USC Opens Homestand With New Orleans On Tuesday
November 21, 2016 | Men's Basketball
The USC Trojans (3-0) will host the New Orleans Privateers (1-2) at the Galen Center on Nov. 22 at 6 p.m. USC has started 3-0 for the second consecutive season (5-0 in 2015-16) and for only the second time in the last 16 seasons.
BREAKING DOWN NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans (1-2) opened with a 103-67 win at home vs. LaGrange College, but have since lost 117-72 at Oklahoma State and 77-68 at Tulsa. Senior forward Erik Thomas has led New Orleans this season with averages of 23.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. New Orleans went 10-20 last season, but returned all five starters. USC lost its only other meeting with New Orleans 85-67 on Nov. 28, 1986 in New Orleans, the first game of the 1986-87 season.
TROJANS RALLY TO DEFEAT TEXAS A&M -- USC went on a 10-1 run in the final 3:38 to erase a seven-point deficit to defeat Texas A&M 65-63 in College Station, Texas on Nov. 18. Trailing 62-55, Jordan McLaughlin made a contested layup with 3:25 left, then he fed De'Anthony Melton for a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to 62-60. After the Aggies made one free throw, Bennie Boatwright hit a pair of FT to cut the deficit to 63-62. McLaughlin then retrieved a long rebound and fed Chimezie Metu for an ally-oop dunk to make it 64-63 USC with 17 seconds remaining. Melton then stole the ball and was fouled, making 1 of 2 free throws for a 65-63 lead. DJ Hogg got off a contested 3-pointer at the buzzer which hit the front of the rim and the Trojans had the comeback win. USC, which trailed by 10 points in the first half, snapped Texas A&M's 12-game winning streak dating back to 2001 in Power 5 nonconference games at home. USC won its fifth consecutive nonconference road game. Metu led USC with 14 points and 9 rebounds, while Elijah Stewart had his second career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
COMEBACK KIDS... -- USC trailed 62-55 with 3:38 remaining in the game at Texas A&M on Nov. 18 and outscored the Aggies 10-1 the rest of the way to pull out the 65-63 win. USC has trailed by at least nine points in all three of its wins this season (11 vs. Montana, 9 vs. Omaha, 10 vs. Texas A&M). The Trojans even trailed in both of their closed scrimmages this season.
SMU ON DECK -- USC's next game will be vs. SMU (3-1) at the Galen Center on Nov. 25 at 4 p.m. SMU defeated Gardner-Webb 72-44, Eastern Michigan 91-64 and Pittsburgh 76-67 before falling to Michigan 76-54 in the title game of the 2K Classic. The Mustangs will host UCSB on Nov. 22 before facing the Trojans. SMU was 25-5 last season and returns three starters from that team. USC leads the all-time series with SMU 3-1, winning the last contest 91-83 on Dec. 28, 1994.
PRESEASON PROPS - Jordan McLaughlin has been named to the 20-player watch list for the Bob Cousy Award recognizing the nation's top point guard. Bennie Boatwright has been named to the 20-player watch list for the Karl Malone Award for the nation's top power forward. In addition, Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports listed USC's Chimezie Metu as one of the top 20 players set to have a breakout season: "An athletic freak, Metu will step into a starting role for USC following Nikola Jovanovic's unexpected departure. A capable defensive player, this 6-11 prospect will be one of the most talked big men in the country as long as he develops his offense."
SUDDEN IMPACT -- Freshman guard De'Anthony Melton has provided USC with a strong presence off the bench so far. In USC's first three games he has averaged 9.0 points, is third on the team in rebounds (23), second in assists (8) and leads the team with eight steals. His 2.7 steals per game average leads the Pac-12.
GIVE ME THAT... -- Junior guard Elijah Stewart posted his second career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds in the win at Texas A&M on Nov. 18. He has 25 rebounds through three games this season and didn't grab his 25th board until the seventh game last season.
