USC men’s basketball closes out the homestand with Utah on Saturday

Men’s Basketball | January 13, 2023

The USC Trojans (12-5, 4-2) host the Utah Runnin’ Utes (12-6, 5-2) at the Galen Center on Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Pac-12. Network with Ted Robinson and Don MacLean as the call to action. It’s the Trojans’ Zero Waste game as part of a Pac-12 initiative. Last season, USC won the competition between Pac-12 schools with 91.8 percent of waste diverted from landfills in a game against California on the 29th. January 2022.

USC’S STELAR STRETCH – USC won a school-record 73 games over the past three seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021 and 26 in 2022). The previous school record for three consecutive seasons was 71 (2016-18). The three straight 20+ win seasons is also the school record for most consecutive 20 win seasons from 2016-18.

WINNING HABITS – USC’s 73 wins over the previous three seasons were the third most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only the last two NCAA champions Kansas (83) and Baylor (81). Additionally, USC’s 160 wins over the previous seven seasons ranked 13th among all Power 6 conference teams.

ENFIELD LEADING ROAD – USC head coach Andy Enfield is his 10th season at USC and has compiled a record of 195-123. His wins rank fourth on USC’s all-time hit list, trailing only Sam Barry (260), Forrest Twogood (251) and Bob Boyd (216). Enfield has compiled a record of 236-151, including his two seasons as FGCU’s head coach (2012-13).

TREATMENT UTAH — The Utah Runnin’ Utes (12-6, 5-2) are coming off a 68-49 loss at UCLA on Jan. 12. Senior center Branden Carlson, who leads four Utes in double figures with a 15.7 point average, did not play against UCLA because of a stomach ailment. USC won both games against Utah last season and four of the last five, but is 24-26 all-time in the series.

No. 9 ARIZONA ON DECK — USC’s next game is at No. 9 Arizona (15-2, 4-2) on Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. PT. Arizona has won 9 of its last 10 games and will play at Oregon on Jan. 14 before hosting USC. Arizona is 9-1 at home this season. Junior forward Azuolas Tubelis leads Arizona with a 20.8 scoring average and is tied for the team lead with 9.2 rebounds per game. USC lost both games to Arizona last season and has lost its last three games to the Wildcats. USC’s previous win over Arizona was an 87-73 victory at the McKale Center on January 7, 2021, which snapped USC’s 10-game losing streak at Arizona. USC marks 45-71* in all-time series (*1 USC win and 1 Arizona win later disallowed due to NCAA penalty, original record 46-72).

EARLY TROJANS – USC is 8-0 this season when the tip is set at 7:00 PM or later.

IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE — USC held California to 27.7 shooting on Nov. 30, the lowest by an opponent since Stanford’s 25.4 shooting percentage on March 3, 2021. USC allowed Washington State to make a 2022-23 opponent-high 49.1 percent of its shots. January 1st
then followed that by holding Pac-12 leader UCLA to 34.5 percent shooting on Jan. 5. USC has held 10 of its 17 opponents to less than 40 percent this season. USC is holding opponents to 38.2 percent shooting this season, 15th in the nation. Over the past four seasons, USC’s defense has held its opposition to 38.7 FGs, third in the nation.

PAC’S BIGGEST STACK – USC is third in conference regular season wins among Pac-12 teams over the past six seasons (since 2017-18). USC is 64-36, Arizona is 65-35, while UCLA is 66-33 in that stretch, through January 12 games. Next would be Oregon 61-35 and Colorado 57-41.

SATURDAY IS EVERY DAY – USC’s 17 games have been played every day of the week this season except Saturday. However, 7 of USC’s final 14 regular season games are played on Saturdays.

ENJOYING HOMEMADE FOOD – USC is 8-1 at the Galen Center this season, losing the opener to FGCU on Nov. 7 and then winning the next. 8 games. The 8-game home hitting streak is USC’s longest single-season home hitting streak since a 9-0 start to the 2016-17 season at the Galen Center.

USC ONE YEAR BLOCK CELEBRATION – USC leads the way with 99 blocks this season of Joshua Morgan 47 blocks. USC averages 5.8 blocks per game, 11th in the nation. Morgan’s 47 blocks this season ranked 7th in the nation. Morgan had 7 blocks against FGCU in the 7th. Nov., tying him for fifth on USC’s all-time single-game blocks list. He matched that total with 7 blocks at Cal on November 30th. USC has registered 570 blocks as a team over the past four seasons, which ranks sixth nationally.

BY PETERSON’S ASSISTANCE — The security guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is fourth among Pac-12 players with 85 assists. Peterson is one of two players nationally (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) to average 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.

JEKYLL & HYDE OUTSIDE – USC made 9 3-pointers against Colorado State on the 21st. December and has had four games with at least 9 three-pointers this season. In those four games, USC made 46.7 percent of its three-pointers (42-90), compared to 24.6 percent of its three-pointers in the other 13 games (52-211).

THE MAGIC MARK – USC beat Colorado 68-61 on Jan. 12 to improve to 8-2 this season when holding opponents to less than 70 points. USC finished 20-3 in 2021-22 and is 118-10 in their last 128 games held to under 70 points, dating back to February 28, 2015. USC has held 57 of its last 80 opponents under. 70 points from the 2019-20 season.

ELLIS STARTS AGAIN WITH FOOD – Senior guard Boogie Ellis has averaged 18.3 points over last six games, with career-best 28 vs. Auburn on Dec. 18, 19 vs. Colorado State on Dec. 21 and 27 at Washington on Dec. 30 and 12 at WSU on Jan. 1 , 10 UCLA on Jan. 5 and 14 vs. Colorado on Jan. 12. He scored in double figures in USC’s first 7 games, then scored 29 points in the next 4 games before his current offense. Ellis leads USC with a 15.6 average and leads the team with 34 three-pointers made and 49 free throws. He is also second among the Trojans with 26 assists.