USC Men's Basketball Returns Home To Face Eastern Washington

The USC Trojans (4-2) will face the Eastern Washington Eagles (1-5) at the Galen Center on Nov. 29 at 8:00 p.m. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with J.B. Long and Don MacLean calling the action.

FACING EASTERN WASHINGTON -- Eastern Washington Eagles (1-5) is coming off an 82-72 loss at Washington State on Nov. 27. Forward Cedric Coward leads four Eagles averaging double figures in scoring with a 13.0 average. Eastern Washington is located in Cheney, Wash. USC won 69-51 in its only other meeting with Eastern Washingon, in the second round of the Great Alaska Shootout on Nov. 25, 2005.

ON DECK: NO. 11 GONZAGA -- The No. 11 Gonzaga Bulldogs (4-1) will host CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 28 before squaring off with USC at the Legends of Basketball LV Invitational at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 2 at 7:00 p.m. Gonzaga has 5 players averaging in double figures, led by forward Anton Watson at 16.6 points per game. USC is 2-1 all-time against the Bulldogs, falling in the last meeting in the Elite Eight of the 2021 NCAA Tournament, 85-66.

USC FIRST TO BRING IN BOTH MEN'S & WOMEN'S TOP RECRUIT -- Isaiah Collier was the consensus No. 1 men's basketball recruit for 2023 and JuJu Watkins the No. 1 women's recruit for 2023. It marks the first time that the top recruit on the men's and women's sides both selected to attend the same school in the same season. Also, both the USC men's and women's team were ranked No. 21 in the AP preseason poll, the first time both teams were ranked in the AP preseason top 25.

MORGAN ON TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN -- USC forward Joshua Morgan had a career-high and a school-record 10 blocks vs. Seton Hall on Nov. 23. Morgan has 20 blocks in USC's first 6 games for an average of 3.3 blocks per game. His 10-block game is also the most by any player in a Div. I game this season. The previous USC record for blocks in a game was 8 done 4 times, last by Onyeka Okongwu on Nov. 5, 2019 vs. FAMU. Morgan now has 112 career blocks as a Trojan, 10th on USC's all-time career blocks list.

MAKING HIS SHOTS COUNT -- Joshua Morgan has made 16 of his first 19 shots this season (84.2 percent).

ENFIELD MOVING UP THE USC ALL-TIME COACHING WINS LIST -- USC head coach Andy Enfield is in his 11th season at USC and has compiled an 209-131 record. He picked up his 200th win on Feb. 4, 2023 vs. Washington. Enfield's win total ranks fourth on USC's all-time wins list, trailing only Sam Barry (260), Forrest Twogood (251) and Bob Boyd (216). Including his two seasons as the head coach at FGCU (2012-13), Enfield has compiled a 250-159 record.

IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE -- USC has held 3 of its first 6 opponents to under 40 percent shooting, with an opponent high of 50.0 percent by Oklahoma on Nov. 24, just the third time in the last two seasons a team has made 50 percent or more of its shots against USC's defense. Through the first six games this season, USC has held its opponents to 39.3 percent shooting. USC held its opponents to a 39.3 shooting percentage last season, 8th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC's defense held the opposition to 38.9 FG percentage, third in the country, tops among teams in the six basketball power conferences. Also over the last four seasons, USC held the opposition to a 42.4 shooting percentage on two-point field goals, best in the country.

GONE FROM GALEN -- After tonight's game vs. Eastern Washington, five of the next six games for the Trojans will be away from the Galen Center: vs. Gonzaga in Las Vegas on Dec. 2, home vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 10, then at Auburn on Dec. 17, at Alabama State on Dec. 19, at Oregon on Dec. 28 and at Oregon State on Dec. 30. If you go back to the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego, USC is in a stretch of playing 7 of 9 games away from the Galen Center.

TRIPLE THREAT -- USC guards Boogie Ellis (20.2), Isaiah Collier (18.2) and Kobe Johnson (14.8) are all averaging over 14.5 points per game. They also are combining to average 10.2 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 4.5 steals in USC's 6 games, despite Johnson missing two games and Ellis one. USC is one of four Power 6 teams with 3 guards averaging at least 14.5 points through Nov. 27 (also Kentucky, Miami - Fla, Wake Forest).

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Collier

Boogie Ellis

Kobe Johnson

Joshua Morgan