University Southern California Trojans
No. 23 USC To Play At Arizona State Friday
February 09, 2016 | Men's Basketball
The No. 23 USC Trojans (18-5, 7-3) will play at the Arizona State Sun Devils (13-11, 3-8) at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz. on Feb. 12 at 5:00 p.m. PT. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network, Pac-12 Los Angeles and Pac-12 Arizona with Roxy Bernstein and Steve Lavin calling the action. USC's 18-5 start is its best since beginning the 1991-92 season with a 19-4 record. That team began its season 21-4.
BREAKING DOWN THE SUN DEVILS - The Sun Devils are coming off a 67-55 win at Washington State on Feb. 6. USC defeated ASU 75-65 on Jan. 7 at the Galen Center. USC leads the all-time series 52-38 which reflects two wins vacated by USC from the 2008 season. USC is 1-7 in its last eight trips to Wells Fargo Arena, but won eight of the previous 11. ASU is 9-4 at home this season. ASU is led in scoring by sophomore Tra Holder (15.5 ppg).
USC COMPLETES SWEEP OF BRUINS BEFORE SELLOUT CROWD -- Julian Jacobs scored on a pass off the opening tip and the Trojans never trailed in an 80-61 win over UCLA on Feb. 4 at the Galen Center. USC jumped out to a 9-0 lead and led 39-28 at the half en route to completing its first regular season series sweep of the Bruins since 2010. It was also the first sweep of UCLA by double figures since winning four games by 10 points or more in 1938. The teams played before a crowd of 10,258, USC's first sellout since Jan. 9, 2011, also against UCLA. USC held UCLA to 29.7 percent shooting in the first half and 34.8 percent overall. The Bruins' 61 points were a season low. UCLA's top two scorers Bryce Alford and Isaac Hamilton were held to 10 points each on a combined 6-for-25 shooting (24.0 percent). Jacobs led USC with 17 points and Elijah Stewart chipped in with 16.
ARIZONA ON DECK – USC's next game will be at No. 17/No. 14 Arizona (19-5, 7-4) on Feb. 14 at 5 p.m. PT. The game will air on FS1. The Wildcats will host UCLA on Feb. 12 before facing the Trojans. USC defeated Arizona 103-101 in four overtimes at the Galen Center on Jan. 9. USC trails in the all-time series 41-62, which reflects a win vacated by both teams from the 2008 season. USC has lost its last six games in Tucson. Arizona is led is scoring and rebounding by senior Ryan Anderson (16.2 ppg/10.4 rpg).
SC STANDS FOR SLAM CITY - USC has registered 86 dunks in the first 23 games, compared to its opponents' 41. Chimezie Metu, who leads USC with 36 dunks, had four vs. Washington State and has at least one in 12 of the last 15 games. Julian Jacobs, who led USC in dunks last season with 19, is second on the team with 23.
TURNAROUND TOWN -- According to research by J.D. Hamilton of the NCAA, USC's 10.5 game improvement from last season (12-20 to 18-5) is the fifth-best in the country and tops among teams in the Power 5 conferences. Through games of Feb. 8, here are the teams with the biggest improvements:
Team 2015-16 2014-15 Improvement Tennessee St. 16-7 5-26 15.0 Ark-Little Rock 21-2 13-18 12.0 Ball State 15-8 7-23 11.5 Col. of Charleston 15-8 9-24 11.0 USC 18-5 12-20 10.5 Saint Joseph's 19-4 13-18 10.0 Southern Illinois 18-7 12-21 10.0
BUT IT'S A DRY HEAT... - The Trojans' most recent trips to the desert have left them wilted, getting swept in five of the last six visits to Arizona (no trip in 2014). Since 2009, USC is 1-11 in the state of Arizona with the win coming at ASU in 2011. Since USC last swept the trip to Arizona in 1985, the Trojans have split 16 trips and been swept 13 times.
IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE - USC held UCLA to 34.8 percent shooting on Feb. 4. It was the 10 time in 23 games this season that USC's opponent shot under 40 percent in a game. For the season, USC is making 46.2 percent of its shots, while its opponents are hitting 39.7 percent. The 39.7 shooting percentage by its opponents ranks 35th-best in the country through games of Feb. 8. Arizona shot an opponent season best of 49.4 percent on Jan. 9, but USC has held 16 of 23 opponents to 42.6 percent shooting or less this season.
IT TAKES A TEAM -- USC has six players averaging 11.0 or more points and eight players have averaged 3.1 rebounds or more in the first 23 games. Seven different Trojans have scored at least 19 points in a game this season. USC has four players with at least 40 three-point baskets this season. Last season, USC had only three players all season make 16 or more three-pointers. USC had five players score in double figures vs. Monmouth on Nov. 16, the first time it had accomplished the feat since 2013 and has had five or more reach double figures in eight games this season. USC had six players score 10 or more points vs. Cal Poly on Dec. 17, the first time accomplishing that feat since Dec. 28, 2004 vs. Southern.
CLARK SUFFERS SHOULDER INJURY -- Redshirt junior forward Darion Clark dislocated his right shoulder in practice on Feb. 3 and is expected to miss 2-3 weeks of action. Clark, who averages 2.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game, appeared in USC's first 22 games before missing the contest vs. UCLA on Feb. 4. Clark was third on the team in total rebounds when injured and he leads the team with a 16.3 prorated rebounds per minutes played average. Nikola Jovanovic is second on the team with an 11.1 average. Clark had a season-best 10 rebounds and scored five points vs. ASU on Jan. 7.
LOOKING AT THE LOSSES -- USC has lost five times this season (Xavier, Monmouth, Washington, Oregon, Oregon State) and the combined record of the teams which the Trojans lost to is 90-27 (.769). USC has played two of those teams twice already (Washington and Monmouth) and split with them. USC is shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 30.6 percent from three-point range in the losses. USC has also been outrebounded 44.2-41.8 in the five setbacks.
TROJANS IN THE RANKINGS -- USC was ranked No. 23 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches poll this week. USC was also ranked No. 21/No. 25 on Jan. 18, its first time in the AP rankings since weighing in at No. 19 on Nov. 17, 2008.
