The USC Trojans (11-3, 3-0) will face the Washington State Cougars (5-9, 0-3) at Beasley Coliseum in Pullman, Wash. on Jan. 1 at noon. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with Greg Heister and Dan Dickau calling the action. USC has opened 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 seven consecutive games for the first time since beginning last season 13-0. USC is also seeking a 3-0 start in Pac-12 road games for the first time since winning the first six conference road games in 1985.
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 194-121 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 235-149 record.
FACING WASHINGTON STATE — The Washington State Cougars (5-9, 0-3) are coming off a heart-breaking 67-66 home loss to No. 11 UCLA on Dec. 30, being outscored 14-4 in the final 7:23 of the game and missing its last 9 field goals. The Cougars have lost their last three games. TJ Bamba leads four Cougars scoring in double figures with a 16.0 average. USC has an 81-48 all-time record against Washington State, including winning the last 12 games against the Cougars.
No. 11 UCLA ON DECK — USC’s next game will be against No. 11 UCLA (12-2, 3-0) at Pauley Pavilion in Westwood, Calif. on Jan. 5 at 6 p.m. The Bruins have won 9 consecutive games, including its comeback 67-66 win at Washington State on Dec. 30. The Bruins are 8-0 at home this season and will play at Washington on Jan. 1 before hosting USC. Forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads four Bruins in double figures with a 17.2 scoring average. USC is 114-145 all-time against UCLA (with 1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 115-145). USC has won 5 of its last 7 games against UCLA.
BEATEN BY THE BEST — The three teams USC has lost to this season (No. 7 Tennessee, No. 15 Wisconsin and FGCU) have a combined 31-7 record this season (thru games of Dec. 30).
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER — USC went 6-0 in December this season and has won its last 12 games played in December. USC has gone 20-2 during the month of December the last four seasons.
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 9 of its 14 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting. USC is holding its opponents to a 37.5 shooting percentage this season, 15th 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 63-34 and UCLA is 63-33 in that stretch, while Arizona is at 62-33, through games of Dec. 30. Next up would be Oregon at 59-34 and Colorado at 55-40.
USC’S ALL-YEAR BLOCK PARTY — USC has 83 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 42 blocks. USC is averaging 5.9 blocks per game, tied for fifth in the country. Morgan’s 42 blocks this season rank tied for third 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 42 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 554 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 6th nationally.
WHITE WINS FIRST PAC-12 HONOR — Freshman guard Tre White was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Week for Dec. 12-18 when he averaged 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds in USC’s two wins. White has scored in double figures four of the last five games and has averaged 12.8 points (64 total) and 5.8 rebounds (29 total) in that stretch.
ELLIS STARTING TO COOK AGAIN – Senior guard Boogie Ellis has averaged 24.7 points the last three games, scoring a career-best 28 points vs. Auburn on Dec. 18, scoring 19 vs. Colorado State on Dec. 21 and 27 at Washington on Dec. 30. He scored in double figures in USC’s first 7 games, then totaled 29 points in the next four games, before his current onslaught. Ellis leads USC with a 16.4 scoring average and leads the team with 32 three-pointers made and 45 free throws made. He is also second among Trojans with 22 steals.
KINGS OF THE ROAD – USC is 2-0 on the road this season, following an 80-67 win at Washington on Dec. 30. USC was 9-3 on the road in 2021-22 with wins at Temple, FGCU, WSU, California, Colorado, Utah, ASU, OSU & Oregon. USC’s nine true road wins were tied for the second most by any power conference team, trailing only Miami (10-2). USC was joined by three other teams with nine road wins: Wisconsin (9-2), Arizona (9-3), Duke (9-2) during the regular season. USC is now 18-6 in road games the last three seasons.
IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLIDAYS, PETERSON IS GIVING TO ALL — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is third among Pac-12 players with 78 assists, which ranks tied for 16th nationally. Peterson is one of two players nationally (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.
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 26.1 percent of its three-pointers in the other 10 games (42-for-161).
