USC Men's Basketball And No. 7 Michigan State Set To Play In Galen Center

LOS ANGELES – USC Men's Basketball (12-8, 4-5 Big Ten) will play one more game in the Galen Center before they hit the road as they take on No. 7 Michigan State. These two teams played each other in the NCAA Tournament in 2023, when the Spartans won 72-62.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trojans were back at home for the Crosstown Showdown as they took on UCLA. The Bruins took the early lead, but USC was not going to let their rivals run away with the game. With seven made three's in the first half, the Trojans were only down by five at halftime as they continued to battle in this gritty game. Even though USC got themselves within one in the final two minutes, they couldn't push ahead of the opponent as USC lost 82-76 to the Bruins.

Rashaun Agee was crucial to the team's efforts as he had a season-high 21 points while also grabbing five rebounds. Saint Thomas and Desmond Claude also helped out on offense as they both notched six assists each. Thomas secured 13 points while Claude racked up 12. Wesley Yates III cannot go unmentioned as he contributed 19 points.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS

No. 7 Michigan State is the only undefeated team in Big Ten Conference play as they sit at 9-0. The Spartans rank fourth in the NCAA in total win percentage, securing an 18-2 record through 20 games. The Spartans' only two losses were to No. 12 Kansas and Memphis.
The Spartans have shown consistent hustle and production all season. They average 18.5 points per game from fastbreak opportunities - the highest mark in the nation. Michigan State also lead the Big Ten in bench scoring (38.0 points per game) and free throws made per game (19.1).
Head coach Tom Izzo's tough coaching philosophy has paid dividends. The Spartans average 5.3 blocks per game this season - the most of any Big Ten team. Michigan State is also second in rebounds per game (40.9) and rebounding margin (10.1). The Spartans have held their opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field this season - the second-best mark in the Big Ten.
Michigan State has seen a balance of scoring output. Senior guard Jaden Akins is leading the Spartans this season with 13.6 points per game), which ranks 13th out of all Big Ten players in scoring production. The Spartans have four other players averaging at least eight points per game: Jase Richardson, Coen Carr, Tre Holloman and Frankie Fidler. Fidler is also shooting at 91 percent from the charity stripe this season, the fourth-highest mark of any Big Ten player.
Junior forward Jaxon Kohler has been a rebounding machine for the Spartans. Kohler is averaging 7.6 rebounds per game this season, the highest mark on the team and the ninth-highest mark of any player in the Big Ten. The Utah native also ranks fifth in the Big Ten in offensive rebounds, averaging 2.5 per game.

MINUTES ON MINUTES
When looking at the Big Ten rankings on KenPom for the percentage of minutes played, three USC players sit in fifth, sixth and seventh, and they are Saint Thomas, Chibuzo Agbo and Desmond Claude. These three are in the Top Seven in the Big Ten when it comes to the percentage of minutes they play. Thomas comes in at fifth, playing in 84 percent of minutes. Agbo is right behind him in sixth, sitting at 82 percent. Claude comes in seventh in this same category, sitting at 81.6 percent.

THOMAS IS TROUBLE
Saint Thomas has hit a new level of play since Washington. He has contributed double-digit points in nine of those 11 games, including a season-high 24 against Iowa. He has also led the team in rebounding in six of those 11 games. During this 11-game stretch, Thomas is averaging 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.8 assist and 1.3 steals per game. Along with that, he is shooting at an impressive 56.1 percent from the field.

With his eight rebounds in the team's last game against UCLA, Thomas also surpassed 500 career rebounds. He now sits at 506 in his career. He is also in search of his 1,000th career point as he is 54 away from that milestone.

IN THE PAINT
The Trojans shot 50.5 percent of their shots from the paint. Of those shots, they find the most success within 4.5 feet of the rim as they make 68 percent of the shots they put up in that range. Overall, the Trojans are shooting at 58.2 percent inside the paint.

WHEREABOUTS
Tip-off will be at 1:30 p.m. in the Galen Center on Saturday, Feb. 1. For those who can't make it to Los Angeles, they can watch the game on Peacock or listen through ESPN LA 710.

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Players Mentioned

Chibuzo Agbo

Rashaun Agee

Desmond Claude

Saint Thomas

Wesley Yates III