USC lost to VCU last night 59-46 in an ugly performance by the Trojans. USC was held to one basket in the final nine minutes of the game. The Rams out rebounded the Trojans 40-31 and were more aggressive all game. SC only hit 1 of 9 three point shots, missed ten free throws and turned the ball over 15 times. It was a hard game to watch. Congrats to the Rams, they deserved the win. They face Georgetown on Friday.

Nikola Vucevic finished the game with eleven points and fourteen rebounds but was a nonfactor in the game. He only took five shots from the field and he could not establish his presence down low. SC had a hard time even getting him the ball. VCU had a great defensive game plan, stuck with it and frustrated Vucevic.

Vucevic said after the game:

“They did a good job on defense. They took me out of the game.”

“They had a guy on me the whole time and they didn’t let me get in my comfort zone and try to make plays. And they just did a great job of getting me out of the game. It was tough for me to get in a rhythm on offense, and you gotta give them credit for that.”

There is some speculation that Vucevic might skip his senior season to go pro. I don’t think this would be the best choice. Vucevic has improved every season as a Trojan. But after very quiet post season performance, his game needs some more polish before he can take it to the next level. At times he can be great, but there are also those games he disappears. If he came back for his senior year he could potentially be the PAC-12 player of the year. But whatever choice he makes we wish him the best. The early entry date for the NBA draft is April 24.