USC Men's Basketball Heads To The Midwest To Face Indiana

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – USC Men's Basketball (9-5, 1-2 Big Ten) is ready for their first Midwest road trip as the Trojans start the trip in historic Assembly Hall against the Indiana University Hoosiers. These two teams have only played each other four times before with the last game happening all the way back in 1974.

LAST TIME OUT
USC returned to Big Ten play inside the Galen Center as they took on the University of Michigan Wolverines. Basketball is a game of runs, and that was the difference maker in this game as the Trojans and the Wolverines would alternate runs, exchanging the lead 12 times in 40 minutes. However, the last team to go on a run was Michigan as they pulled away from the Trojans in the final three minutes of the game. This resulted in USC dropping this Big Ten game with a score of 85-74.

Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates III led USC in scoring as both Trojans registered 19 points on the night. Claude also led the team in rebounds as he snagged seven. Also contributing double-digit points in this game were Kevin Patton Jr. and Saint Thomas. They each secured 14 and 10 points, respectively.

SCOUTING THE HOOSIERS

Indiana is on a hot streak as of late as they have won eight of their last nine games. Most recently, the Hoosiers took down Penn State on the road in Philadelphia. They only lost three games so far this season, and those came against Louisville, Gonzaga and Nebraska.
The Hoosiers have two of the best shooters in the country on their roster. Oumar Ballo is seventh in the NCAA and second in the Big Ten Conference when it comes to field goal percentage as he earned a 66.7 clip. Teammate Malik Reneau is also an elite shooter as he ranks in the Top 25 in the NCAA and top five in the Big Ten in this same category, shooting at 60.3 percent from the field.
Ballo is not just an elite shooter, but he has been crucial to the team's defensive efforts as well. He ranks in the Top 30 in the NCAA and is second in the Big Ten in rebounds, collecting 135 boards so far this season, which averages out to 9.6 per game. With numbers like this, he has tabbed three double-doubles so far this season. As if all of this wasn't enough, he also leads the team in blocks with 26
The Hoosiers have four players who are averaging double-digit points, and they are Malik Reneau (14.1), Mackenzie Mgbako (14.1), Oumar Ballo (13.6) and Myles Rice (12.0). Only Rice and Mgbako have started all 15 games for Indiana.
Senior guard Trey Galloway has been crucial to the team's offense as he leads the team in assists. This season, he has accumulated 59.
Since Coach Mike Woodson has taken over the program, the Hoosiers have maintained a 52-11 record in Assembly Hall.

BATTLING ON THE ROAD
USC is heading into a tough Big Ten stretch as they get ready to face Indiana University and the University of Illinois on the road. These two teams have a combined record of 18-1 at home this season.

This season, USC has only played one game on the road, and that was at the University of Washington. USC was able to come out of the Alaska Airlines Arena with an 85-61 victory.

THE LAST FIVE GAMES
Over the last five games, Desmond Claude and Chibuzo Agbo have been a huge piece of the puzzle for USC. Claude has averaged 18.4 points per game during the Trojans' 4-1 stretch while Agbo is averaging 14.0 points per game. Not only that, but Claude's true shooting percentage is currently at 72.0 percent across these five games, which is in the 99th percentile according to CBB Analytics.

As a team, the Trojans have maintained an effective field goal percentage of 57.1 percent, a field goal percentage of 50.4 percent, and a three-point field goal percentage of 42.0 percent.

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 65.9 percent of the shots they put up in that range. Overall, the Trojans are shooting at 57.1 percent from the paint.

WHEREABOUTS
This game between the Trojans and the Hoosiers will take place in Bloomington, Indiana at Assembly Hall. Tipoff will be at 4 p.m. PT on Wednesday, Jan. 8, on the Big Ten Network. Fans can also listen through ESPN LA.

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Players Mentioned

Chibuzo Agbo

Desmond Claude

Kevin Patton Jr.

Saint Thomas

Wesley Yates III