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MBB-FBS: Colorado Buffaloes (11-6) at USC Trojans (11-5)

The USC Trojans (11-5, 3-2) will host the Colorado Buffaloes (11-6, 3-3) at the Galen Center on Jan. 12 at 6:00 p.m.  The game will air on the Pac-12 Network  with J.B. Long and Don MacLean calling the action. 

HAPPY TO BE HOME — USC is playing at home for the first time since defeating Auburn 74-71 on Dec. 18.  The Trojans are 7-1 at the Galen Center this season.  USC has started Pac-12 play with one home game and four road games in its first five contests. The last time USC started with four road games in its first five conference games was the 1967 season. 

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 194-123 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 235-151 record.

FACING COLORADO —  The Colorado Buffaloes (11-6, 3-3) are coming off a home sweep of the Oregon schools, defeating Oregon 68-41 on Jan. 5 and Oregon State 62-42 on Jan. 7.  Colorado has won 7 of its last 8 games.  Sophomore guard KJ Simpson leads Colorado in scoring with a 17.9 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.

UTAH ON DECK —  USC’s next game will be against the Utah Runnin’ Utes (12-5, 5-1)  at the Galen Center on Jan. 14.  Utah will play at UCLA on Jan. 12 before facing USC.  Senior center Branden Carlson leads four Utes in double-figures with a 15.7 scoring average.  USC won both games against Utah last season and four of the last five games, but trails 24-26 in the all-time series.

CAN WE SLIDE THE START TIME? — USC is 8-0 this season when the tip is set for 7 p.m. or later. 

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, 
then followed that up by holding Pac-12 leader UCLA to 34.5 percent shooting on Jan. 5.  USC has held 10 of its 16 opponents this season to under 40 percent shooting.  USC is holding its opponents to a 38.0 shooting percentage this season, 13th 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 third in conference regular season wins among Pac-12 teams for the past six seasons (since the 2017-18 season).  USC is 63-36, Arizona is 64-35, while UCLA is 65-33 in that stretch, through games of Jan. 9.  Next up would be Oregon at 61-35 and Colorado at 57-41.

USC’S ALL-YEAR BLOCK PARTY — USC has 90 blocks this season, led by Joshua Morgan’s 43 blocks.  USC is averaging 5.6 blocks per game, tied for 15th in the country.  Morgan’s 43 blocks this season rank 9th 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 43 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 561 blocks over the last four seasons which ranks 6th nationally.

PETERSON PROVIDING THE PASS — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is fourth among Pac-12 players with 82 assists, which ranks tied for 30th 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 13.7 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.   

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 24.6 percent of its three-pointers in the other 12 games (48-for-195).

RARE CLOSE LOSS — With the 60-58 loss over then No. 10 UCLA on Jan. 5, USC fell to 9-3 in one-possession games since the start of the 2021-22 season. 

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