Enfield can speak to team from experience

Coach reflects on Florida Gulf Coast run

INDIANAPOLIS » Andy Enfield tends to get a lot of text messages this time of year. Even though it was eight years ago, his surprise run to the Sweet 16 with Florida Gulf Coast is still fresh in many people’s minds.

Enfield is back in the Sweet 16, for the first time as the head coach at USC. His return to this plateau has led to several former citizens of “Dunk City” to text their old coach, as well as players like Toney Douglas from Enfield’s tenure as an assistant at Florida State. Brett Comer, the point guard on the 2013 FGCU team, was Enfield’s guest at Monday’s obliteration of Kansas in the second round.

“When you reminisce a little bit, it feels like just yesterday,” Enfield said. “That’s one of the great things about coaching, you develop relationships. You have friends for life, especially when your team is successful and you still have that common bond, even if you haven’t seen each other in many, many years.”

This makeshift USC team, put together on the fly over the summer, is building its own collection of memories as it prepares for the program’s fifth Sweet 16 appearance on Sunday against Oregon. But Enfield has also looked to the past to prepare the 2021 Trojans for what’s ahead.

Before the NCAA Tournament started, Enfield showed the team video of Florida Gulf Coast’s upset wins, as well as tape from past USC March Madness appearances.

“The point was, to win games in the tournament, you have to execute on offense, you have to have a pace to your game and then you have to defend at a high level,” Enfield said. “It’s great to see these guys, starting from the Drake game to the Kansas game, really came together and have played terrific basketball on both ends of the court.”

For the offense, check, with the Trojans averaging 78.5 points per game in the tournament. And a check for the defense, too, with opponents being held below 30% shooting in both games. And with 69 possessions in a 40-minute game against Kansas, USC is pushing the tempo, too.

But with six days off before Sunday’s Pac-12 rematch with Oregon, USC got the chance for a little R&R on Wednesday. The NCAA provided buses for the teams to go to Top Golf, taking advantage of the start of spring in the Hoosier State to build some more memories like Enfield has of that Florida Gulf Coast run.

“It was a beautiful day in Indianapolis,” Enfield said. “(Wednesday) was really nice for our players and coaching staff just to go hit some golf balls, eat some food and enjoy our own company.”