The USC Trojans (11-4, 3-1) will face the UCLA Bruins (13-2, 4-0) at Pauley Pavilion in Westwood, Calif. on Jan. 5 at 6:30 p.m. The game will air on ESPN with Dave Pasch and Bill Walton calling the action. The game will also air on Westwood One Sports radio nationally with Spero Dedes and Doug Gottlieb on the call. USC has started Pac-12 play at 3-1 for the fourth consecutive season. USC had its season-best seven-game winning streak snapped at Washington State on Jan. 1.
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 194-122 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 235-150 record.
FACING No. 10/No. 8 UCLA — The UCLA Bruins (13-2, 4-0) have won 10 consecutive games, including its 74-49 win at Washington on Jan. 1. The Bruins are 8-0 at home this season, with seven of the wins by 20 or more points. 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.
COLORADO ON DECK — USC’s next game will be against the Colorado Buffaloes (9-6, 1-3) at the Galen Center on Jan. 12. Colorado will host Oregon on Jan. 5 and Oregon State on Jan. 7 before traveling to Los Angeles. The Buffaloes lost 80-76 at California on Dec. 31 which snapped a 5-game winning streak. Sophomore guard KJ Simpson leads Colorado in scoring with an 18.7 points per game average. USC won 61-58 at Colorado last season in the only meeting between the two schools. USC had lost the previous 7 meetings with Colorado and trails in the all-time series 8-16.
CAN WE SLIDE THE START TIME? — USC is 8-0 this season when the tip is set for 7 p.m. or later. With the 81-71 loss at WSU on Jan. 1, USC also fell to 0-3 in games that start before 2 p.m. this season.
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER — USC went 6-0 in December this season and has won its last 12 games played in December. USC went a combined 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 allowed Washington State to make a 2022-23 opponent high 49.1 percent of its shots on Jan. 1, but has held 9 of its 15 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting. USC is holding its opponents to a 38.2 shooting percentage this season, 21st in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.7 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.
THE TOP STACK IN THE PAC — USC is tied for second in conference regular season wins among Pac-12 teams for the past six seasons (since the 2017-18 season). USC is 63-35 and Arizona is 63-34, while UCLA is 64-33 in that stretch, through games of Jan. 2. Next up would be Oregon at 60-34 and Colorado at 55-41.
USC’S ALL-YEAR BLOCK PARTY — USC has 85 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 42 blocks. USC is averaging 5.7 blocks per game, tied for 13th 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 556 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 6th nationally.
PETERSON PROVIDING THE PASS — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is third among Pac-12 players with 79 assists, which ranks tied for 20th nationally. Peterson is one of two players nationally (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 14.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game. Â
JEKYLL & HYDE FROM WAY OUTSIDE — 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 25.1 percent of its three-pointers in the other 11 games (45-for-179).
ELLIS STARTING TO COOK AGAIN – Senior guard Boogie Ellis has averaged 21.5 points the last four games, scoring a career-best 28 points vs. Auburn on Dec. 18, scoring 19 vs. Colorado State on Dec. 21, 27 at Washington on Dec. 30 and 12 at WSU on Jan. 1.  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 16.1 scoring average and leads the team with 32 three-pointers made and 47 free throws made.  He is also second among Trojans with 23 steals.
