Game Preview: USC at UCLA

(photo: USCTrojans.com)
USC (15-6, 6-3) at UCLA (17-4, 7-2)-- Wednesday 2/4, 7:30pm on FSN

In the first meeting, the bRuins defeated the Trojans 64-60 at the Galen Center, improving to (3-0) in the Pac-10 and delivering another heartbreaking defeat to USC fans. Adding insult to injury, the Trojans are now 0-for-3 at Galen against fucla. USC, coming off a disappointing loss at Oregon State, fell to (1-2) in the Pac-10 after that loss and faced an uphill climb in the conference standings. The fucla game was a hard fought battle between two bitter rivals. It looked as though it would be a long night for the Trojans as USC fell behind early 19-8, but they fought their way back. The Trojans finished the first half strong and cut the bRuins lead to 33-31 at the half. USC came out strong in the second half, using a 12-0 run to take a 43-37 lead with 15:19 minutes left in the game. However, playing without forward Leonard Washington, the Trojans appeared to run out of gas at the end. Guard Dwight Lewis had a night to forget, finishing 2-for-11 from the field and getting beat numerous times defensively. Nonetheless, USC played hard all game and showed just how good it can be, despite Lewis' struggles and a short bench. Since then, Coach Tim Floyd has guided the Trojans to wins in 5 out of the last 6, including a sweep of the Arizona and Bay Area schools at home. The only loss during that stretch was to Washington, who is tied with fucla for 1st in the Pac-10. Both the bRuins and the Trojans have been playing well lately, so it will be interesting to see how the return game at pauley pavilion unfolds.

More after the jump!

Lack of depth was a problem for the Trojans in the first match up. As mentioned above, Washington was out with an ankle injury, but at the time USC did not have the bench play that it has gotten recently out of players like Marcus Johnson and Nikola Vucevic. Taj Gibson got into foul trouble early in the first half, but the Trojans played through it thanks to Demar Derozan and his 11 first half points. The Trojans bench is much better now, but as you've probably read by now, Johnson's status for Wednesday is questionable with a right shoulder injury. Ben Howland usually goes 9-10 players deep in his rotation, so hopefully Marcus will be ready to go. Assuming Johnson is close to 100%, the Trojans will be healthy, something that it was not in the first game. The bench will be key in this game, but the following is what I believe will determine to game.

USC Game Plan

(1) Avoid Turnovers. First and foremost, USC must handle fucla's defensive pressure and limit the turnovers. In their last game versus Stanford, fucla forced 19 turnovers that resulted in 25 points and a 97-63 blow out victory of the Cardinal. USC's guards have been shaky all season in the turnover department, but they have been doing a better job of taking care of the ball. In the first match up against the bRuins, USC did a pretty good job protecting the ball, turning it over only 8 times. The players must be strong with the ball and not make any lazy passes. Protecting the ball will also limit fucla's transition opportunities and fastbreak points, something there offense relies upon. Coach Floyd needs to really stress this in practice and tell his players to help the ballhandler when Howland decides to pressure the ball.
(photo: SCPlaybook.com)

(2) Don't Let Collison Beat You. This might be equally important to #1. The Trojans must contain bRuins point guard Darren Collison, who carved USC's defense for 18 points and 6 assists in the last meeting. He is not only their leader, but he is the facillitator of that offense. How Collison goes, usually the bRuins go. I don't care how USC defends him, as long as Floyd does not put Lewis on him again. Lewis struggles mightily against smaller, quicker players and had lots of trouble staying in front of Collison during the first meeting at Galen. Collison is one of the best point guards in the country, but I believe Floyd and his staff will have a sound defensive game plan for him.
(photo: LATimes.com)

(3) Defend the 3. Next, USC must defend the perimeter with the same intensity that they did against Cal. This is not easy to accomplish. It requires toughness and determination. Perimeter defense means fighting through screens, communicating defensively, and rotating when the ball is passed around. If the Trojans can contain the 3 point shooting, then they will negate another important part of fucla's offense. Nikola Dragovich, who made 3 from beyond the arc in the first match up, has been deadly from outside in the past few games. If the Trojans surrender open looks from 3 against a team who thrives at home, then it will be a long night.
(photo: ESPN.com)

(4) One more thing...BELIEVE! The Trojans have gone toe-to-toe with fucla the last several meetings. The bRuins are not invincible (right Florida?). Remember last season? Davon Jefferson and company marched into pauley pavilion last year and stomped the bRuins 72-63. It's time for Trojans and bRuins again. Let's hoop it up!


