USC Men's Basketball Season Opener @ Galen Center (MG Montemayor/Neon Tommy)

You can’t be your own worst enemy and still win a ball game. That’s exactly the predicament the USC men's basketballl team was in during Saturday night's season-opener, falling to Portland State at home 76-68.

The over-arching theme was the Trojans' propensity for turning the ball over. USC finished with 23 turnovers compared to Portland State’s three. The epidemic like a wildfire--both rapid and uncontainable.

The Trojans couldn’t keep the ball in their possession, while the Vikings capitalized and scored 31 points off those turnovers. That’s 41% of their total points scored off USC’s errors. If that isn’t a sign of a team shooting itself in the foot, I don’t know what is.

“We didn’t execute the coach’s game plan,” said freshman starting PG Jordan McLaughlin.

Next to a composed veteran team, the Trojans looked frenetic and hesitant and couldn't settle into a rhythm. Though this squad has a lot of talent, they’re not exactly sure how to work with it just yet. 

Sure, we don’t expect them to be perfect. They’re still just learning to play together as a team.

However, 23 turnovers is entirely too many, especially since USC was shooting the ball decently well. In the second half, the Trojans were 58% on field goals made and could have been smoking the Vikings who were only shooting 31%.

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Save for an early three-point lead, the Trojans trailed the rest of the game, falling behind as many as 12 points. Midway through the second half, they came within a point and had the chance to turn things around and take the lead, but an extra pass caused yet another turnover. Their wounds were self-inflicted, and the Vikings pretty much called it a night from that point on.

“We just played a little faster than we should have been playing,” McLaughlin admitted.

It seemed as though minds were moving faster than their bodies could handle. It’s not that the Trojans aren’t physically able. It was their execution. A lot of that responsibility is going to fall on McLaughlin’s shoulders—making sure the ball gets in the right hands at the right time and facilitating head coach Andy Enfield’s plays. 

Despite the loss, this team played its heart out.

“It wasn’t lack of effort. It wasn’t sloppy. It was poor decision-making,” said Enfield.

Something the Trojans did vastly improve on from the exhibition game was their rebounding. USC dominated on the glass with 43 total rebounds; Jovanovic led the pack with seven, followed by Martin, Jacobs, and Gavrilovic with six apiece.

The good news is that it’s too early to be concerned. It's the first game of the season, and there’s still room to grow.

“It’s a good thing we got this type of game early,” said co-captain Darion Clark. “We definitely got outplayed tonight, but you’ve got to take it, move on, and get ready for Monday.”

Without little time in between to process Saturday's game, USC will need to bounce back from this loss and quickly. The Trojans face Tennessee Tech at home on Monday night before hitting the road for the Charleston Classic.

Reach Sports Reporter MG Montemayor here. Twitter: @mgmontem