No. 24 USC Men's Basketball Hits The Road To Face No. 2 Michigan

Friday, January 2

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4 p.m. PT

USC

Michigan

Terrance Williams II takes a shot against UTSA

No. 24 USC Men's Basketball Hits The Road To Face No. 2 Michigan

January 01, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

This is first of a three-game road trip for the Trojans.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – No. 24 USC Men's Basketball is ready for the new year as they continue with Big Ten play against No. 2 Michigan in the Crisler Center on Friday, Jan. 2. This is just the fourth all-time matchup between these two teams, and just the second time in conference play.

WHEREABOUTS
Game #14 at Michigan
Friday, Jan. 2, 2026
Crisler Center | Ann Arbor, Mich.
TV: Peacock

LAST TIME OUT
USC closed out its non-conference slate with a 102-63 win over Division III UC Santa Cruz, which was Eric Musselman's 250th collegiate head coaching win. Led by Gabe Dynes' season-high 16 points, 11 different Trojans found the scoring column as USC broke 100 points for the third time this season. The Trojans notched multiple single-game season bests, including a 39-point margin of victory, 28 total assists, and a +38-rebounding differential — the latter of which is the second-best in school history.

SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES

Michigan has been one of the most dominant teams of the season so far. The Wolverines are currently the top team in the NET and KenPom rankings, plus they are the No. 2 team in the nation. With a 12-0 record, Head Coach Dusty May's squad is one of six remaining undefeated teams in Division I.
Despite playing six games against Quad. 1 and 2 opponents, the Wolverines have been blowing out teams, leading the nation with an average margin of victory of 30.3 points. The Wolverines' last win by single digits was a four-point win at TCU on Nov. 14.
So far, Michigan's success can be attributed to its frontcourt, which is one of the best units in the nation. Senior forward Yaxel Lendeborg is playing like a national player of the year candidate, averaging 15.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game while making 80.4% of his two-point shots. Illinois transfer Morez Johnson Jr. averages 13.6 points and leads the team by connecting on 66.3% of his field goals. Rounding out the frontcourt, UCLA transfer Aday Mara leads the team with 8.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game, while averaging 10.9 points per game.

HOMECOMING
Terrance Williams II never thought he would play another game inside the Crisler Center after graduating in 2024. Due to an injury last season, Williams will now play one final game on Michigan's campus, but this time, for the opposing team.

ONE-TWO PUNCH
Chad Baker-Mazara and Jacob Cofie are quite the pair for USC. They are the highest-ranked combo for the Trojans, earning a plus-minus of 121 on the season, which is in the 91st percentile among other Division I combos according to CBB Analytics. The two have the highest combined offensive rating on the team, coming in at 122.7.

AND ONE
USC has been drawing a lot of and-one fouls this season. Currently, they are averaging 2.9 and-ones per 40 minutes, which ranks in the 98th percentile according to CBB Analytics. With that, 18.1% of USC's shots result in a shooting foul, which is in the 100th percentile.