the opponent's top perimeter talent and assigns Simmons to nullify the threat.
"You put him out there on an island and you try to isolate him on one guy," O'Neill likens Simmons to a great NFL cover corner like Darrelle Revis. "He's responded in those situations really, really well."
Against some of the nation's best, the results have been staggering (season averages in parentheses).
Jordan Hamilton (Texas) - 12 points on 4/13 shooting (19.4 ppg)
Tyshawn Taylor (Kansas) - 7 points on 2/7 shooting (9.3 ppg)
Scotty Hopson (Tennessee) - 8 points on 1/5 shooting (16.5 ppg)
Klay Thompson (Washington St.) - 17 points on 6/18 shooting (22.3 ppg)
Tyler Honeycutt (UCLA) - 10 points on 3/10 shooting (14.3 ppg)
Marcus "The Shadow" Simmons will likely blanket E.J. Singler tonight. (Photo by Jon SooHoo)
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