USC Men's Basketball Closes Homestand Hosting Washington State Wednesday

The USC Trojans (8-7, 2-2) will host the Washington State Cougars (10-5, 1-3) at the Galen Center on Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. The game will air on FS1 with Jordan Kent and Casey Jacobsen calling the action. USC has won its last two games and is seeking its first three-game winning streak of the season.

GETTING HEALTHY AT HOME? -- USC's has won its last two games, both at home, by averaging 87.5 points, shooting 50.4 percent from the field (65-for-129), 47.2 percent from three-point range (25-for-53) and averaging 23.5 assists per game. Prior to the home game against California on Jan 3, the Trojans had not played at the Galen Center since Dec. 10 vs. Long Beach. USC had played just two home games in the previous 44 days, while playing three neutral site and four road games. USC also played 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, ASU and Villanova were the only three Power 6 teams to play only 5 home games through Jan. 2.

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 WASHINGTON STATE -- The Washington State Cougars (10-5, 1-3) are coming off an 89-84 home loss to Oregon on Jan. 6. Forward Isaac Jones (14.1 ppg) and guard Myles Rice (14.6 ppg) lead Washington State in scoring. USC is 82-49 all-time against Washington State. The teams split a pair of games last year, with USC winning 80-70 at home and falling 81-71 in Pullman. USC has won its last seven games against the Cougars at the Galen Center.

ON DECK: AT COLORADO -- The Colorado Buffaloes (11-4, 2-2) will play at California on Jan. 10 before hosting USC on Jan. 13 at 7:00 p.m. PT. Guard KJ Simpson leads Colorado with a 20.5 scoring average. The Buffaloes outrebound their opponents by 8.8 rebounds per game. USC is 10-16 all-time against Colorado, but has won the last three meetings. USC swept the season series in the 2022-23 season, winning 68-61 at home on Jan. 12 and then 84-65 at Colorado on Feb. 23

NO LONGER CRYING FOUL -- After being called for 109 fouls in its previous five games (21.8 per game), USC has committed 10 fouls in each of its last two games, matching a season low for fouls in a game. USC has outscored its opponents 20-14 from the free throw line in its last two games, after being outscored 108-78 from the charity stripe in the previous five games.

DIALING IN FROM DISTANCE -- USC made 14 three-point baskets vs. Stanford on Jan. 6, its most since also knocking down 14 three-pointers vs. California on Jan. 16, 2020. USC has made 10 or more three-point baskets in seven games, including the last three (10 at Oregon State on Dec. 30, 11 vs. California on Jan. 3 and 14 vs. Stanford on Jan. 6). USC has made 10 or more three-point baskets in three consecutive conference games for the first time since accomplishing the feat in six consecutive games during the the 2004-05 season. USC has made 10 or more three-point baskets in any three games for the first time since making 10 or more in five straight during 2017-18 nonconference play.

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 213-136 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 254-164 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 15 games this season, USC has held its opponents to 43.5 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 18.8 points per game this season. He is tied for 9th in the country with 3.43 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 48 of 105 three-point shots this season (45.7 percent, 12th in the country). Ellis has made 187 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 THREE HAS BIG GAME -- USC guards Isaiah Collier (26), Boogie Ellis (22) and Kobe Johnson (21) all scored over 20 points in the win vs. Stanford on Jan. 6. They also had 13 assists and 9 steals in the game. The last time USC had three players score 20 or more points in the same game was on March 18, 2018 vs. UNC Asheville (McGlaughlin, Rakocevic, Stewart).

JOHNSON'S RARE GAME -- Kobe Johnson scored 21 points, had 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and no turnovers vs. Stanford on Jan. 6. He is the first Pac-12 player since Chris Duarte of Oregon in 2020 to record a stat line like that (20 points, 5 or more rebounds, assists and steals and no turnovers) and just the third Pac-12 player since the 1996-97 season to do so.

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Players Mentioned

Isaiah Collier

Boogie Ellis

Kobe Johnson