University Southern California Trojans
USC Takes On Arizona At Galen Sunday
January 06, 2012 | Men's Basketball
Jan. 6, 2012
USC (5-11, 0-3) will host Arizona (10-5, 1-1) at the Galen Center on Jan. 8 at 2:30 p.m. USC has lost a season-high 4 consecutive games and 7 of 8 games overall. The game will be televised on FSN with Steve Physioc, Don MacLean and Steve Kerr calling the action.
BREAKING DOWN THE WILDCATS -- Arizona is coming off a 65-58 loss at UCLA on Jan. 5. The Wildcats have an experienced roster and several talented freshmen. Junior Solomon Hill (12.4), senior Kyle Fogg (11.3), senior Jesse Perry (11.9) are averaging double figures in scoring, while freshman Nick Johnson has averaged 9.8 points per game. USC split the regular season games vs. Arizona during the 2010-11 season, but fell at the hands of the Wildcats in the Pac-10 Tournament semifinals. Arizona leads the all-time series with USC 58-40.
ASU RECAP -- Arizona State didn't look like a team playing without three suspended players as they shot the lights out from the beginning of the game and earned a 62-53 win on Jan. 5 at the Galen Center, the Sun Devils' first at USC's six-year old arena. ASU was led by a career-high 22 points from Carrick Felix and 19 from Trent Lockett, who was forced to play the point with leading scorer Keala King suspended. ASU shot a season-best and a USC opponent best 61.1 percent from the field to control the game, including 53.8 percent from 3-point range. ASU's shooting percentage was its best in 84 road games, which also came at USC on Jan. 17, 2004 (61.2 percent). ASU led by 10 at halftime, but USC was able to cut the lead to one point at 40-39 with 9:12 to go, but the Sun Devils responded with a 12-2 run and USC got no closer than 5 points down the stretch. Aaron Fuller led USC with 14 points, while Maurice Jones added 13 and Byron Wesley 10. USC had twice as many shots in the second half and did not commit a turnover after the break, but shot just 33.3 percent from the floor and could not cut into the ASU lead.
UCLA ON DECK -- UCLA (8-7, 1-2) defeated Arizona 65-58 on Jan. 5 and will host ASU on Jan. 7 before facing USC on Jan. 15 at the Galen Center. The Bruins have won 6 of their last 8 games. Guard Lazeric Jones leads UCLA in scoring with a 13.5 average, but the Bruins have 4 other players averaging over 9 points per game. USC and UCLA split the season series last season with each team winning its home game and the series is tied 11-11 in the past 10 seasons. USC has won 4 of the last 5 meetings, but trails in the all-time series, 104-129.
MOORE AND MOORE HE'S GETTING COMFORTABLE -- USC freshman guard Alexis Moore has started nine times this season, including the last seven games. In his last six games, he has averaged 9.3 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists. He ranks second on the team with 20 three-point baskets. He struggled early in the season making just 8 of his first 29 three-point attempts (27.6 percent), but has made 12 of his last 30 (40.0 percent).
LET'S GIVE THE DEFENSE SOME CREDIT... -- USC has struggled to score points this season, averaging 54.4 points per game and six times being held under 50 points which has all been duly noted. What hasn't been mentioned is that six of the first 16 teams USC has faced rank in the top 50 and nine in the top 63 (out of 344 teams) in opponents scoring. Also, 10 of USC's 16 opponents rank in the top 95 in the country in opponents shooting percentage.
HOLDING THEM DOWN -- USC has held 7 of its 16 opponents to their lowest scoring output of the season to date. In three of the last four games, USC held Kansas to 63 points, 2 off its low of the year (vs. Duke), California to 53 matching its season low (vs. Missouri) and Stanford to 51 (its lowest total by 9).
SLOW CONFERENCE STARTS THE NORM FOR USC -- USC is off to an 0-3 start in Pac-12 play. They last time they started 0-3 in conference was the 2008 season and that team finished 11-7 in the Pac-10. Including this season, USC's best five-game start to conference play in the last 10 years has been 3-2 (3 times).
BE PART OF IT...MINER JERSEY TO BE RETIRED -- USC will be retiring the No. 23 uniform of Harold Miner at the Jan. 15 game vs. UCLA. Miner will be in attendance at the game and among the festivities will be a Harold Miner bobblehead giveaway to 2000 lucky fans and a Fanfest in the Hall of Fame area of the Galen Center with face painting, pop-a-shot, sign making, the Dance Force, the Song Girls, posters, video games and much more. Fans can purchase tickets to that game by calling the USC Ticket office at (213) 740-GOSC (4672) or going to www.gettrojantix.com.
DEDMON FIGHTING THROUGH ADVERSITY - USC sophomore forward Dewayne Dedmon suffered a non-displaced fracture of his right hand (just above the knuckle of his index finder) during unofficial practice on Oct. 11. He practiced with a cast or splint on his hand until Nov. 9, two days before the season. On Nov. 28 he was diagnosed with a stress injury to the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. Dedmon played on Dec. 3 at Minnesota and in every game since, despite not being able to practice from Nov. 28-Dec. 12, and continues to wear a walking boot when not practicing or playing in games. It was originally believed that he could miss 4-6 weeks. Dedmon has a season-high in points of 16 in the opener vs. CS Northridge on Nov. 11 and has a high of 10 rebounds set vs. Nebraska on Nov. 14. He has scored 8 or more points in 4 of the last five games.
TROJANS TAKE ROUTE 66 -- USC has held its opponents to an average of 55.9 points per game (12th lowest in the country) and has not allowed an opponent to score more than 66 points this season. It is the first time USC has started a season holding the opposition to 66 points or less for the first 16 games since the 1948 season when it held all 24 opponents to under 66 points.
THE YOUNG AND SURE-HANDED - As a young team playing with no senior scholarship players and just three scholarship players who had played in the USC system before, USC has committed just 12.3 turnovers per game (top 17 percent in country). USC did not commit a turnover in the second half vs. Arizona State on Jan. 5 and finished with six total. USC has had 12 or less turnovers in nine games this season.
