The USC Trojans (8-3) are hosting the No. 19/No. 18 Auburn Tigers (9-1) at the Galen Center on Dec. 18 at 2:30 p.m. The game will air on ESPN with Roxy Bernstein and Bill Walton calling the action. Both USC and Auburn rank in the top 10 for wins the last 4 seasons among Power 6 schools.
USC’S STELLAR STRETCH — USC won a school-record 73 games over the last three seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021 and 26 in 2022). The previous school record for wins in three consecutive seasons was 71 (2016-18). The three consecutive seasons of 20+ wins also equals the school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons set from 2016-18.
WINNING WAYS — USC’s 73 total wins the previous three seasons tied for the third most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only the last two NCAA champions Kansas (83) and Baylor (81). Also, USC’s 160 wins the previous seven seasons ranked 13th among all Power 6 conference teams.
ENFIELD LEADING THE WAY — USC head coach Andy Enfield is in his 10th season at USC and has compiled an 191-121 record. His wins total ranks fourth on USC’s all-time wins list, trailing only Sam Barry (260), Forrest Twogood (251) and Bob Boyd (216). Including his two seasons as the head coach at FGCU (2012-13), Enfield has compiled a 232-149 record.
FACING No. 19/No. 18 AUBURN — The No. 19/No. 18 Auburn Tigers (9-1) are coming off a 72-64 home win over Georgia State on Dec. 14. Auburn won its first 8 games of the season before falling 82-73 vs. Memphis in Atlanta, Ga. on Dec. 10. Junior guard Wendell Green Jr. leads Auburn with a 13.8 scoring average. Auburn has allowed only one team to score over 70 points this season. USC is 2-0 all-time against Auburn, winning 73-66 on Dec. 15, 1972 and 85-74 on Dec. 29, 1977.
COLORADO STATE ON DECK — USC’s next game will be against the Colorado State Rams (7-4) at the Jerry Colangelo Class in Phoenix, Ariz. on Dec. 21 at 8 p.m. PT. Colorado State will play at Saint Mary’s on Dec. 18 before facing USC. Guard Isaiah Stevens leads four Rams in double figures with an 18.8 points per game average. He returned to action from an injury on Nov. 30 and has played the last four games. USC is 6-1 all-time against Colorado State, winning the last meeting 74-67 on Dec. 8, 1990.
MONTH OF MERRIMENT — USC is 3-0 this month and has gone 17-2 during the month of December the last four seasons. USC won all 6 games last December.
IT STARTS WITH DEFENSE — USC held California to 27.7 shooting on Nov. 30, the lowest by an opponent since holding Stanford to a 25.4 shooting percentage on March 3, 2021. USC has held 7 of its 11 opponents this season to 37.5 percent shooting or less. USC is holding its opponents to a 37.4 shooting percentage this season, 14th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.7 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.
MORGAN HOSTING USC’S BLOCK PARTY — USC has 70 blocks in the first 11 games of the 2022-23 season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 37 blocks. USC is averaging 6.4 blocks per game, tied for 3rd in the country. Morgan’s 37 blocks this season rank second in the country. Morgan had 7 blocks vs. FGCU on Nov. 7 which tied him for fifth on USC’s all-time single game blocks list. He matched that total with 7 blocks at Cal on Nov. 30. His 37 blocks this season are more than the Trojans’ leader in that category during the 2021-22 season (Isaiah Mobley – 29). USC as a team has registered 541 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 6th nationally.
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS, PETERSON IS GIVING TO ALL — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is second among Pac-12 players with 67 assists, which ranks 9th nationally. Peterson is one of two players nationally (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 13.9 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists per game.
YOU CAN CALL ME JOHNSON — Sophomore guard Kobe Johnson keyed USC’s comeback from an 11-point halftime deficit to win 63-62 over Oregon State on Dec. 4. Johnson scored a career-high 17 points (1st time in double figures), made a career-best 3 three-pointers and matched a personal best with 5 steals. He followed up that game with 14 points vs. CS Fullerton on Dec. 7 and 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 14. In the last 3 games he has averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 3.3 steals.
FEAST OR FAMINE — USC made 11 three-point baskets for the third time this season in the win vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 14. In those three games, USC made 46.5 percent of its three-pointers (33-for-71), while making 24.6 percent of its three-pointers in the other eight games (33-for-134).
YOUNG GUNS — Sophomore guards Kobe Johnson and Reese Dixon-Waters and freshman guard Tre White have really been hitting their strides of late, each setting their career high in points at least once in the last three games. In the three games, Johnson has averaged 15.0 points, Dixon-Waters 12.3 points and White 13.0 points.
