University Southern California Trojans
Wednesday, February 21
Boulder, CO
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Photo by: Percy Anderson
USC To Begin Final Road Trip At Colorado Wednesday
February 19, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (19-9, 10-5) will play at the Colorado Buffaloes (15-12, 7-8) in Boulder, Colo. on Feb. 21 at 7:30 p.m. PT. USC is tied for second in the Pac-12 and its 10-5 start to conference play is its best since also beginning 10-5 in 2007 (began 11-5).
BREAKING DOWN COLORADO -- Colorado is coming off a 82-59 loss at Washington on Feb. 17. USC defeated Colorado 70-58 at the Galen Center on Jan. 10, but trails 6-9 in the all-time series. Colorado is led in scoring by freshman McKinley Wright (14.4 ppg) and senior George King (13.2 ppg). Colorado is 11-2 at home this season.
USC COMPLETES SWEEP OF OREGON SCHOOLS -- Elijah Stewart scored a season-best 28 points and Jordan McLaughlin had a double-double to lead USC to a 72-59 win over Oregon State at the Galen Center on Feb. 17. The win completed a season sweep of both Oregon and Oregon State in the same season for the first time since 2008. Stewart made 9 of 10 shot attempts, only missing a foul-line jumper after making his first eight baskets, including 5-for-5 from three-point range. McLaughlin had his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 11 assists. Chimezie Metu added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Trojans. USC made 50 percent of its shots, while Oregon State made 47.1 percent. USC forced 12 turnovers and made five steals. USC held OSU to 20 percent shooting from three-point range, the 10th time this season holding the opposition under 30 percent from beyond the arc and the lowest percentage since the home opener (.105). USC led 32-30 at halftime and just 55-51 with six minutes remaining, before closing out the game on a 17-8 run.
UTAH ON DECK - USC's next game will be at Utah (17-9, 9-6) in Salt Lake City, Utah on Feb. 24 at 11:30 a.m. PT. The Runnin' Utes will host UCLA on Feb. 22 before hosting USC. USC defeated Utah 84-67 at the Galen Center on Jan. 14, which snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Utes. USC trails Utah 17-22 in the all-time series. Utah has four players averaging double figures in points, led by Justin Bibbins at 14.2 points per game.
BOAT DOCKED FOR SEASON -- USC junior forward Bennie Boatwright will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after suffering a left patella injury the Feb. 15 victory over Oregon. He will be sidelined several months and surgery is not expected. Boatwright was averaging 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 2018, both second among the Trojans. The three-year starter is averaging 13.0 points per game in his career and is 22 points away from 1,000 career points scored. Boatwright missed 17 of USC's first 22 games last season, first while recovering from a summer labrum injury and then after spraining a ligament in his left knee at San Diego.
McLAUGHLIN A COUSY AWARD FINALIST -- Jordan McLaughlin is one of 10 players remaining on the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard. The award is named after the Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy and recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball. McLaughlin, a three-year team captain, is averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists this season. McLaughlin leads all Pac-12 players this season in assists with 216, which is third nationally. Last season he was the only player in the country with at least three assists in every game and he has accomplished that in all 28 games this season as well, running his nation's longest streak to 65 consecutive games with at least three assists (dating back to the 2015-16 season).
GOOD BALANCE -- USC is the only team in the conference to rank in the top 4 in scoring offense (4th, 78.7) and scoring defense (4th, 71.6).
THORNTON TOES THE LINE -- Derryck Thornton has made all 17 of his free throws this season. His streak was kept alive at Arizona on a lane violation on the front end of a 1-and-1.
STEWART A TREY FROM THE TOP -- Elijah Stewart has 231 career three-point baskets made, one behind the school record of 232 by Lodrick Stewart (2004-07).
THE BENCH GANG -- As the Trojans have gotten healthier following early-season injuries, the bench has started to show the team's depth. Since Derryck Thornton returned to the lineup on Dec. 31 vs. Washington State, meaning the team was basically at full strength, USC's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 307-203. Bennie Boatwright got hurt on Feb. 15 and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, however, so we shall see how this holds up. USC has averaged 21.9 points off the bench the past 14 games, after averging 13.0 bench points in the first 14 games. USC now leads its opponents on bench points for the season at 479-438.
DEFENSIVE CHARGE -- Since allowing Washington to shoot 67.3 percent in a loss on Dec. 29, the highest shooting percentage by a Trojan opponent since 2003, USC has combined to hold its last 14 opponents to a 43.5 shooting percentage (318-for-731), despite allowing Arizona to make 56.1 percent of its shots on Feb. 10. USC has held the opposition to an average of 69.1 points in that span (967 total). In the 14 games, USC has registered 97 steals and forced 203 turnovers. USC is 8-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 40 percent shooting and 10-1 when forcing the opposition into 15 or more turnovers.
