University Southern California Trojans
Saturday, January 18
Los Angeles, Calif.
3:30 PM
USC
vs
Stanford
Players Mentioned
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/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
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/ Men's Basketball
USC Hosts Stanford In Showdown Saturday
January 17, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Features
Trojans have won 8 of 9 games
The USC Trojans (14-3, 3-1) will host the RV/No. 25 Stanford Cardinal (15-2, 4-0) at the Galen Center on Jan. 18 at 3:30 p.m. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with J.B. Long and Don MacLean calling the action. USC has won 8 of its last 9 games. USC has won 14 of its first 17 games for only the third time in the last 18 seasons (15-2 in 2017 and 14-3 in 2016...both teams were 15-3 after 18 games).
BREAKING DOWN NO. 25 STANFORD -- The Stanford Cardinal (15-2, 4-0) is coming off a 74-59 win at UCLA on Jan. 15. The Cardinal opened Pac-12 play with home wins over California, WSU and Washington and sits in first place in the conference through the first two and a half weeks. Stanford is receiving votes in the AP Poll and ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll, the first time in the rankings since also being RV/No. 25 on Jan. 19, 2015. Junior Oscar da Silva (15.9) and freshman Tyrell Terry (15.8) lead Stanford in points per game. USC and Stanford split the 2018-19 season series with each team winning at home. Stanford leads the all-time series 127-125* (1 USC win vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 127-126). Seven of the last 12 games between the two schools have been decided by 5 points or less or in overtime.
USC POSTS BIGGEST WIN OVER CAL SINCE 1972 -- Jonah Mathews scored 19 points and Daniel Utomi added 17 to lead USC to an 88-56 win over California on Jan. 16. It was USC's biggest margin of victory over the Bears since winning by 33 on Jan. 14, 1972 (102-69) and its largest Pac-12 margin of victory since winning by 45 at Oregon St. on Jan. 6, 2007 (91-46). USC led 22-19 with 6:39 remaining in the first half and finished with a 19-6 run to lead 41-25 at the break. Cal got no closer than 14 points in the second half. Quinton Adlesh hit a 3-pointer with 11 minutes remaining in the game to push the lead to 21 points and the Trojans maintained a lead of over 20 points the rest of the way. USC made 50 percent of its shots, including 60.9 percent from 3-point range, its highest since making 61.3 percent at Cal last season. Mathews was 3-for-5 from 3-point range and Utomi was 4-for-6. Utomi had season best in 3-pointers, points and tied his rebound high. USC held Cal to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor, including 20 percent from 3-point range. USC outrebounded Cal 45-28 (+17), its biggest advantage on the boards since outrebounding Santa Clara 52-27 (+25) on Dec. 14, 2017. USC had 21 assists on 26 made baskets.
No. 8 OREGON ON DECK -- The Oregon Ducks (14-4, 3-2) lost 72-61 at Washington State on Jan. 16 and will play at Washington on Jan. 18, before hosting USC on Jan. 23. Oregon is 10-0 at home this season. Senior Payton Pritchard leads the Ducks with a 19.4 scoring average. Oregon leads the Pac-12 with 150 3-pointers made. USC and Oregon split the season series in 2019 with each team winning its home game. USC lost 81-60 at Oregon last season and has fallen in 8 of the last 9 games in Eugene, Ore. USC won the last game 66-49 at home and leads the all-time series 64-57* (2 USC wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 66-57).
THE MAGICAL MARKER -- USC held California to 56 points on Jan. 16 to improve to 11-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 70 points scored. In fact, USC is 64-2 in its last 66 games when holding the opposition to 69 points or less and is 79-8 in such games during the Andy Enfield Era.
GIVING IS GOOD -- USC had an assist on a season-high 80.8 percent of its baskets (21 of 26) vs. California on Jan. 16. In its wins, USC averages 16.8 assists (235 assists/14 G) and 8.7 assists in its losses (26 assists/3 G).
BOARD BROTHERS -- USC forwards Nick Rakocevic (8.8) and Onyeka Okongwu (8.7) are one of four pairs of teammates in Division I averaging 8.7 rebounds or more per game. The other schools with a tandem of rebounders averaging 8.7 rebounds or more per game are Saint Louis, West Virginia and William and Mary.
DID U KNOW? -- Grad transfer Daniel Utomi has scored 1,258 points and made 228 three-pointers in his career. He ranks 25th among active players in three-pointers made and 103rd in points scored. Utomi has started the last two games and scored a combined 30 points.
OKONGWU NEAR THE TOP OF THE CLASS -- Through his first 16 career games, Okongwu is averaging 16.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.94 blocks per game, while shooting 61.0 percent from the field. His 47 total blocks already rank third on USC's all-time freshman blocks list. Among all freshmen nationally through Jan. 16, he ranks second blocks per game (2.94), in total blocks (47) and in field goal percentage (61.0 percent), fourth in offensive rebounds per game (3.31), tied for fourth in total field goals made (105), fifth in rebounds per game (8.7), tied for fifth in double-doubles (6), sixth in points per game (16.6), eighth in total rebounds (139) and ninth in total points (265).
THE GANG IS STARTING TO SHOOT STRAIGHT --- Despite making only 20 percent of its shots at Washington on Jan. 5, USC has made 45.6 percent of its shots in the last nine games (231-for-507). In the first eight games of the season, USC made 43.3 percent of its shots (210-for-485).
