USC Men's Basketball Set To Play No. 10 Illinois

Wednesday, February 18

Los Angeles, Calif.

7 p.m.

USC

Illinois

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USC Men's Basketball Set To Play No. 10 Illinois

February 17, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Game Notes (PDF)

This is the first time these two teams have played each other in Los Angeles since 1975.

LOS ANGELES — USC Men's Basketball (18-7, 7-7 Big Ten) will face No. 10 Illinois (21-5, 12-3 Big Ten) at the Galen Center on Wednesday, Feb. 18. The Trojans lead the all-time series 7-3, winning the last matchup 82-72 on Jan. 11, 2025.

WHEREABOUTS
Game #26 vs Illinois
Wednesday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. PT
Galen Center | Los Angeles, Calif.
TV: Big Ten Network

LAST TIME OUT
The Trojans fell 89-82 in a road contest to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Off the jump, USC took an 11-4 lead, largely maintaining an edge up to the break. The Buckeyes opened the second half on a 9-0 run to gain a two-possession lead. The Trojans battled their way back to a one-point game, but Ohio State ran away with shots at the bonus line and took the victory.

Alijah Arenas scored a game-high 25 points, adding three assists and three steals. Kam Woods contributed 14 points, and Jordan Marsh poured in 13 points — all in the second half alone.

SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI

Illinois is ranked second in the Big Ten, with the second-highest points scored per game (84.2) and the second-highest point differential per game (16.0). The team's five ranked wins are tied for a Big Ten-best with Michigan.
The Illini's 21-5 record is the program's best mark since the 2008-09 season.
Illinois last defeated Indiana 71-51 on Feb. 15 with a dominant second-half performance. Forward David Mirkovic posted a game-high 25 points with 10 field goals, including three triples. Sunday's game marked Mirkovic's third occasion with 20+ points.
Keaton Wagler added 18 points in Illinois' Feb. 15 victory. The first-year guard set a program scoring record with 46 points in the Fighting Illini's 88-82 upset against then-No. 4 Purdue. Wagler has recorded double figures in all conference games this season. He also shoots a team-best .432-clip beyond the arc.
Illinois held Indiana to a season-low 51 points – the lowest an opponent has scored against it since Missouri's 48 points on Dec. 22.
Five members of Illinois' squad put up double-digit figures.
The Fighting Illini have seven Quad 1 wins, tied for the sixth-most in the NCAA.
Illinois is led by head coach Brad Underwood, who boasts an 81-39 Big Ten record in his six seasons in Champaign, Ill. Underwood has three Big Ten Championships and five straight NCAA appearances.

ARENAS ACTIVATED
Alijah Arenas has made his official debut with the Trojans, playing his first game for the Cardinal and Gold against Northwestern on Wednesday, Jan. 21. Since then, he has averaged 15.4 points per game — the second-most on the team — and three 20-point games.

He is coming off a stellar two-game stretch against Indiana and Penn State that earned him the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award on Feb. 9. Against Indiana, he set multiple career highs with 29 points and six rebounds. Arenas led the Trojans in scoring and scored 19 of his 29 points in the second half to help the Trojans pull away from the Hoosiers. Then against Penn State, he led all scorers with 24 points, including 11 in the final four minutes and the game-winning layup. Defensively, he set career highs with two blocks and steals apiece.

SHARING THE WEALTH
Over the course of 25 games, USC has had nine different players lead the team in scoring. Chad Baker-Mazara leads the charge, leading the team on nine different occasions. Ausar comes in second in this category, leading the scoring four times.