University Southern California Trojans
Thursday, January 24
Los Angeles, Calif.
6:00 PM
USC
vs
Arizona
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Forward
/ Men's Basketball
Guard
/ Men's Basketball
Photo by: Hali Helfgott
USC To Host Arizona Thursday At Galen
January 23, 2019 | Men's Basketball, Features
The USC Trojans (10-8, 3-2) will host the Arizona Wildcats (14-5, 5-1) at the Galen Center on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. USC has won its last five home games. USC is 3-0 at home in Pac-12 play and has won 10 of its last 11 conference home games dating back to last season.
BREAKING DOWN ARIZONA - Arizona is coming off an 82-71 home win over Oregon State on Jan. 19 and has won seven of its last eight games. Sophomore guard Brandon Randolph leads Arizona in scoring with a 15.4 scoring average. USC has lost its last five games against the Wildcats, including twice last season: 81-67 at Arizona on Feb. 10 and 75-61 in the Pac-12 Tournament title game in Las Vegas, Nev. on March 10. USC is 6-4 against Arizona at the Galen Center and has won 7 of the last 11 home games against Arizona. USC's last win over Arizona was the four-overtime win (103-102) at the Galen Center on January 9, 2016.
USC BOUNCES BACK AGAINST UCLA - USC raced out to a 16-4 lead 4:30 into the game and went on to an 80-67 win at the Galen Center on Jan. 19. UCLA responded to USC's initial push to rally for a 23-22 lead, but the Trojans scored the next seven points and took a 36-33 into halftime. After UCLA tied the score at 38-all, USC went on a 25-4 run. Benny Boatwight scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half and Nick Rakocevic scored 15 of his 21 points after the break. USC had a season-high 26 assists, with a career-high seven for Shaqquan Aaron, six for Derryck Thornton and five for Jonah Mathews, who added 16 points. USC also had a season-high 12 steals and forced UCLA into 20 turnovers. USC made 46.9 percent of its shots, while holding UCLA to 40.8 percent. USC made 53.3 percent of its shots in the second half, while UCLA made 37.8 percent. USC led by as many as 26 points in the second half and by 25 with 1:27 remaining, but UCLA scored the final 12 points of the game.
ARIZONA STATE ON DECK - USC's next game will be vs. Arizona State (13-5, 4-2) at the Galen Center on Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. ASU is coming off a 78-64 home win over Oregon on Jan. 19. Freshman Luguentz Dort leads five Sun Devils scoring in double figures with a 16.4 scoring average. USC lost 80-78 at Arizona State in the only meeting last season, but leads the all-time series 53-41 (2 USC wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 55-41). USC has won eight of its last 10 home games against Arizona State.
RAKOCEVIC NAMED PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK - USC junior forward Nick Rakocevic was named the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 14-20. He earned his first career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor on Jan. 7. Rakocevic scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in USC's 80-67 home win over UCLA. He made 75 percent of his shots (9-for-12) and matched a career high with four assists. It was his eighth double-double of the season and 13th of his career. Rakocevic scored 15 of his points, had nine rebounds and all four assists in the second half when USC turned a 36-33 halftime lead into a comfortable victory. He is averaging 15.2 points and a conference-leading 9.7 rebounds per game. Rakocevic has scored 20 or more points in five of USC's last six home games. He currently ranks among the Pac-12's top 10 in six categories: scoring (10th), rebounds (1st), blocked shots (4th), field goal percentage (10th), offensive rebounds (2nd) and defensive rebounds (3rd).
THE "BOAT" SETTING SAIL - USC senior forward Bennie Boatwright has averaged 20.4 points (163 total), 7.4 rebounds (59 total) and 2.9 assists (23 total) in the last eight games. He has also made 51.8 percent of his shots in those games (59-for-114). Boatwright scored a career-best 37 points on 14 of 24 shooting (4 of 9 from 3-point range) at Oregon State on Jan. 10. His 37 points scored were tied for the 11th best all-time in a game by a USC player and the most since 2008. His 14 field goals also tied him for the 10th-most in a game in school history, last done by Brian Scalabrine in 2000. Leads Pac-12 players with a 22.4 scoring average in Pac-12 play.
SHARING THE ROCK - USC is 10-0 in games this season when it has 16 or more assists.
THE MAGIC MARKER - With the 80-67 win over UCLA on Jan. 19, USC has now won 38 consecutive games in which it allows 70 points or less.
SHARING IS CARING - USC has averaged 20.6 assists in its wins and 11.5 assists in its losses. USC has had 15 or more assists in 11 of its first 18 games. USC leads Pac-12 teams with 298 assists. Derryck Thornton leads USC and is second in the conference with 85 assists. USC's 1.4 assist to turnover ratio is tops in the Pac-12.
LOSING THE BENCH BATTLE - In USC's five Pac-12 games, the Trojans have been outscored 108-33 in bench points.
THE THREES CAN BE KEY - USC is shooting 36.5 percent from three-point range this season which is second among Pac-12 teams. USC is 8-3 in games it makes seven or more three-pointers this season and 4-6 in games the opposition makes at least seven three-pointers.
ARE BOARDS JUST FOR SURFERS? - USC has won the rebound battle twice in the last 13 games and only six times this season. USC is 4-7 in games it is outrebounded and 6-1 in games it has as many or more rebounds as its opponent.
