The USC Trojans (18-8, 10-5) will host the Stanford Cardinal (11-15, 5-10) at the Galen Center on Feb. 18 at 7:00 p.m. The game will air on ESPNU with Roxy Bernstein and Steve Wojciechowski calling the action.
FACING STANFORD — The Stanford Cardinal (11-15, 5-10) are coming off a 73-64 loss at UCLA on Feb. 16, but have won 6 of their last 9 games. Senior forward Spencer Jones leads Stanford with a 13.4 scoring average. This is the only meeting between USC and Stanford this season. USC lost twice to Stanford last season, falling 64-61 at home and 75-69 at Stanford. USC trails in the all-time series 128-129 (1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty, orginal record 129-129).
COLORADO ON DECK — USC’s next game will be at the Colorado Buffaloes (15-12, 7-9) on Feb. 23 at 6:00 p.m. (PT) at the CU Events Center. Colorado will play at Arizona on Feb. 18 before hosting USC. Junior forward Tristan da Silva leads the Buffaloes in scoring with a 16.4 points per game average. USC defeated Colorado 68-61 at the Galen Center on Jan. 12 to improved to 9-16 all-time against the Buffaloes. USC won 61-58 at Colorado last season.
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 Oregon to make 53.8 percent of its shots, the only opponent this season to make more than 50 percent of its shots against USC. USC has held its opponent to under 40 percent shooting in 15 of its 26 games this season. USC is holding its opponents to a 39.0 shooting percentage this season, 8th in the country. Over the last four seasons, USC’s defense has held the opposition to 38.9 FG percentage, 3rd in the country.
LEADERS OF 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 70-39, Arizona is 73-37, while UCLA is 73-35 in that stretch, through games of Feb. 17. Next up would be Oregon at 67-41 and Colorado at 61-49.
ENJOYING THE HOME COOKING — USC is 13-1 at the Galen Center this season, losing the opener to FGCU on Nov. 7, then winning the next 13 games. The 13-game home winning streak is USC’s longest single-season home winning streak since the Trojans won the first 15 games at the Galen Center in the 2015-16 season. It is also the fifth-longest home winning streak in school history.
PETERSON PROVIDING THE ASSIST — Guard Drew Peterson leads USC and is fifth among Pac-12 players with 119 assists. Peterson is one of two players in a Power 6 conference (Jalen Pickett of Penn State) averaging at least 13.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game this season. Peterson is averaging 14.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He scored a career-high 30 points vs. Cal on Feb. 16, his 21st game this season in double figures.
JEKYLL & HYDE FROM WAY OUTSIDE — USC made 52.2 percent of its 3-pointers vs. California on Feb. 16, its highest shooting percentage from beyond the arc since making 53.8 percent vs. Washington State on Feb. 20, 2022. USC shot 7.1 percent (1-for-14) from three-point range in its previous game at Oregon State on Feb. 11, the lowest in the Andy Enfield era. USC now has nine games this season making at least 38 percent from 3-point range. In those nine games USC has made 46.3 percent of its 3-pointers (87-for-188), while it has averaged 23.2 percent from beyond the arc in the other 17 games (65-for-280).
WHEN FULLY LOADED… — USC owns a 5-1 record in games this season it has the entire roster available. Included in that stretch is three wins over team in the top five in the Pac-12 standings. USC’s one loss when the entire roster available was at Arizona, where Arizona is 33-1 in its last 34 home games. Forward Vincent Iwuchukwu missed USC’s first 16 games this season and forward Joshua Morgan (right ankle) and guard Reese Dixon-Waters (left foot) have missed the Trojans’ last four games, both injured vs. Washington State on Feb. 2.
9 TO 10 — When Oziyah Sellers scored a career-best 11 points vs. California on Feb. 16, he became the ninth Trojan this season to have at least one game of scoring 10 or more points.
BOOGIE DOWN, BUT NOT FOR LONG – Senior guard Boogie Ellis scored 9 points at Oregon State on Feb. 11, snapping a 14-game streak of scoring in double figures. He then followed up that game with 22 points vs. California on Feb. 16. He has averaged 18.3 points the last 15 games, including scoring a career-high 31 points vs. UCLA on Jan. 26. He began his streak by scoring a then career-best 28 points vs. Auburn on Dec. 18. Ellis leads USC with a 16.5 scoring average and leads the team with 59 three-pointers made and 88 free throws made. He is also second among Trojans with 41 steals.
THE MEN OF STEAL — Kobe Johnson (59), Boogie Ellis (41) and Drew Peterson (31) have combined for 131 steals this season, the second most by a Pac-12 trio. In total steals, Johnson ranks second among Pac-12 players, Ellis is tied for 4th and Peterson tied for 10th.
