University Southern California Trojans
Thursday, February 27
Los Angeles, Calif.
7:00 PM
USC
vs
Arizona
Players Mentioned
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Photo by: John McGillen/USC Athletics
USC To Host Arizona Thursday
February 26, 2020 | Men's Basketball, Features
Last 3 regular season games at home for Trojans
The USC Trojans (19-9, 8-7) will host the NR/No. 24 Arizona Wildcats (19-8, 9-5) at the Galen Center on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. The game will air on ESPN with Dave Pasch and Bill Wilson calling the action. USC will close the regular season with three consecutive home games. USC is 11-2 at home this season, including 7-1 in its last eight home games. USC is seeking its 21st 20-win season in school history, three already under Andy Enfield's leadership.
BREAKING DOWN NR/No. 24 ARIZONA -- The Arizona Wildcats (19-8, 9-5) are coming off a 93-92 overtime loss at home vs. Oregon on Feb. 22, but have won six of its last eight games. Arizona is led in scoring by freshmen Zeke Nnaji (16.3 ppg), Nico Mannion (13.7 ppg) and Josh Green (11.9 ppg). USC lost 85-80 at Arizona on Feb. 6. USC has won six of its last nine games vs. Arizona at home, but trails in the all-time series 68-43 (with one win for each team vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 69-44).
DEPLETED TROJANS FALL AT UTAH -- Despite Onyeka Okongwu's 10th double-double of the season, the Trojans fell 79-65 at Utah on Feb. 23. Okongwu had an 18-point, 12-rebound performance, but the rest of the front court was depleted and second-leading scorer Jonah Mathews battled illness throughout the game. Nick Rakocevic (illness) started the game but only logged 5 minutes. Isaiah Mobley came into the came with a sore ankle which limited him to a total of 9 minutes. USC was forced to use a smaller lineup and go deeper into the rotation. Mathews tried to play through it, but despite scoring 7-straight points for USC sandwiched between visits to the locker room in the second half, he eventually had to shut it down. Utah opened up an early 10-point lead at 16-6, before USC took its first lead at 19-18 with 7:41 remaining before the break behind back-to-back 3-pointers by Max Agbonkpolo and Quentin Adlesh. After the game was tied at 25-all, Utah outscored USC 9-3 over the final 4:30 to take a 34-28 lead at the break. Utah outscored USC 9-2 to start the 2nd half to build a 15-point lead. Still trailing 52-39 just over 7 minutes into the second half, USC used a 12-3 run to cut it to 55-51 with 9:42 remaining. After a Utah turnover, USC missed 4 shots on its next trip down court and the Utes followed with a 3-pointer by Mikael Jantunen and Branden Carlson to re-establish a 10-point lead at 61-51. Utah made 62.5 percent of its 2nd-half shots and 48.2 percent for the game. USC was 6-for-16 from the FT line (37.5 percent).
OKONGWU NEAR THE TOP OF THE CLASS -- Through his first 25 career games, Onyeka Okongwu is averaging 16.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.80 blocks per game, while shooting 62.2 percent from the field. His 70 total blocks are a USC freshman record, passing Taj Gibson (2007) who had 69. Among all freshmen nationally entering this week's action, he ranks first in field goal percentage (62.2), second in total blocks (70) and blocks per game (2.80), third in offensive rebounds per game (3.40), fifth in rebounds per game (8.9), sixth in double-doubles (10) and tied for seventh in points per game (16.7).
ARIZONA STATE ON DECK -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (19-8, 10-4) have won seven consecutive games to move into first place in the Pac-12, the latest a 74-73 home win vs. Oregon State on Feb. 22. Six of those seven wins have been by five points or less, including a 66-64 home win vs. USC on Feb. 8. USC leads the all-time series 54-42 (2 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 56-42). Junior guard Remy Martin leads ASU in scoring with a 19.2 average, second among Pac-12 players.
BOARD BROTHERS -- USC forwards Nick Rakocevic (8.5) and Onyeka Okongwu (8.9) are one of five pairs of teammates in Division I averaging 8.5 rebounds or more per game. The other schools with a tandem of rebounders averaging 8.5 rebounds or more per game are Eastern Washington, Saint Louis, West Virginia and William & Mary.
THE SURGING SENIOR -- Senior guard Jonah Mathews has averaged 14.2 points in the last 13 games (184 total). He scored in double figures in 7-straight games from Jan. 11-Feb. 1, the second-longest double-figure scoring streak of his career. Mathews has also made 39.4 percent of his 3-point shots in that stretch (28-for-71) and 81.0 percent of his free throws (34-for-42). Mathews now has 1,334 points, 18th on USC's all-time scoring list and his 238 career 3-pointers made is third on USC's all-time list behind Elijah Stewart (245) and Bennie Boatwright (243).
