USC To Host No. 5 Nevada At The Galen Center Saturday

The USC Trojans (5-2) will host the No. 5 Nevada Wolfpack (7-0) at the Galen Center in Los Angeles, Calif. on Dec. 1 at 1:30 p.m. The last time USC defeated a ranked opponent was when it defeated No. 11 SMU 66-65 in the NCAA Tournament on March 17, 2017. The last time USC defeated a Top 5 team was when it won at No. 4 UCLA (72-63) on Jan. 19, 2008. USC's last win at home over a ranked opponent was when it defeated No. 8 UCLA (84-76) on Jan. 25, 2017. The highest ranked opponent USC has defeated at home since the Galen Center opened for the 2006-07 season was No. 7 Arizona in 2016 and No. 7 Stanford in 2008. Also, senior Bennie Boatwright will be honored for scoring his 1,000th career point in the game vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 19 in Kansas City,Mo.

USC POSTS WIN OVER LONG BEACH STATE - Nick Rakocevic scored 19 points and had 12 rebounds to lead a balanced USC squad to a 75-65 victory over the Long Beach State 49ers at the Galen Center on Nov. 28. All five starters for USC scored in double figures. Bennie Boatwright and Derryck Thornton each added 13 points, Jonah Matthews had 11 and Shaqquan Aaron had 10. The Trojans looked like they might run away with the game early in the second half, building a 14-point lead at 47-33, but the 49ers got back in the game by scoring the next 10 points. They pulled within two three different times but could never catch the Trojans. Rakocevic scored 13 of his points in the game's final nine minutes. USC led 36-28 at the break despite shooting just 40.6 percent, building the bulk of its lead on a pair of late 3-pointers. Long Beach shot only 31.4 percent in the first half. USC had 19 assists on the night, with six players collecting at least two each.

BREAKING DOWN No. 5 NEVADA - No. 5 Nevada is 7-0 after winning at Loyola Chicago 79-65 on Nov. 27. Nevada also won the Las Vegas Holiday Invitational final with a 110-87 win vs. UMass on Nov. 23. Four Nevada players are averaging double figures in points, led by senior Caleb Martin at 21.0 points per game. Nevada returned four starters from the 2017-18 team which advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 before falling to Loyola Chicago 69-68 on March 22. USC leads the all-time series 2-0, winning the last meeting 88-87 in overtime on Jan. 3, 1976.

TCU ON DECK AT THE HOOPHALL L.A. CLASSIC - USC's next game will be against TCU (4-1) on Dec. 7 at the Staples Center at 6:30 p.m. TCU will host Central Michigan on Nov. 30 and play at SMU on Dec. 5 before facing the Trojans. TCU began the season ranked No. 20, and has wins over CSU Bakersfield, Oral Roberts, Fresno State and Eastern Michigan, with its only setback being a 73-64 home loss to Lipscomb. The Horned Frogs have five players averaging at least 9.5 points per game. TCU reached the 2018 NCAA Tournament with its 21-12 season, and returned seven players from that team. The all-time series between the two schools is tied at 1-1, with USC winning the last meeting 83-59 on Dec. 19, 2011.

RAKOCEVIC HAS BEEN A FORCE ON THE BOARDS - Junior forward Nick Rakocevic has averaged 11.7 rebounds per game this season, sixth nationally and tops in the Pac-12. He has also averaged 14.6 points per game, to average a double-double. He scored 9 points and had 9 rebounds vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 19, snapping a streak of five consecutive double-doubles dating back to last season (2 to end the 2017-18 season). He became the first USC player to record three double-doubles to start a season since Sam Clancy did it to start the 2001-02 season. His five consecutive double-doubles were the most by a USC player since Nikola Vucevic had eight-straight during the 2011 season. His four double-doubles this season are tied for ninth among all DI NCAA players.

ENFIELD EYES THE CENTURY MARK - USC head coach Andy Enfield has a 99-78 record in his six seasons at the helm of the USC program. He has led the Trojans into the postseason each of the last three seasons, combining to win 71 games, the most in a three-year stretch in school history. He has a 140-106 overall record in eight seasons as a head coach.

BOATWRIGHT SURPASSES 1,000 CAREER POINTS - Senior Bennie Boatwright missed the first two games of the season while still coming back from offseason knee surgery, but has averaged a team-leading 16.8 points per game since his return. He scored 14 points vs. Texas Tech on Nov. 19 to give him 1,008 career points. He now has scored 1,062 career points, one behind Nikola Vucevic (1,063) who is in 37th place on USC's all-time scoring list. Next up are: Brandon Martin (36th, 1,070), Roy Irvin (35th, 1,073), Paul Westphal (34th, 1,085) and Gabe Pruitt (33rd, 1,102). Boatwright has averaged 13.3 points (1,062) in 80 career games played, despite being slowed by injuries. Boatwright averaged 13.6 points in 23 games last season, first being slowed by a foot injury and then having his season end with a knee injury. He led USC to the 2017 Diamond Head Classic title by scoring a career-high 33 points vs. New Mexico State on Dec. 25, making a career-best six three-point baskets. Boatwright has also made 167 career three-point baskets, 9th on USC's all-time list and four behind David Bluthenthal who is 8th with 171. Harold Miner is 7th on USC's list with 176 career three-point baskets made.

TORCHING THE TWINE - USC made 17 of 33 three-point attempts (51.5 percent) vs. Missouri State on Nov. 20. That was the most three- point baskets made by a USC team in a game since setting a school record with 20 at Oregon State on Jan. 29, 2000. USC has had three games this season shooting at least 50 percent from beyond the arc and has hit at least seven three-pointers in six of seven games. In the last four games, USC has made a total of 43 three-point baskets and hit at a 47.3 percentage from distance (43-for-91).

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Players Mentioned

Shaqquan Aaron

Bennie Boatwright

Nick Rakocevic

Derryck Thornton