No. 25 USC To Play Oklahoma In Basketball Hall Of Fame Classic Friday

The No. 25 USC Trojans (4-2) will face the Oklahoma Sooners (6-1) at Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif. on Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame's Hoophall LA. USC is 3-1 at home and 1-1 on the road this season. USC is playing its first neutral site game of the season. USC was 6-2 in neutral site games in the 2016-17 season.

BREAKING DOWN THE SOONERS -- Oklahoma (6-1) is coming off a 97-85 home win vs. UTSA on Dec. 4. Freshman sensation Trae Young has led the Sooners and all NCAA players in scoring with an average of 28.7 points per game. Oklahoma returns four starters from last season's 11-20 team and was picked to finish sixth in the Big 12. USC trails the all-time series with Oklahoma 4-6*, with one USC win vacated due to NCAA penalty (original record 5-6). Oklahoma won the last meeing 73-72 on Dec. 4, 2008.

USC FALLS AT SMU -- USC led at halftime, but was outscored by 20 points in the second half in a 72-55 setback at SMU in Dallas, Texas on Dec. 2. SMU ran its home winning streak to 28 games, the second-longest active streak in the country, and is now 74-4 in home games the last five seasons. The loss snapped USC's seven-game winning streak in nonconference road games, dating back to 2013. USC's 55 points were its fewest in a game since scoring 39 points in a home loss to Utah on Feb. 1, 2015. USC led 30-27 at halftime, but SMU made 63 percent of its second-half shots, including 71.4 percent from three-point range. USC trailed 42-40 nine minutes into the second half, when SMU went on an 8-0 run featuring two end-of-shot clock three-pointers for a 50-40 lead and USC got no closer than eight points the rest of the way. Chimezie Metu led USC with 13 points. USC shot 36.4 percent in the second half and 42.6 percent for the game, while SMU made 50.9 percent of its shots in the game. USC committed a season-high 17 turnovers. Among the 6,918 in attendance was former president George W. Bush.

SANTA CLARA ON DECK -- USC will next face Santa Clara (3-5) at the Galen Center on Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. The Broncos will host Portland State on Dec. 9 before facing USC. Santa Clara has won its last two games, defeating Northern Arizona 89-57 and Arkansas-Pine Bluff 72-57. Junior guard KJ Feagin leads Santa Clara in scoring with an 18.3 average. Santa Clara was 17-16 last season and returned three starters and eight lettermen from that team. USC leads the all-time series 20-8, winning the last contest 86-73 on Nov. 15, 2010.

FAN-TASTIC SUPPORT – USC had 6,327 in attendance for the home game vs. CS Fullerton on Nov. 10 and 5,347 for the game vs. Texas A&M at Galen on Nov. 26. Those are the two highest-attended nonconference home games since drawing 5,563 for the game vs. Howard on Dec. 29, 2013. The last time USC had a home nonconference game with more fans than the 6,327 on Nov. 10 was vs. Kansas on Dec. 22, 2011 when it drew 6,431. The 2008 season was the last time USC had more than two nonconference games with higher than 5,347 fans, drawing 9,288 vs. Oklahoma on Nov. 29, 2007, 10,107 vs. Kansas on Dec. 2, 2007 and 7,140 vs. UC Riverside on Dec. 29, 2007.

McGLAUGHLIN REMAINS ON POINT -- Senior point guard Jordan McLaughlin continues to lead the Trojans and move up some of USC's all-time lists. McLaughlin is averaging 13.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season. He leads all Pac-12 players in assists per game and is second in steals per game (2.5). McLaughlin ranks second on USC's all-time list and is 11th among current players with 492 career assists. He also ranks seventh in steals (156) and 12th in three-pointers (142) on USC's all-time lists. He needs eight three-pointers to move into USC's all-time top 10 in makes and three steals to move into sixth on USC's all-time list.

DT ON THE DL - USC guard Derryck Thornton suffered a dislocated right shoulder in practice on Nov. 28 and is expected to miss 3-4 weeks of action. Thornton transfered to USC from Duke prior to last season and redshirted. This season, he has averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in five games.

STEWART SOARING UP THE CHARTS -- USC senior Elijah Stewart surpassed the 1,000 points scored mark during the win at Vanderbilt on Nov. 19 and now has 1,038 career points scored. Stewart has made 10 three-pointers this season to give him 185 career 3-point makes, fourth on USC's all-time list and 18 behind Desmon Farmer, who is third on USC's all-time list with 203. Stewart has also played 108 consecutive games, the most of any player in the Pac-12.

TRES NOT BIEN -- USC has made 12 of 44 three-point attempts (27.3 percent) in its last two games. In the previous two games, USC made 46.2 percent of its three-pointers (24-for-52). Bennie Boatwright was 0-for-4 at SMU, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive games for him with at least one three-pointer made, dating back to last season. Jonah Mathews and Elijah Stewart each had one make from beyond the arc at SMU and have made at least one three-pointer in every game this season.

TOUGH STRETCH CONTINUES -- With the game vs. Oklahoma at the Staples Center on Dec. 8, USC's last three opponents are a combined 20-3 this season. For the year, USC's first seven opponents have a 63.0 winning percentage (34-20).

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Players Mentioned

Bennie Boatwright

Jonah Mathews

Jordan McLaughlin

Chimezie Metu

Elijah Stewart

Derryck Thornton