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS - USC has outscored the opposition in the second half in 14 of its first 18 games. USC has outscored its opponents 762-687 in the second half. USC has made 50.0 percent of its shots in the second half (275-for-550), including 41.8 pecent from three-point range (77-for-184).
BREAKING DOWN ARIZONA - Arizona is coming off an 82-71 home win over Oregon State on Jan. 19 and has won seven of its last eight games. Sophomore guard Brandon Randolph leads Arizona in scoring with a 15.4 scoring average. USC has lost its last five games against the Wildcats, including twice last season: 81-67 at Arizona on Feb. 10 and 75-61 in the Pac-12 Tournament title game in Las Vegas, Nev. on March 10. USC is 6-4 against Arizona at the Galen Center and has won 7 of the last 11 home games against Arizona. USC's last win over Arizona was the four-overtime win (103-102) at the Galen Center on January 9, 2016.
USC BOUNCES BACK AGAINST UCLA - USC raced out to a 16-4 lead 4:30 into the game and went on to an 80-67 win at the Galen Center on Jan. 19. UCLA responded to USC's initial push to rally for a 23-22 lead, but the Trojans scored the next seven points and took a 36-33 into halftime. After UCLA tied the score at 38-all, USC went on a 25-4 run. Benny Boatwight scored 14 of his 21 points in the second half and Nick Rakocevic scored 15 of his 21 points after the break. USC had a season-high 26 assists, with a career-high seven for Shaqquan Aaron, six for Derryck Thornton and five for Jonah Mathews, who added 16 points. USC also had a season-high 12 steals and forced UCLA into 20 turnovers. USC made 46.9 percent of its shots, while holding UCLA to 40.8 percent. USC made 53.3 percent of its shots in the second half, while UCLA made 37.8 percent. USC led by as many as 26 points in the second half and by 25 with 1:27 remaining, but UCLA scored the final 12 points of the game.
ARIZONA STATE ON DECK - USC's next game will be vs. Arizona State (13-5, 4-2) at the Galen Center on Jan. 26 at 5 p.m. ASU is coming off a 78-64 home win over Oregon on Jan. 19. Freshman Luguentz Dort leads five Sun Devils scoring in double figures with a 16.4 scoring average. USC lost 80-78 at Arizona State in the only meeting last season, but leads the all-time series 53-41 (2 USC wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 55-41). USC has won eight of its last 10 home games against Arizona State.
RAKOCEVIC NAMED PAC-12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK - USC junior forward Nick Rakocevic was named the Pac-12 Men's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 14-20. He earned his first career Pac-12 Player of the Week honor on Jan. 7. Rakocevic scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in USC's 80-67 home win over UCLA. He made 75 percent of his shots (9-for-12) and matched a career high with four assists. It was his eighth double-double of the season and 13th of his career. Rakocevic scored 15 of his points, had nine rebounds and all four assists in the second half when USC turned a 36-33 halftime lead into a comfortable victory. He is averaging 15.2 points and a conference-leading 9.7 rebounds per game. Rakocevic has scored 20 or more points in five of USC's last six home games. He currently ranks among the Pac-12's top 10 in six categories: scoring (10th), rebounds (1st), blocked shots (4th), field goal percentage (10th), offensive rebounds (2nd) and defensive rebounds (3rd).
THE "BOAT" SETTING SAIL - USC senior forward Bennie Boatwright has averaged 20.4 points (163 total), 7.4 rebounds (59 total) and 2.9 assists (23 total) in the last eight games. He has also made 51.8 percent of his shots in those games (59-for-114). Boatwright scored a career-best 37 points on 14 of 24 shooting (4 of 9 from 3-point range) at Oregon State on Jan. 10. His 37 points scored were tied for the 11th best all-time in a game by a USC player and the most since 2008. His 14 field goals also tied him for the 10th-most in a game in school history, last done by Brian Scalabrine in 2000. Leads Pac-12 players with a 22.4 scoring average in Pac-12 play.
SHARING THE ROCK - USC is 10-0 in games this season when it has 16 or more assists.
THE MAGIC MARKER - With the 80-67 win over UCLA on Jan. 19, USC has now won 38 consecutive games in which it allows 70 points or less.
SHARING IS CARING - USC has averaged 20.6 assists in its wins and 11.5 assists in its losses. USC has had 15 or more assists in 11 of its first 18 games. USC leads Pac-12 teams with 298 assists. Derryck Thornton leads USC and is second in the conference with 85 assists. USC's 1.4 assist to turnover ratio is tops in the Pac-12.
LOSING THE BENCH BATTLE - In USC's five Pac-12 games, the Trojans have been outscored 108-33 in bench points.
THE THREES CAN BE KEY - USC is shooting 36.5 percent from three-point range this season which is second among Pac-12 teams. USC is 8-3 in games it makes seven or more three-pointers this season and 4-6 in games the opposition makes at least seven three-pointers.
ARE BOARDS JUST FOR SURFERS? - USC has won the rebound battle twice in the last 13 games and only six times this season. USC is 4-7 in games it is outrebounded and 6-1 in games it has as many or more rebounds as its opponent.
MAKING ADJUSTMENTS - USC has outscored the opposition in the second half in 14 of its first 18 games. USC has outscored its opponents 762-687 in the second half. USC has made 50.0 percent of its shots in the second half (275-for-550), including 41.8 pecent from three-point range (77-for-184).
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