Boseman Makes His Point, Trojans Make Their Shots

It may have been only a suggestion, but Stais Boseman’s advice to USC Coach Charlie Parker may have turned the Trojans’ season around.

In an effort to get more offensive production, Boseman asked Parker before Saturday’s game against Arizona State if he could play point guard with Cameron Murray moving over to shooting guard.

Considering USC’s inconsistency, Parker agreed to try it, and the result was an 80-67 Pacific 10 Conference victory over the Sun Devils before 9,182 at the University Activity Center.

“It caught me off guard,” said Murray, who scored a season-high 20 points. “But it was a key call for this game. I was more relaxed because playing ‘two guard’ took some pressure off. I felt a little more comfortable. . . . We did flow into our offense a little smoother.”

Boseman, who had not started at point guard before Saturday, responded by tying a personal best with 25 points and had five assists and only two turnovers. Brandon Martin also benefited from the move. He scored 18 points.

A series of events triggered the change.

In USC’s 84-80 victory over Stanford last Sunday, Boseman ran the offense when Murray suffered back spasms two minutes into the game. USC shot 55.1%, and Boseman and Martin combined for 39 points.

This week in practice, Boseman played point guard, but Murray started there at Arizona on Thursday night.

USC’s offense struggled early and the Trojans never really recovered in losing, 93-81, to the No. 18 Wildcats. At the team’s hotel after the game, Boseman approached Parker with his suggestion.

“Because I had to run the team in practice with Cam out, I liked the fact that I always had the ball in my hands and that I could break down my defender at any time,” said Boseman, who has averaged 22.3 points and shot 51% in the last three games. “I just mentioned that to [Parker], but I really didn’t think he would make the change.”

For Parker, anything to get more points was worth a try.

“Stais is a little faster with the ball, and we wanted to jump-start our offense and take it right to them,” said Parker, whose Trojans (10-7 overall, 3-3 in the Pacific 10) have split their first two conference trips. “We found that Cameron operates really well on the wing, and he’s our best post feeder. I think the move definitely benefited both guys. Sometimes your players turn out to be your best coaches.”

Against Arizona State (5-8, 0-5), USC was able to slow down top scorers Ron Riley and Jeremy Veal. With Boseman guarding Riley and Murray, Martin and freshman Damion Dawson on Veal, the Sun Devils’ outside shooting duo combined to make only 15 of 41 shots.

“Our defense really won the game for us,” said Jaha Wilson, who had a game-high 11 rebounds. “We played great team defense and were able to shut down any runs they had.”

USC also capitalized early and often on Arizona State’s tendency to trap the Trojans’ inside players and allow open three-point shots.

USC made eight three-point baskets, hitting five of nine shots in the first half. Martin, Boseman and Murray found the range in tying a team season high.

“Walters told us that they would double-team inside because they didn’t really have any big men and for us to look across the court for the open shot,” Avondre Jones, who had only five points and three rebounds in 29 minutes, said of assistant coach Adrian Walker.

The attack freed Murray for shots and allowed him to penetrate without having the burden of having to direct USC’s offense, a role similar to the one he played at Glendora High, where he finished as the third-leading scorer in state history.