University Southern California Trojans
USC Takes On No. 16 Arizona In Pac-10 Semifinals
March 11, 2011 | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2011
The USC Trojans (19-13, 10-8) will play the No. 16 Arizona Wildcats (26-6, 14-4) in a Pac-10 Tournament semifinal game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on March 11 at 6:10 p.m. The game will air on FSN with Steve Physioc and Marques Johnson calling the action and Rebecca Haarlow providing sideline commentary. USC has won 6 of 7 and 7 of its last 9 games. The winner of this game will face the winner of tonight's Oregon-Washington semifnial game on March 12 for the Pac-10 Tournament title.
BREAKING DOWN THE WILDCATS -- Arizona is coming off a 78-69 Pac-10 quarterfinal win vs. Oregon State yesterday. Arizona is led by Pac-10 Player of the Year Derrick Williams who averages 18.9 points and 8.1 rebounds. USC and Arizona split the season series, with Arizona winning 82-73 in Tucson, Ariz. on Jan. 29 and USC winning 65-57 at the Galen Center on Feb. 24. Arizona has won 11 of its last 13 games. USC trails in the all-time series with Arizona 40-57, with each team vacating a win in 2008 due to NCAA penalty.
USC SHAKES OFF SLOW START TO BEAT CALIFORNIA -- USC started 1-for-11 from the field and had just three points in the first eight and a half minutes, but regrouped to defeat California 70-56 in a Pac-10 quarterfinal game at the Staples Center on March 10. USC still trailed 16-8 11 minutes into the game, but finished the first half on a 27-11 run to lead by eight points at the break. USC built the lead to as many as 18 points in the second half behind 14 points and a career-high tying 16 rebounds from Alex Stepheson. Maurice Jones added 16, while Donte Smith chipped in with 14 and Jio Fontan 12.
USC AT THE PAC-10 TOURNEY -- USC is 13-10 all-time in Pac-10 Tournament play. The Trojans won the Pac-10 Tournament in 2009 and did not compete last season due to NCAA sanctions. USC is 0-3 all-time vs. Arizona in the Pac-10 Tournament, including falling 81-71 in the 2002 finals. USC is 7-2 in its last four Pac-10 Tournaments, reaching the 2007 finals (L vs. Oregon), the 2008 semifinals and winning the 2009 title.
TROJANS TOPS IN DEFENSE -- USC has held the opposition to 62.7 points per game, the fewest allowed per game among conference teams. USC also ranks second in the league in field goal defense at 41.1 percent. USC is 13-0 when it holds the opponent to less than 60 points.
THE FRESHMAN "MOJO" -- USC freshman Maurice Jones has 68 steals this season, tied for seventh on the Pac-10 all-time freshman single-season steals list with USC's Errick Craven (2002), the most ever in a season by a Trojan freshman. Arizona's Gilbert Arenas ranks sixth all-time among Pac-10 freshmen in steals with 71 in the 2000 season. Jones also ranks on several other USC freshman top 10 lists: assists (6th, 107), 3-point baskets (6th, 40) and free throws made (8th, 66).
USC WEATHERING THE STORM -- Despite 3 players leaving early to play professionally and virtually the entire recruiting class leaving before he could coach a game, USC head coach Kevin O'Neill has kept the Trojans highly competitive in 2010 and 2011. USC was in the thick of the 2010 Pac-10 title race until the final weeks of the season, despite taking a postseason ban. USC lost 4 of its Top 6 scorers from last year's 16-win team and has had to overcome the cumulative loss of 12 players in a one-year span. USC was one scholarship down both last season and this, yet has gone a composite 35-27 in O'Neill's first 62 games while playing one of the tougher schedules in the country, including posting a 5-3 record vs. ranked teams. O'Neill was able to bridge the gap that created a one-man sophomore scholarship class of Evan Smith (out all season due to injury) by bringing in transfers Jio Fontan this season and Aaron Fuller and Dewayne Dedmon next season. In addition, USC has a top 10-ranked 2011 recruiting class according to Hoopscooponline.com.
USC SEEKS 20TH -- Kevin O'Neill has guided USC to a 19-13 record and nearing its 19th 20-win season in school history. USC has reached the 20-win plateau 6 times in the past 31 seasons.