Fight On! Beat the bRuins!

USC Jumps Over Cal 73-62

(photo: Yahoo! Sports)

What a game! A healthier, re-energized USC team won its 3rd straight game. The Trojans clamped down defensively on one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, holding the Cal Golden Bears to just 2-16 (12.5%) from beyond the arc. With the win, the Trojans improved their record to (15-6) overall and (6-3) in the Pac-10 moved into sole possession of third place. The Trojans are just one game behind conference leaders Washington and fucla, but have a chance to even the score by beating the bRuins at pauley pavilion this Wednesday.

More after the jump!

Freshman Demar Derozan led the way for the Trojans with 19 points, but he deserves praise for his outstanding defensive play. Marcus Johnson, who finished with 6 points, set the tone early with yet another thunderous dunk. The senior transfer from UConn took a fastbreak pass from Daniel Hackett and then skied over Cal defender Jorge Gutierrez, who would hear it from the student section the rest of the night, and electrified the crowd with the amazing dunk. Despite Derozan's team-high 19 points, the Trojans featured a balanced scoring attack offensively. Hackett had another solid game at the point with 14 points, big man Taj Gibson posted his 11th double-double this season with 12 points and 13 rebounds, and junior guard Dwight Lewis added 12 points. You can watch the highlights from Fox Sports here.

The Trojans appear to be hitting their stride as we turn the basketball calendar to February. The team is getting healthy, and as a result, their play has been steadily improving. This month is crucial for the Trojans' post-season aspirations. Five of the next seven games are on the road, beginning with fucla this Wednesday. The Trojans know they can play with the bRuins after winning at pauley last season and losing a close one 64-60 at Galen Center on January 11. We'll have a preview of the game by Tuesday night.

Fight On! Beat the Bruins!

USC Holds off Stanford 70-69

(Photo: LA Times)

Some of us in the Galen Center Student Section could not bear to watch the last 14.6 seconds of last night's game. On USC's final possession, USC guard Daniel Hackett went to the foul line with a chance to stretch USC's 70-69 lead, but he missed the front end of a one and one, giving Standford a chance for a game-winning shot. You could here a pin drop as Taj Gibson contested Stanford forward Lawrence Hill's turnaround jumper from the baseline. The ball rimmed out as the final buzzer sounded and the crowd let out a collective sigh. Through sheer will and determination, the Trojans found a way to win this game and improved their record to (14-6) overall and (5-3) in the Pac-10. More after the jump!

The Trojans were not even close to being full strength for this game earlier in the week. Following their Washington road trip, Gibson learned that he had pneumonia, Hackett came down with the flu, and Dwight Lewis and Leonard Washington were still finding their way back from ankle injuries. Coach Tim Floyd received great news on Thursday morning went it all four players were cleared and ready to play. The Trojans got some great energy from Washington, who started the game and scored 12 points, including 8 points in the first few minutes of the 2nd half. However, it was Marcus Johnson who may have provided the spark that led to the Trojans' victory. In the first half, Marcus got the crowd excited with a ankle-breaking fast-break dunk and then followed up a high-flying Demar Derozan dunk with his own version of the same dunk, only more electrifying. See photos below (courtesy of SCPlaybook.com).





You can see some of the highlights here, courtesy of Fox Sports.

A lesser team would have let this game slip away. However, this team continues to show toughness, heart, and resiliency. The Trojans wrap up the first half of the conference schedule against Cal this Saturday and 8:30pm. A win would put the Trojans at (6-3) in the Pac-10 as it enters the remaining 9 games of the regular season beginning with fucla next Wednesday at pauley pavilion. So let's get out there and fill the Galen Center.

Fight On! Beat the Bears!

USC Basketball Coming Together??

Expectations remained high at USC this season, despite the early departures of last year's talented freshmen duo of O.J. Mayo and Davon Jefferson. Not only were the Trojans coming off back to back NCAA Tournament appearances, but they returned 3 veteran starters in Daniel Hackett, Dwight Lewis, and Taj Gibson, and added another highly touted freshman in Demar Derozan. However, there have been some disappointing moments for the Trojans during the first couple months of the college basketball season.

