USC To Play First True Road Game Of Season At Auburn Sunday

The USC Trojans (5-4) will play at the Auburn Tigers (7-2) at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. on Dec. 17 at 10:00 a.m. PT. The game will air on ESPN with Roxy Bernstein and Jay Williams calling the action. USC has lost its last two games and has not lost three consecutive regular season games since Feb. 1-8, 2020 (vs. Colorado, at Arizona, at Arizona State).

THE GONE GUYS -- USC will play its next four games on the road. USC is scheduled to play at Auburn on Dec. 17, at Alabama State on Dec. 19, at Oregon on Dec. 28 and at Oregon State on Dec. 30. The stretch is the first time USC has played four consecutive road games since the 2002 season (at San Diego, LMU, Washington and WSU). 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. USC is also playing only five home games in its first 13 games for the first time since also playing just five home games in the first 13 games of the 2005 season.

USC'S STELLAR STRETCH -- USC won a school-record 95 games over the previous four seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021, 26 in 2022 and 22 in 2023). The four consecutive seasons of 20+ wins sets a school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons, breaking the mark of three consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins from 2016-18. USC's 95 total wins the last four seasons was tied for sixth-most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only Kansas (111), Baylor (104), Arizona (99), UCLA (99) and Duke (97).

FACING AUBURN -- The Auburn Tigers (7-2) are coming off an 87-62 win over UNC Asheville in Huntsville, Ala. on Dec. 13. Auburn has won 7 of its last 8 games. Forward Johni Broome leads Auburn in scoring (15.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.6 rpg). Auburn has won 44 consecutive home nonconference games and is 87-11 at home over the last seven seasons. USC is 3-0 all-time against Auburn, winning at home last season 74-71.

ON DECK: ALABAMA STATE -- The Alabama State Hornets (4-5) are coming off a 74-56 loss at LSU on Dec. 13. Alabama State is hosting USC as part of the Pac-12-SWAC Legacy Series which began last season. USC defeated Alabama State 96-58 at the Galen Center on Nov. 10, 2022 in the first-ever meeting in basketball between the two schools.

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.

ENFIELD MOVING UP THE USC ALL-TIME COACHING WINS LIST -- USC hed coach Andy Enfield is in his 11th season at USC and has compiled an 210-133 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 251-161 record.

IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE -- USC allowed Gonzaga to shoot 52.3 percent from the floor on Dec. 2, just the fourth game in the last two seasons an opponent has made 50 percent or more of its field goals against the Trojan defense. Through the first nine games this season, USC has held its opponents to 41.6 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.

TROJAN TRIPLE THREAT -- USC guards Boogie Ellis (21.4), Isaiah Collier (17.0) and Kobe Johnson (12.3) are USC's three leading-scorers. They also are combining to average 10.7 rebounds, 9.6 assists and 5.2 steals in USC's 9 games, despite Johnson missing two games and Ellis one. Ellis and Collier's combined 38.4 ppg is the second most among D1 point guard duos.

ELLIS SHOOTING TO THE TOP - Fifth-year guard Boogie Ellis is averaging 21.4 points, tied for 14th in the country this season. He is fifth in the country with 3.88 makes from three-point range per game, netting a career-high 8 vs. Eastern Washington on Nov. 29. The 8 three-pointers made tied him for fourth on USC's all-time list for three-pointers made in a game. He has made 31 of 67 three-point shots this season (46.3 percent). Ellis has made 170 three-point baskets as a Trojan, 11th on USC's all-time three-point baskets made list, one behind David Bluthenthal (1999-02) who is 10th on the list and made 171 in his USC career.

NO LONGER FREE FROM THE LINE -- USC made 76.5 percent of its free throws (127-for-166) in the first 7 games, but has made only 52.8 percent the last two games (28-for-53).

TROJAN THEFT - USC had a season-high 13 steals vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 10, its most steals in a game since also recording 13 steals vs. Auburn on Dec. 18 vs. Auburn. Kobe Johnson leads USC with an average of 2.86 steals per game, 10th in the country.

MAKING SHOTS MATTERS -- USC is making 50.5 percent of its shots in its wins, including 42.0 percent from 3-point range. USC has a 40.7 FG percent in its losses, 26.8 from 3-point range.

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Collier

Boogie Ellis

Kobe Johnson