Absence of Vince Iwuchukwu hampered USC in March Madness

All week long, the health of freshman center Vincent Iwuchukwu was a major point of discussion for the USC Trojans. With the Michigan State Spartans using center Mady Sissoko, the Trojans needed Iwuchukwu to have a shot at winning.

Unfortunately, Iwuchukwu was unable to go despite being a game-time decision, and the loss of the talented freshman hurt Andy Enfield’s team in a number of ways.

The Spartans won the game, 72-62, and the absence of Iwuchukwu loomed large for USC. Somehow, USC won the rebounding battle, 35-34, but Iwuchukwu’s defense and presence down low were severely missed.

In Iwuchukwu’s absence, Joshua Morgan stepped in, scoring 14 points (a team-high) on 7-9 from the field with 5 rebounds. Spartans center Mady Sissoko had 4 points with 5 rebounds and a pair of blocks, and the presence of Sissoko was a problem all game long for USC — something that would have helped if Iwuchukwu was in the game.

If Iwuchukwu was healthy, it would’ve been a much different game for both teams, although the poor offensive outings from Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson also hurt this team a lot.

Nonetheless, the future is bright for the talented freshman, especially after his promising play and unreal return to the court following a traumatic cardiac arrest incident over the summer.