Are Andy Enfield Florida Gulf Coast flashbacks coming at Thanksgiving?
Recently it was announced that the USC mens basketball team would participate in the Wooden Legacy on Thanksgiving weekend. The field includes San Diego State, Georgetown, and Saint Josephs. Theres a twist involved. Ironically enough, head coach Andy Enfield could end up facing two programs he beat during his tenure as the head man for Florida Gulf Coast. The Cinderella Dunk City team, the 15-seed that topped 2-seed Georgetown and then proceeded to take on and beat 7-seed San Diego State en route to an improbable Sweet 16 berth, was Enfields catapult as a college basketball coach. That run in 2013 put Enfield on the national radar and convinced Pat Haden to hire him at USC. While those days are long behind Enfield, it is a bit of an oddity considering two teams he beat are paired up in this 2021 Wooden Legacy tournament. San Diego State is coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance, and Georgetown had an up-and-down year but made the tournament after winning the Big East Conference tournament. It is a weird coincidence, and the field for the tournament in Anaheim is a terrific one. San Diego State lost two seniors but added a bunch of talent, and Patrick Ewing had this Hoyas team playing its best basketball down the stretch. Saint Joes is always a tough out. The Trojans made an improbable run to the Elite Eight and are awaiting word on the destination of Isaiah Mobley, who decided to test the NBA draft waters while maintaining his college eligibility. The Trojans also added Boogie Ellis in the transfer market. Ellis could have a chance to play against San Diego State, another team that heavily recruited him both in high school and during his time in the transfer portal. The storylines write themselves for the Wooden Legacy, and it bodes well for the Trojans, considering they won the whole thing the last time they were included in the field. Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday will be fun for college basketball fans, especially if USC and San Diego State can meet in the finals.