USC Men's Basketball Is Set For Action In The Midwest Against No. 13 Illinois

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – As the snow comes down in the Midwest, the USC Men's Basketball team (9-6, 1-3 Big Ten) is prepping for another tough test as they take on No. 13 Illinois in Champaign, Illinois. This is the first time these two teams have played each other since Nov. 19, 2022, when the Illini took down the Trojans. Overall, USC is 6-3 all-time against Illinois.

LAST TIME OUT
USC kicked off their time in the Midwest at Indiana University, where they took on the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall. This game started in favor of the Trojans as they came out big with a 10-point lead. However, this tough Hoosier team battled back quickly, causing the game to be tied by halftime. From there, Indiana picked up the pace as they went on numerous runs to stay in the lead. By the end of the second half, the Trojans couldn't make up the difference as they lost 82-69 to the Hoosiers.

Wesley Yates III and Desmond Claude led the Trojans for the second straight game as Yates III secured 18 points while Claude was close behind with 15 points. Saint Thomas and Chibuzo Agbo also contributed with double-digit points as they put up 11 points each.

SCOUTING THE ILLINI

No. 13 Illinois is one of the best teams in the country, especially when it comes to rebounding. They are No. 1 in the NCAA when it comes to rebounds per game (45.9), rebound margin (+13.3) and defensive rebounds per game (32.5). Along with that, they rank highly when it comes to scoring as they are sixth in the NCAA in scoring (87.9 points per game) and scoring margin (+21.7).
The Illini have only taken three losses this season as they fell to Northwestern in overtime, Tennessee at the buzzer, and Alabama.
A big piece as to why the Illini are so good at grabbing boards is Tomislav Ivisic. The sophomore center is third in the Big Ten Conference in total rebounds with 135 and is also third in rebounds per game, averaging 9.0 a night. He is also second on the team in scoring,
Illinois has five players who are averaging double-digit points this year, three of which have started all 15 games. Kasparas Jakucionis is the leading scorer for the Fighting Illini as he averages 16.4 points per game with Ivisic following up behind him with 13.1 points per game. Three other Illini also average double-digit points, and they are Tre White, Kylan Boswell and Will Riley, who average 11.3, 11.3 and 11.1 points per game, respectively.
Not only is Jakucionis the Illini's leading scorer, but he also leads the team in assists and steals. The freshman guard has 76 assists and 18 steals on the season, which averages out to 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
As he averages 11.3 points per game, White is also one of the most efficient shooters on the team. The junior guard is shooting at 56.3 percent from the field.

THE LAST FIVE GAMES
Desmond Claude, Chibuzo Agbo, Wesley Yates III and Saint Thomas have had tremendous performances for the Trojans over the last five games. Claude has been leading the way with 17.4 points and 5 assists per game to go along with a 49.1 field goal percentage. He has also been crucial in other areas as he boasts a 61.6 true shooting percentage and a 30.6 assist percentage. For Agbo, he is averaging 14.6 points and 5.2 rebounds. When diving deeper into his stats, he has kept his turnover percentage to 6.2 percent and has had a true shooting percentage of 60.8 percent. Yates III has also been excelling as he averages 12.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Rounding out the scoring is Thomas, who is leading the team in rebounds with 6.6 per game while averaging 12.2 points per game. His field goal percentage is also up seven percent over the last five games as he is shooting at a 50 percent clip.

As a team, the Trojans have maintained an effective field goal percentage of 52.3 percent, a field goal percentage of 46.0 percent, and a three-point field goal percentage of 36.7 percent. Along with that, the Trojans have an assist percentage of 66.4 percent, which is in the 99th percentile according to CBB Analytics.

BATTLING IN CHAMPAIGN
USC is heading into another tough Big Ten game as they get ready to face the University of Illinois on the road. The Fighting Illini have accumulated an overall record of 51-9 at home since 2021.

YATES THE GREAT
Since Wesley Yates III has stepped into a starting role, he has been crucial for the team. Over these last six games, Yates has averaged 13.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting at 44.4 percent from the field. This compares to his season averages of 9.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.

WHEREABOUTS
The game will take place inside the State Farm Center on the campus of the University of Illinois. Tip-off will be at 9 a.m. PT on Saturday, Jan. 11. For those who can't make it to Champaign, they can watch on the Big Ten Network or listen through the ESPN LA app.

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Players Mentioned

Chibuzo Agbo

Desmond Claude

Saint Thomas

Wesley Yates III