TURNING UP THE DEFENSE -- USC's defense has held its last six opponents to a combined 36.7 shooting percentage (140-for-381). For the year, USC is holding the opposition to 38.5 percent shooting which ranks 29th in the country. Also in the last six games combined, USC's opponents are shooting 24.1 percent (32-for-133) from three point range. USC's opponents shot a higher percentage than that in each of the previous 10 games, and prior to the last six games, had made 35.6 percent of its shots from beyond the arc for season.
BREAKING DOWN NO. 25 STANFORD -- The Stanford Cardinal (15-2, 4-0) is coming off a 74-59 win at UCLA on Jan. 15. The Cardinal opened Pac-12 play with home wins over California, WSU and Washington and sits in first place in the conference through the first two and a half weeks. Stanford is receiving votes in the AP Poll and ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll, the first time in the rankings since also being RV/No. 25 on Jan. 19, 2015. Junior Oscar da Silva (15.9) and freshman Tyrell Terry (15.8) lead Stanford in points per game. USC and Stanford split the 2018-19 season series with each team winning at home. Stanford leads the all-time series 127-125* (1 USC win vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 127-126). Seven of the last 12 games between the two schools have been decided by 5 points or less or in overtime.
USC POSTS BIGGEST WIN OVER CAL SINCE 1972 -- Jonah Mathews scored 19 points and Daniel Utomi added 17 to lead USC to an 88-56 win over California on Jan. 16. It was USC's biggest margin of victory over the Bears since winning by 33 on Jan. 14, 1972 (102-69) and its largest Pac-12 margin of victory since winning by 45 at Oregon St. on Jan. 6, 2007 (91-46). USC led 22-19 with 6:39 remaining in the first half and finished with a 19-6 run to lead 41-25 at the break. Cal got no closer than 14 points in the second half. Quinton Adlesh hit a 3-pointer with 11 minutes remaining in the game to push the lead to 21 points and the Trojans maintained a lead of over 20 points the rest of the way. USC made 50 percent of its shots, including 60.9 percent from 3-point range, its highest since making 61.3 percent at Cal last season. Mathews was 3-for-5 from 3-point range and Utomi was 4-for-6. Utomi had season best in 3-pointers, points and tied his rebound high. USC held Cal to 33.9 percent shooting from the floor, including 20 percent from 3-point range. USC outrebounded Cal 45-28 (+17), its biggest advantage on the boards since outrebounding Santa Clara 52-27 (+25) on Dec. 14, 2017. USC had 21 assists on 26 made baskets.
No. 8 OREGON ON DECK -- The Oregon Ducks (14-4, 3-2) lost 72-61 at Washington State on Jan. 16 and will play at Washington on Jan. 18, before hosting USC on Jan. 23. Oregon is 10-0 at home this season. Senior Payton Pritchard leads the Ducks with a 19.4 scoring average. Oregon leads the Pac-12 with 150 3-pointers made. USC and Oregon split the season series in 2019 with each team winning its home game. USC lost 81-60 at Oregon last season and has fallen in 8 of the last 9 games in Eugene, Ore. USC won the last game 66-49 at home and leads the all-time series 64-57* (2 USC wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 66-57).
THE MAGICAL MARKER -- USC held California to 56 points on Jan. 16 to improve to 11-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 70 points scored. In fact, USC is 64-2 in its last 66 games when holding the opposition to 69 points or less and is 79-8 in such games during the Andy Enfield Era.
GIVING IS GOOD -- USC had an assist on a season-high 80.8 percent of its baskets (21 of 26) vs. California on Jan. 16. In its wins, USC averages 16.8 assists (235 assists/14 G) and 8.7 assists in its losses (26 assists/3 G).
BOARD BROTHERS -- USC forwards Nick Rakocevic (8.8) and Onyeka Okongwu (8.7) are one of four pairs of teammates in Division I averaging 8.7 rebounds or more per game. The other schools with a tandem of rebounders averaging 8.7 rebounds or more per game are Saint Louis, West Virginia and William and Mary.
DID U KNOW? -- Grad transfer Daniel Utomi has scored 1,258 points and made 228 three-pointers in his career. He ranks 25th among active players in three-pointers made and 103rd in points scored. Utomi has started the last two games and scored a combined 30 points.
OKONGWU NEAR THE TOP OF THE CLASS -- Through his first 16 career games, Okongwu is averaging 16.6 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.94 blocks per game, while shooting 61.0 percent from the field. His 47 total blocks already rank third on USC's all-time freshman blocks list. Among all freshmen nationally through Jan. 16, he ranks second blocks per game (2.94), in total blocks (47) and in field goal percentage (61.0 percent), fourth in offensive rebounds per game (3.31), tied for fourth in total field goals made (105), fifth in rebounds per game (8.7), tied for fifth in double-doubles (6), sixth in points per game (16.6), eighth in total rebounds (139) and ninth in total points (265).
THE GANG IS STARTING TO SHOOT STRAIGHT --- Despite making only 20 percent of its shots at Washington on Jan. 5, USC has made 45.6 percent of its shots in the last nine games (231-for-507). In the first eight games of the season, USC made 43.3 percent of its shots (210-for-485).
TURNING UP THE DEFENSE -- USC's defense has held its last six opponents to a combined 36.7 shooting percentage (140-for-381). For the year, USC is holding the opposition to 38.5 percent shooting which ranks 29th in the country. Also in the last six games combined, USC's opponents are shooting 24.1 percent (32-for-133) from three point range. USC's opponents shot a higher percentage than that in each of the previous 10 games, and prior to the last six games, had made 35.6 percent of its shots from beyond the arc for season.
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