PROTECTING THE ROCK -- USC ranks 12th in the country with a 1.52 assist to turnover ratio through games of Feb. 18. USC also ranks 17th in fewest turnovers per game at 10.8 per game. USC leads all Pac-12 teams in both categories.
BREAKING DOWN COLORADO -- Colorado is coming off a 82-59 loss at Washington on Feb. 17. USC defeated Colorado 70-58 at the Galen Center on Jan. 10, but trails 6-9 in the all-time series. Colorado is led in scoring by freshman McKinley Wright (14.4 ppg) and senior George King (13.2 ppg). Colorado is 11-2 at home this season.
USC COMPLETES SWEEP OF OREGON SCHOOLS -- Elijah Stewart scored a season-best 28 points and Jordan McLaughlin had a double-double to lead USC to a 72-59 win over Oregon State at the Galen Center on Feb. 17. The win completed a season sweep of both Oregon and Oregon State in the same season for the first time since 2008. Stewart made 9 of 10 shot attempts, only missing a foul-line jumper after making his first eight baskets, including 5-for-5 from three-point range. McLaughlin had his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 11 assists. Chimezie Metu added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Trojans. USC made 50 percent of its shots, while Oregon State made 47.1 percent. USC forced 12 turnovers and made five steals. USC held OSU to 20 percent shooting from three-point range, the 10th time this season holding the opposition under 30 percent from beyond the arc and the lowest percentage since the home opener (.105). USC led 32-30 at halftime and just 55-51 with six minutes remaining, before closing out the game on a 17-8 run.
UTAH ON DECK - USC's next game will be at Utah (17-9, 9-6) in Salt Lake City, Utah on Feb. 24 at 11:30 a.m. PT. The Runnin' Utes will host UCLA on Feb. 22 before hosting USC. USC defeated Utah 84-67 at the Galen Center on Jan. 14, which snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Utes. USC trails Utah 17-22 in the all-time series. Utah has four players averaging double figures in points, led by Justin Bibbins at 14.2 points per game.
BOAT DOCKED FOR SEASON -- USC junior forward Bennie Boatwright will miss the remainder of the 2018 season after suffering a left patella injury the Feb. 15 victory over Oregon. He will be sidelined several months and surgery is not expected. Boatwright was averaging 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds in 2018, both second among the Trojans. The three-year starter is averaging 13.0 points per game in his career and is 22 points away from 1,000 career points scored. Boatwright missed 17 of USC's first 22 games last season, first while recovering from a summer labrum injury and then after spraining a ligament in his left knee at San Diego.
McLAUGHLIN A COUSY AWARD FINALIST -- Jordan McLaughlin is one of 10 players remaining on the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard. The award is named after the Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy and recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball. McLaughlin, a three-year team captain, is averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists this season. McLaughlin leads all Pac-12 players this season in assists with 216, which is third nationally. Last season he was the only player in the country with at least three assists in every game and he has accomplished that in all 28 games this season as well, running his nation's longest streak to 65 consecutive games with at least three assists (dating back to the 2015-16 season).
GOOD BALANCE -- USC is the only team in the conference to rank in the top 4 in scoring offense (4th, 78.7) and scoring defense (4th, 71.6).
THORNTON TOES THE LINE -- Derryck Thornton has made all 17 of his free throws this season. His streak was kept alive at Arizona on a lane violation on the front end of a 1-and-1.
STEWART A TREY FROM THE TOP -- Elijah Stewart has 231 career three-point baskets made, one behind the school record of 232 by Lodrick Stewart (2004-07).
THE BENCH GANG -- As the Trojans have gotten healthier following early-season injuries, the bench has started to show the team's depth. Since Derryck Thornton returned to the lineup on Dec. 31 vs. Washington State, meaning the team was basically at full strength, USC's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 307-203. Bennie Boatwright got hurt on Feb. 15 and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, however, so we shall see how this holds up. USC has averaged 21.9 points off the bench the past 14 games, after averging 13.0 bench points in the first 14 games. USC now leads its opponents on bench points for the season at 479-438.
DEFENSIVE CHARGE -- Since allowing Washington to shoot 67.3 percent in a loss on Dec. 29, the highest shooting percentage by a Trojan opponent since 2003, USC has combined to hold its last 14 opponents to a 43.5 shooting percentage (318-for-731), despite allowing Arizona to make 56.1 percent of its shots on Feb. 10. USC has held the opposition to an average of 69.1 points in that span (967 total). In the 14 games, USC has registered 97 steals and forced 203 turnovers. USC is 8-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 40 percent shooting and 10-1 when forcing the opposition into 15 or more turnovers.
PROTECTING THE ROCK -- USC ranks 12th in the country with a 1.52 assist to turnover ratio through games of Feb. 18. USC also ranks 17th in fewest turnovers per game at 10.8 per game. USC leads all Pac-12 teams in both categories.
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