USC Men's Basketball Heads East To Play No. 20 Maryland

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – USC Men's Basketball (14-11, 6-8 Big Ten) will make their way to the East Coast as they prepare for their first of two games. To kick off this trip, the Trojans will take on the No. 20 University of Maryland in College Park. These two teams have only played each other three times before, with the Terrapins securing the win each time.

LAST TIME OUT
The Trojans were back in Los Angeles inside the Galen Center as they took on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. What started with a 14-point lead for USC changed quickly in the second half as Minnesota played some of their best basketball of the season. They closed the deficit with five minutes left in the second half, causing these two teams to vie for the lead until the very last buzzer. Despite USC's best efforts to regain control, they couldn't find a way past the Gophers as the Trojans lost 69-66.

Both Chibuzo Agbo and Wesley Yates III led the team in scoring against the Gophers as they each racked up 18 points each. Desmond Claude was the only other Trojan to earn double-digit points as he finished with 12 while adding on a team-high five assists. Rashaun Agee and Saint Thomas were the two players to crash the boards as they both ended with seven rebounds.

DEFENDING THE ARC
When it comes to defending the three-point line, USC has proven to be one of the best teams in the Big Ten. After 15 conference games, USC's Big Ten opponents are shooting at .305 from three, the second lowest in the Big Ten. The only team defending the three-point line better is Michigan State.

YATES THE GREAT
Wesley Yates III has built on his success as the season continues as his numbers have increased every single month. In November, Yates averaged 7.9 points per game while shooting at 43.9 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from three. In February, he is averaging 18.2 points per game while shooting at 46.8 percent from the field and an impressive 63.2 percent from three.

ROAD SNIPERS
When it comes to shooting on the road, USC's Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates III and Saint Thomas seem to have a better shot. Claude is shooting at a 51.7 percent clip on the road compared to his 50.3 field goal percentage at home. Yates falls into this category as well as he is shooting at 52.9 percent away from the Galen Center compared to his 48.4 field goal percentage at home. Thomas has also shot better on the road this season, shooting at 50.0 percent compared to his home field goal percentage of 43.6 percent.

WHEREABOUTS
This game between the Trojans and the Terrapins will take place at the XFINITY Center on Thursday, Feb. 20, at 5:30 p.m. PT. For those who can't make it to College Park, they can watch on FS1 or listen through the USC Game Day app.

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Players Mentioned

Chibuzo Agbo

Rashaun Agee

Desmond Claude

Saint Thomas

Wesley Yates III