USC Men's Basketball To Face Colorado State At The Colangelo Clasic

The USC Trojans (9-3) will face the Colorado State Rams (9-4) in the Jerry Colangelo Classic at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Ariz. on Dec. 21 at 8:00 p.m. PT. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with Jordan Kent and Casey Jacobsen calling the action. USC defeated Georgia Tech 67-53 in the 2021 Jerry Colangelo Classic.

USC'S STELLAR STRETCH -- USC won a school-record 73 games over the last three seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021 and 26 in 2022). The previous school record for wins in three consecutive seasons was 71 (2016-18). The three consecutive seasons of 20+ wins also equals the school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons set from 2016-18.

WINNING WAYS -- USC's 73 total wins the previous three seasons tied for the third most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only the last two NCAA champions Kansas (83) and Baylor (81). Also, USC's 160 wins the previous seven seasons ranked 13th among all Power 6 conference teams.

ENFIELD LEADING THE WAY -- USC head coach Andy Enfield is in his 10th season at USC and has compiled an 192-121 record. His wins 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 233-149 record.

FACING COLORADO STATE -- The Colorado State Rams (8-4) are coming off a 62-80 road win at Saint Mary's on Dec. 18. Guard Isaiah Stevens leads four Rams in double figures with an 19.0 points per game average. He returned to action from an injury on Nov. 30 and has played the last five games. USC is 6-1 all-time against Colorado State, winning the last meeting 74-67 on Dec. 8, 1990.

WASHINGTON ON DECK -- USC's next game will be at Washington (9-3, 1-1) in Seattle, Wash. on Dec. 30 at 7:00 p.m. Washington defeated Idaho State 90-55 in Seattle on Dec. 17 and will host Auburn on Dec. 21 before facing USC. Senior forward Keion Brooks Jr. leads the Huskies with a 16.8 scoring average. USC leads the all-time series with Washington 77-75* and has won the last five meetings. *(2 USC wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 79-75).

MONTH OF MERRIMENT -- USC is 4-0 this month and has gone 18-2 during the month of December the last four seasons. USC won all 6 games last December.

IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE -- USC held California to 27.7 shooting on Nov. 30, the lowest by an opponent since holding Stanford to a 25.4 shooting percentage on March 3, 2021. USC has held 7 of its 12 opponents this season to 37.5 percent shooting or less. USC is holding its opponents to a 38.0 shooting percentage this season, 19th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC's defense has held the opposition to 38.7 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.

MORGAN HOSTING USC'S BLOCK PARTY -- USC has 71 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan's 37 blocks. He had at least one block in USC's first 11 games before not registering one against Auburn on Dec. 18. USC is averaging 5.9 blocks per game, 7th in the country. Morgan's 37 blocks this season rank third in the country. Morgan had 7 blocks vs. FGCU on Nov. 7 which tied him for fifth on USC's all-time single game blocks list. He matched that total with 7 blocks at Cal on Nov. 30. His 37 blocks this season are more than the Trojans' leader in that category during the 2021-22 season (Isaiah Mobley - 29). USC as a team has registered 542 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 6th nationally.

IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS, PETERSON IS GIVING TO ALL -- Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is third among Pac-12 players with 71 assists, which ranks 11th nationally. Peterson is one of two players nationally (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game.

DOUBLE-DIGIT JOHNSON -- Sophomore guard Kobe Johnson keyed USC's comeback from an 11-point halftime deficit to win 63-62 over Oregon State on Dec. 4. Johnson scored a career-high 17 points (1st time in double figures), made a career-best 3 three-pointers and matched a personal best with 5 steals. He followed up that game with 14 points vs. CS Fullerton on Dec. 7, 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 14 and 10 points, 5 rebounds and a career-best 6 steals vs. Auburn on Dec. 18. In the last 4 games he has averaged 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 4.0 steals.

FEAST OR FAMINE -- USC made 11 three-point baskets for the third time this season in the win vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 14. In those three games, USC made 46.5 percent of its three-pointers (33-for-71), while making 25.2 percent of its three-pointers in the other nine games (37-for-147).

YOUNG GUNS -- Sophomore guards Kobe Johnson and Reese Dixon-Waters and freshman guard Tre White have really been hitting their strides of late, each setting their career high in points at least once in the last four games. In the four games, Johnson has averaged 13.8 points, Dixon-Waters 10.3 points and White 11.5 points. White was also named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for Dec. 12-18, averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in the two USC wins.

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Players Mentioned

Reese Dixon-Waters

Kobe Johnson

Isaiah Mobley

Joshua Morgan

Drew Peterson

Tre White