The USC Trojans (10-3, 2-0) will face the Washington Huskies (9-4, 1-1) at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle, Wash. on Dec. 30 at 7:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPN2 with Dave Feldman and Adrian Branch calling the action. USC it attempting to open Pac-12 play 3-0 for the second consecutive season and for only the second time since the 2002 season, when it began 5-0. USC has won six consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 8-26, 2022.
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 193-121 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 234-149 record.
FACING WASHINGTON — The Washington Huskies (9-4 1-1) are coming off an 84-61 home loss to Auburn on Dec. 21. Senior forward Keion Brooks Jr. leads the Huskies with a 16.6 scoring average. USC leads the all-time series with Washington 77-75* and has won the last five meetings. *(2 USC wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 79-75).
WASHINGTON STATE ON DECK — USC’s will open up the new year with a game at Washington State (5-8, 0-2) in Pullman, Wash. on Jan. 1 at noon. The Cougars have lost their last two games and will host UCLA on Dec. 30 before welcoming USC to the Palouse. TJ Bamba leads four Cougars scoring in double figures with a 16.8 average. USC has an 81-48 all-time record against Washington State, including winning the last 12 games against the Cougars.
BEATEN BY THE BEST — The three teams USC has lost to this season (No. 7 Tennessee, No. 15 Wisconsin and FGCU) have a combined 29-7 record this season (thru games of Dec. 27).
MONTH OF MERRIMENT — USC is 5-0 this month and has gone 19-2 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 8 of its 13 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting. USC is holding its opponents to a 38.0 shooting percentage this season, 20th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.7 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.
LEADERS OF THE PAC — USC is tied for first in conference regular season wins among Pac-12 teams for the past six seasons (since the 2017-18 season).. USC is 62-34 in conference games during that stretch, tied with Arizona who is at 62-33 and UCLA who is 62-33. Next up would be Oregon at 59-34 and Colorado at 54-40.
USC’S ALL-YEAR BLOCK PARTY — USC has 73 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 37 blocks. USC is averaging 5.6 blocks per game, 16th in the country. Morgan’s 37 blocks this season rank fourth 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 544 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 third among Pac-12 players with 75 assists, which ranks tied for 15th nationally. Peterson is one of two players nationally (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 13.6 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game.
JOHNSON SURGING — Sophomore guard Kobe Johnson scored a career-high 17 points (1st time in double figures), made a career-best 3 three-pointers and matched a then personal best with 5 steals in the comeback win over Oregon State on Dec. 4. He followed up that game with 14 points vs. CS Fullerton on Dec. 7, 14 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists vs. Long Beach State on Dec. 14 and 10 points, 5 rebounds and a career-best 6 steals vs. Auburn on Dec. 18. In the last 5 games he has averaged 11.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 3.4 steals.
WHEN THEY’RE GOOD… — USC made 9 three-pointers vs. Colorado State on Dec. 21 and has had four games with at least 9 three-pointers made this season. In those four games, USC made 46.7 percent of its three-pointers (42-for-90), while making 25.2 percent of its three-pointers in the other nine games (37-for-147).
