USC To Play At No. 12/No. 13 Arizona On Wednesday

The USC Trojans (8-9, 2-4) will play at the No. 12/No. 13 Arizona Wildcats (12-4, 3-2) at the McKale Center in Tucson, Ariz. on Jan. 17 at 7:00 p.m. PT. The game will air on ESPN with Dave Pasch and Jay Bilas calling the action and Myron Medcalf providing sideline reports. USC's eight wins through its first 17 games is its fewest since being 7-10 to start the 2012-13 season.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN -- The Trojans are in the midst of playing three consecutive road games, Jan. 13 at Colorado (L), Jan. 17 at Arizona and Jan. 20 at Arizona State. USC played four consecutive road games before the just-completed three-game homestand, so will be playing 7 of 10 games on the road from Dec. 17-Jan. 20.

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 No. 12/No. 13 ARIZONA -- The Arizona Wildcats (12-4, 3-2) are coming off a 73-70 loss at Washington State on Jan. 13. Guard Caleb Love leads five Wildcats scoring in double figures with an 18.3 average. Arizona averages 91.2 points per game and has scored over 100 points four times. Arizona is 8-0 at home this season and 40-2 the last three seasons at the McKale Center. USC is 45-73 all-time against Arizona (1 win and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalties, original record is 46-74). USC has lost its last five games against Arizona, but won four of the previous five games against the Wildcats.

ON DECK: AT ARIZONA STATE -- The Arizona State Sun Devils (10-6, 4-1) will entertain UCLA on Jan. 17 before hosting USC on Jan. 20 at 11:00 a.m. PT. Guard Frankie Collins leads ASU with a 13.6 scoring average. The Sun Devils are 7-0 at home this season. USC is 61-43 all-time against ASU (2 wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 63-43). ASU defeated USC 77-72 in the 2023 Pac-12 Tournament, snapping the Trojans' 7-game winning streak against the Sun Devils. Nine of the last 12 games played between USC and ASU in Tempe have been decided by 5 points or less and all 12 within 10 points.

TROJANS BUYERS, NOT SELLERS -- USC sophomore guard Oziyah Sellers' stock continues to rise. He is coming off a career-high 18 points scored at Colorado on Jan. 13. He has scored in double-figures three times this season and is averaging 5.8 points per game, after averaging 1.1 ppg last season. He has made 12 of his last 24 three-point shots and leads USC with an 85.7 shooting percentage from the free throw line.

GIVE HIM THE ROCK -- Guard Kobe Johnson has scored in double figures nine times this season and USC is 7-2 in those contests.

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 213-138 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 254-166 record.

IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE -- USC allowed Oregon State to make 59.6 percent of its shots on Dec. 30, the highest shooting percentage by a Trojan opponent since Washington made 67.3 percent of its field goals against USC on Dec. 29, 2017. USC opponents have shot 50 percent or higher from the field six times in the last two seasons, including four times this season. Through the first 17 games this season, USC has held its opponents to 43.7 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 previous four seasons, USC held the opposition to a 42.4 shooting percentage on 2-point field goals, best in the country.

ELLIS SHOOTING TOWARDS THE TOP - Fifth-year guard Boogie Ellis was held to two points a Alabama State on Dec. 19 as he left the game with a left hip contusion and scored 11 points at Oregon on Dec. 28, but still has averaged 18.7 points per game this season. He is 10th in the country with 3.40 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 51 of 112 three-point shots this season (45.5 percent, 13th in the country). Ellis has made 190 three-point baskets as a Trojan, seventh on USC's all-time three-point baskets made list. Current USC assistant coach Desmon Farmer (2001-04) is sixth on the list with 203 career three-pointers made.

BIG GAME BOOGIE -- In USC's last 7 games against ranked teams, guard Boogie Ellis averaged 23.4 points. He scored 21 points vs. No. 22 Tennessee on Nov. 24,2022, 28 vs. No. 19/18 Auburn on Dec. 18, 2022, 10 at No. 10/8 UCLA on Jan. 5, 2023, 11 at Arizona on Jan. 19, 2023, 31 vs. No. 8 UCLA on Jan. 26, 2023, a career-high 35 vs. No. 8/9 Arizona on March 2, 2023 and 28 vs. No. 11 Gonzaga on Dec. 2, 2023.

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Players Mentioned

Boogie Ellis

Kobe Johnson

Oziyah Sellers