Thursday, February 8
Tempe, AZ
8:00 PM
USC
at
Arizona State
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Photo by: Percy Anderson
USC Begins Crucial Road Trip Thursday At Arizona State
February 06, 2018 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (17-7, 8-3) will play at the Arizona State Sun Devils (17-6, 5-6) at Wells Fargo Arena in Tempe, Ariz. on Feb. 8 at 8:00 p.m. PT. USC is 8-3 in Pac-12 play, its best start to conference action since also beginning 8-3 in the 2007 season. USC is 8-2 in its last 10 games. USC lost its last games, snapping a six-game conference winning streak, its longest since winning nine-straight in the 1992 season.
BREAKING DOWN ARIZONA STATE -- Arizona State is coming off an 88-78 win at Washington State on Feb. 4. The Sun Devils won their first 12 games this season and are 10-2 in home games. Tra Holder leads ASU in scoring at 19.0 points per game. The Trojans lead the all-time series 53-40, which reflects two wins vacated by USC due to NCAA penalty. The teams split the season series last season, both teams winning their home games. USC has lost five consecutive games at ASU by an average of 4.4 points, last year falling 83-82.
USC LOSES SEESAW GAME AT UCLA -- USC was outscored 22-10 over the final eight minutes and fell 82-79 to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 3, snapping its six-game winning streak. The game wasn't decided until the final seconds when Jordan McLaughlin and Jordan Usher launched unsuccessful three-point attempts. The game featured a series of runs and included18 lead changes and 12 ties. After USC took a 69-60 lead at the 8:09 mark of the second half, UCLA's Aaron Holiday hit a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around a free throw by Alex Olesinski to cut it to 69-67 with 6:29 remaining. The game remained within two points the rest of the way until Thomas Welsh hit a three-pointer with 52 seconds remaining to make it 80-77. Elijah Stewart hit a pair of FTs with 34 seconds to make it a one-point game. After a missed FT by Gyorgy Goloman, Shaqquan Aarron missed an off-balanced jumper from the baseline. USC fouled Welsh with 11 seconds remaining and he made both free throws to make it 82-79, setting up the Trojans final shots. UCLA made 50.9 percent of its shots, while USC made 42.9 percent. UCLA made 12 three-pointers and hit at a 46.2 percent clip, while USC made 30 percent behind the arc (9 of 30). Stewart led USC with 20 points and Nick Rakocevic (14 points/10 rebounds) and Chimezie Metu (11 points/12 rebounds) had double-doubles. Aaron added 14 points.
NO. 13 ARIZONA ON DECK - USC's next game will be at No. 13 Arizona (19-5, 9-2) in Tucson, Ariz. on Feb. 10. The Wildcats have won 16 of their last 18 games and are 12-0 at home this season. They will face UCLA on Feb. 8 before hosting USC. Allonzo Trier (19.9) and Deandre Ayton (19.7) lead the Wildcats in scoring. Arizona leads the all-time series with USC 65-41, which reflects a win vacated by USC due to NCAA penalty. Arizona defeated USC twice last season and has won three straight over the Trojans. USC has lost eight consecutive games at Arizona, last winning in the 2008 season, a win later vacated due to NCAA penalty. USC's previous last win in Arizona was an 80-75 win on Feb. 15, 2007, which snapped a 21-game losing streak at Arizona.
McLAUGHLIN A COUSY AWARD FINALIST -- Jordan McLaughlin is one of 10 players remaining on the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard. The award is named after the Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy and recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball. McLaughlin, a three-year team captain, is averaging 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.7 assists this season. McLaughlin leads all Pac-12 players this season in assists with 185, which ranks third nationally. Last season he was the only player in the country with at least three assists in every game and he has accomplished that in all 24 games this season as well, running his nation's longest streak to 61 consecutive games with at least three assists (dating back to the 2015-16 season).
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR -- USC hasn't had the best of times on its recent trips to the desert. USC has been swept in its last five trips to face the Arizona schools and has lost both games in 7 of the last 8 years it made the trip to Arizona. USC last beat ASU and Arizona on the road in the same season in 1985. USC has had 16 splits and been swept 15 times in Arizona since then.
THE BENCH GANG -- As the Trojans have gotten healthier following early-season injuries, the bench has started to show the team's depth. Since Derryck Thornton returned to the lineup on Dec. 31 vs. Washington State, meaning the team was basically at full strength, USC's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 253-160. USC has averaged 25.3 points off the bench the past 10 games, after averging 13.0 bench points in the first 14 games. USC now leads its opponents on bench points for the season at 425-395.
DEFENSIVE CHARGE -- Since allowing Washington to shoot 67.3 percent in a loss on Dec. 29, the highest shooting percentage by a Trojan opponent since 2003, USC has combined to hold its last 10 opponents to a 43.4 shooting percentage (241-for-555), despite allowing UCLA to make 50.9 percent of its shots on Feb. 3. USC has held the opposition to an average of 67.7 points in that span (677 total). In the 10 games, USC has registered 82 steals and forced 163 turnovers. USC is 8-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 40 percent shooting and 10-1 when forcing the opposition into 15 or more turnovers.
JONAH FROM THE ARC -- Jonah Mathews has made 514 percent (19-for-37) of his shots from beyond the arc over the past seven games. For the year, Mathews has made 43.0 percent of his three-pointers (37-for-86) which ranks seventh among conference players. Mathews has come off the bench the last seven games and has averaged 11.7 points per game (82 total points), while making 2.7 three-pointers per game in that stretch.