ENFIELD'S WINNING WAYS -- USC head coach Andy Enfield has led USC to 129 victories which ranks fifth on USC's all-time list, three behind Henry Bibby who led USC to 132 wins. Sam Berry is the winningest coach in USC history at 260, followed by Forrest Twogood at 251 and Bob Boyd at 216. USC has won 106 games combined in the last five seasons, the winningest five-year stretch in school history.
BREAKING DOWN NR/No. 24 ARIZONA -- The Arizona Wildcats (19-8, 9-5) are coming off a 93-92 overtime loss at home vs. Oregon on Feb. 22, but have won six of its last eight games. Arizona is led in scoring by freshmen Zeke Nnaji (16.3 ppg), Nico Mannion (13.7 ppg) and Josh Green (11.9 ppg). USC lost 85-80 at Arizona on Feb. 6. USC has won six of its last nine games vs. Arizona at home, but trails in the all-time series 68-43 (with one win for each team vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 69-44).
DEPLETED TROJANS FALL AT UTAH -- Despite Onyeka Okongwu's 10th double-double of the season, the Trojans fell 79-65 at Utah on Feb. 23. Okongwu had an 18-point, 12-rebound performance, but the rest of the front court was depleted and second-leading scorer Jonah Mathews battled illness throughout the game. Nick Rakocevic (illness) started the game but only logged 5 minutes. Isaiah Mobley came into the came with a sore ankle which limited him to a total of 9 minutes. USC was forced to use a smaller lineup and go deeper into the rotation. Mathews tried to play through it, but despite scoring 7-straight points for USC sandwiched between visits to the locker room in the second half, he eventually had to shut it down. Utah opened up an early 10-point lead at 16-6, before USC took its first lead at 19-18 with 7:41 remaining before the break behind back-to-back 3-pointers by Max Agbonkpolo and Quentin Adlesh. After the game was tied at 25-all, Utah outscored USC 9-3 over the final 4:30 to take a 34-28 lead at the break. Utah outscored USC 9-2 to start the 2nd half to build a 15-point lead. Still trailing 52-39 just over 7 minutes into the second half, USC used a 12-3 run to cut it to 55-51 with 9:42 remaining. After a Utah turnover, USC missed 4 shots on its next trip down court and the Utes followed with a 3-pointer by Mikael Jantunen and Branden Carlson to re-establish a 10-point lead at 61-51. Utah made 62.5 percent of its 2nd-half shots and 48.2 percent for the game. USC was 6-for-16 from the FT line (37.5 percent).
OKONGWU NEAR THE TOP OF THE CLASS -- Through his first 25 career games, Onyeka Okongwu is averaging 16.7 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.80 blocks per game, while shooting 62.2 percent from the field. His 70 total blocks are a USC freshman record, passing Taj Gibson (2007) who had 69. Among all freshmen nationally entering this week's action, he ranks first in field goal percentage (62.2), second in total blocks (70) and blocks per game (2.80), third in offensive rebounds per game (3.40), fifth in rebounds per game (8.9), sixth in double-doubles (10) and tied for seventh in points per game (16.7).
ARIZONA STATE ON DECK -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (19-8, 10-4) have won seven consecutive games to move into first place in the Pac-12, the latest a 74-73 home win vs. Oregon State on Feb. 22. Six of those seven wins have been by five points or less, including a 66-64 home win vs. USC on Feb. 8. USC leads the all-time series 54-42 (2 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 56-42). Junior guard Remy Martin leads ASU in scoring with a 19.2 average, second among Pac-12 players.
BOARD BROTHERS -- USC forwards Nick Rakocevic (8.5) and Onyeka Okongwu (8.9) are one of five pairs of teammates in Division I averaging 8.5 rebounds or more per game. The other schools with a tandem of rebounders averaging 8.5 rebounds or more per game are Eastern Washington, Saint Louis, West Virginia and William & Mary.
THE SURGING SENIOR -- Senior guard Jonah Mathews has averaged 14.2 points in the last 13 games (184 total). He scored in double figures in 7-straight games from Jan. 11-Feb. 1, the second-longest double-figure scoring streak of his career. Mathews has also made 39.4 percent of his 3-point shots in that stretch (28-for-71) and 81.0 percent of his free throws (34-for-42). Mathews now has 1,334 points, 18th on USC's all-time scoring list and his 238 career 3-pointers made is third on USC's all-time list behind Elijah Stewart (245) and Bennie Boatwright (243).
ENFIELD'S WINNING WAYS -- USC head coach Andy Enfield has led USC to 129 victories which ranks fifth on USC's all-time list, three behind Henry Bibby who led USC to 132 wins. Sam Berry is the winningest coach in USC history at 260, followed by Forrest Twogood at 251 and Bob Boyd at 216. USC has won 106 games combined in the last five seasons, the winningest five-year stretch in school history.
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