USC Hosts UC Santa Barbara At Galen On Sunday
November 26, 2016 | Men's Basketball
The USC Trojans (5-0) will host the UCSB Gauchos (0-4) at the Galen Center on Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. USC has started 5-0 for the second consecutive season. The 2015-16 Trojans also won their first five games which was the most consecutive wins to start a season since the 2000-01 team began 8-0. The USC-UCSB game will be part of a doubleheader as the USC women's team will host Long Beach State at 4 p.m.
BREAKING DOWN UCSB -- The Gauchos (0-4) are coming off a 84-57 loss at SMU on Nov. 22, and also have losses to Omaha (74-60), San Francisco (75-63) and CSU Bakersfield (77-70). Junior guard Gabe Vincent leads UCSB with a 16.5 scoring average. UCSB was 19-14 last season and returned three starters and eight lettermen from that team. USC won 75-63 at UCSB on Dec. Dec. 3 last season and leads the all-time series 12-1.
TROJANS TRUMP MUSTANGS -- USC used a 19-4 run early in the second half to erase a five-point deficit and went on to defeat SMU 78-73 at the Galen Center on Nov. 25. Bennie Boatwright led USC with 17 points, including hitting four of seven from three-point range. USC made 12 of 24 shots from beyond the arc. USC's bench outscored SMU's bench 36-13 led by 15 points from De'Anthony Melton and 14 from Jonah Mathews.
TRIP TO SAN DIEGO ON DECK -- USC's next game will be at San Diego (2-4) on Nov. 30 at the Jenny Craig Pavilion in San Diego, Calif. at 7 p.m. San Diego is coming off a 56-51 home loss to New Mexico State on Nov. 26. USD has wins over Nicholls State and Bethune-Cookman and its other losses are to San Diego State, UCLA and Samford. Senior forward Brett Bailey leads the Toreros with 17.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. USC defeated USD 83-45 in the 2015-16 season opener (Nov. 13, 2015) and is 5-0 all-time against the Toreros.
DE'ANTHONY IS DE'MAN -- Freshman guard De'Anthony Melton had five steals in the win vs. New Orleans on Nov. 22 and leads all Pac-12 Conference players with 14 steals. He has at least two steals in four of five games and his 2.8 steals per game average is tied for 13th in the country through games of Nov. 25. Melton is averaging 10.4 points and 6.4 rebounds and is second on the team with 15 assists.
SETTLING IN -- After starting the season 1-for-11 from the floor (1-for-8 beyond the arc), freshman Jonah Mathews has made seven of his 11 shots in the last two games (4-for-6 in 3-pointers). He has scored 27 points in the last two games after having four in the first three games.
BALANCE WITH THE BALL -- Seven different Trojans have scored at least 13 points in a game this season and six are averaging at least 9.8 points per game.
STEW CAN DO -- Junior guard Elijah Stewart posted his second career double-double with 11 points and a career-high 11 rebounds at Texas A&M on Nov. 18. He leads USC in scoring and three-pointers made (12) and is second in rebounds (36) and blocks (7). He also is 21 of 24 from the free throw line (.875).
READY IN RESERVE -- USC's bench has outscored the opposition's bench 109-57 in the first five games this season.
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."