PROTECTING THE ROCK -- USC ranks 10th in the country with a 1.54 assist to turnover ratio through games of Feb. 5. USC also ranks tied for 19th in fewest turnovers per game at 10.8 per game. USC leads all Pac-12 teams in both categories.
BREAKING DOWN ARIZONA STATE -- Arizona State is coming off an 88-78 win at Washington State on Feb. 4. The Sun Devils won their first 12 games this season and are 10-2 in home games. Tra Holder leads ASU in scoring at 19.0 points per game. The Trojans lead the all-time series 53-40, which reflects two wins vacated by USC due to NCAA penalty. The teams split the season series last season, both teams winning their home games. USC has lost five consecutive games at ASU by an average of 4.4 points, last year falling 83-82.
USC LOSES SEESAW GAME AT UCLA -- USC was outscored 22-10 over the final eight minutes and fell 82-79 to UCLA at Pauley Pavilion on Feb. 3, snapping its six-game winning streak. The game wasn't decided until the final seconds when Jordan McLaughlin and Jordan Usher launched unsuccessful three-point attempts. The game featured a series of runs and included18 lead changes and 12 ties. After USC took a 69-60 lead at the 8:09 mark of the second half, UCLA's Aaron Holiday hit a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around a free throw by Alex Olesinski to cut it to 69-67 with 6:29 remaining. The game remained within two points the rest of the way until Thomas Welsh hit a three-pointer with 52 seconds remaining to make it 80-77. Elijah Stewart hit a pair of FTs with 34 seconds to make it a one-point game. After a missed FT by Gyorgy Goloman, Shaqquan Aarron missed an off-balanced jumper from the baseline. USC fouled Welsh with 11 seconds remaining and he made both free throws to make it 82-79, setting up the Trojans final shots. UCLA made 50.9 percent of its shots, while USC made 42.9 percent. UCLA made 12 three-pointers and hit at a 46.2 percent clip, while USC made 30 percent behind the arc (9 of 30). Stewart led USC with 20 points and Nick Rakocevic (14 points/10 rebounds) and Chimezie Metu (11 points/12 rebounds) had double-doubles. Aaron added 14 points.
NO. 13 ARIZONA ON DECK - USC's next game will be at No. 13 Arizona (19-5, 9-2) in Tucson, Ariz. on Feb. 10. The Wildcats have won 16 of their last 18 games and are 12-0 at home this season. They will face UCLA on Feb. 8 before hosting USC. Allonzo Trier (19.9) and Deandre Ayton (19.7) lead the Wildcats in scoring. Arizona leads the all-time series with USC 65-41, which reflects a win vacated by USC due to NCAA penalty. Arizona defeated USC twice last season and has won three straight over the Trojans. USC has lost eight consecutive games at Arizona, last winning in the 2008 season, a win later vacated due to NCAA penalty. USC's previous last win in Arizona was an 80-75 win on Feb. 15, 2007, which snapped a 21-game losing streak at Arizona.
McLAUGHLIN A COUSY AWARD FINALIST -- Jordan McLaughlin is one of 10 players remaining on the watch list for the Bob Cousy Award as the nation's top point guard. The award is named after the Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic and Holy Cross guard Bob Cousy and recognizes the top point guards in Division I men's college basketball. McLaughlin, a three-year team captain, is averaging 12.3 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.7 assists this season. McLaughlin leads all Pac-12 players this season in assists with 185, which ranks third nationally. Last season he was the only player in the country with at least three assists in every game and he has accomplished that in all 24 games this season as well, running his nation's longest streak to 61 consecutive games with at least three assists (dating back to the 2015-16 season).
SO CLOSE, YET SO FAR -- USC hasn't had the best of times on its recent trips to the desert. USC has been swept in its last five trips to face the Arizona schools and has lost both games in 7 of the last 8 years it made the trip to Arizona. USC last beat ASU and Arizona on the road in the same season in 1985. USC has had 16 splits and been swept 15 times in Arizona since then.
THE BENCH GANG -- As the Trojans have gotten healthier following early-season injuries, the bench has started to show the team's depth. Since Derryck Thornton returned to the lineup on Dec. 31 vs. Washington State, meaning the team was basically at full strength, USC's bench has outscored the opponent's bench 253-160. USC has averaged 25.3 points off the bench the past 10 games, after averging 13.0 bench points in the first 14 games. USC now leads its opponents on bench points for the season at 425-395.
DEFENSIVE CHARGE -- Since allowing Washington to shoot 67.3 percent in a loss on Dec. 29, the highest shooting percentage by a Trojan opponent since 2003, USC has combined to hold its last 10 opponents to a 43.4 shooting percentage (241-for-555), despite allowing UCLA to make 50.9 percent of its shots on Feb. 3. USC has held the opposition to an average of 67.7 points in that span (677 total). In the 10 games, USC has registered 82 steals and forced 163 turnovers. USC is 8-0 this season when holding the opposition to under 40 percent shooting and 10-1 when forcing the opposition into 15 or more turnovers.
JONAH FROM THE ARC -- Jonah Mathews has made 514 percent (19-for-37) of his shots from beyond the arc over the past seven games. For the year, Mathews has made 43.0 percent of his three-pointers (37-for-86) which ranks seventh among conference players. Mathews has come off the bench the last seven games and has averaged 11.7 points per game (82 total points), while making 2.7 three-pointers per game in that stretch.
PROTECTING THE ROCK -- USC ranks 10th in the country with a 1.54 assist to turnover ratio through games of Feb. 5. USC also ranks tied for 19th in fewest turnovers per game at 10.8 per game. USC leads all Pac-12 teams in both categories.
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