The refusal of UNC transfer Alex Stephenson's waiver to play this season, coupled with injuries to players such as Kasey Cunningham (out for season) and freshman Leonard Washington (missed first 4 conference games) have really tested USC's meddle so far this season. This has hurt the bench's depth, and as a result, the offense has been inconsistent. Coach Floyd's team has shown that it can compete with the best in the country, but they seem to lose focus at times. The Trojans have looked great in tough losses to highly ranked Oklahoma on the road, and at home against fucla. But only a week ago, the Trojans were in a mid-season crisis after back to back losses to lowly Oregon State and fucla. Tim Floyd and some of his veteran players had become the brunt of criticism and doubt from fans and media.

The team might have done some soul-searching since then because they appear to be re-energized as we head into the crucial month of February. USC swept the Pac-10's Arizona schools this past week, improving to (12-5) overall and (3-2) in the Pac-10. They showed heart and toughness in picking up those two gritty wins. Gibson and Hackett have emerged as team leaders, but they need to continue to keep this team together and make them believe in one another. Derozan is getting better with each game and is beginning to believe that he can take over games. Lewis was benched for the ASU game last Thursday, but responded with two clutch performances against the Sun Devils and Arizona. Role players Keith Wilkinson, Marcus Johnson, and the now healthy Leonard Washington are finding their groove as well.

USC's record currently stands at 12-5 overall and (3-2) in the Pac-10. They have played themselves back into the Pac-10 race and now must build on these two big wins so that they can finish strong. Up next is another tough Pac-10 road trip against the Washington schools. USC plays at Washington on FSN Thurday at 8pm PST.

Fight On! Beat the Huskies!!

#6 USC vs. #11 Kansas State - Preview

Much has been made about the battle of freshmen between O.J. Mayo and Michael Beasley, or Mayo's life-long friendship with Bill Walker, but all that stuff won't matter once the ball is tipped-off. We don't have much time to get a full preview in, as RG3 said in the previous post, we're off the Vegas to get our gaming on. I have seen Kansas State play a few times both this year and last season, so I have some sense as to how they play the game. However, I don't know much about Kansas State's supporting cast. Nevertheless, if USC is to win tomorrow and advance to the 2nd round, they must accomplish these 3 goals. Do that, and we can expect to see Wisconsin on Saturday, one win away from consecutive Sweet 16's.

3 Keys to Victory:

Defensive Rebounding -- The #1 priority for the Trojans will be defensive rebounding. Kansas State led the Big 12 Conference in offensive rebounds per game with a staggering 16.32 average. Coach Tim Floyd's teams are always tough defensively, USC is 14 in the nation in field goal percentage defense and will force a lot of missed shots, which will create opportunities for Beasley and Walker to gain 2nd chances. Floyd and his staff understand that the Wildcats pick up a lot of garbage points on easy put backs and will have to look no further back than that Sweet 16 game against North Carolina last season where the Trojans got absolutely hammered on the offensive glass. Davon Jefferson and Daniel Hackett need to box out their guys and help Taj Gibson down low.

Taj Gibson -- Gibson needs to have a strong all-around game offensively, defensively, and rebounding, but his biggest contribution will have to come on the offensive end. The Wilcats will have to defend Gibson with Beasley since he is their biggest player inside. Taj is going to have to win this individual matchup and make Beasley work hard defensively. If he can get going early, Kansas State will be forced to double which will open things up for Mayo, or Beasley will be in foul trouble.

Turnovers -- The Wildcats do not want to play in the halfcourt against USC's tough defense, so they'll look to run and get easy fastbreak points whenever possible. Kansas State tends to stand around and just watch Beasley when forced to play slow, so look for them to pressure the Trojans and speed up the game. They are at their best when they are out in the open court getting others involved. Dwight Lewis must make strong, accurate passes and not give one away like he's done against tough defensive teams like ucla. Mayo and Hackett need to take good care of the ball and play under control.

USC has all the intangibles in this game. They have toughness, NCAA Tournament experience, and a brilliant coaching staff. They played against Kevin Durant's Texas team last year and proved that one player cannot win games in March. For these reasons, I like USC in this one. Prediction: USC 66, Kansas State 60.

Fight On! Beat the Wildcats!

USC can't hold on, ucla wins 57-54

USC came up just short on Friday against the hated bruins and will now wait for their NCAA Tournament opponent and destination on Sunday's CBS Selection Show. Many will remember O.J. Mayo, playing in what could be his first and only Pac-10 Tournament, miss the potential game-tying 3-point attempt at the end of regulation, but that is not why the Trojans lost this game. It was a tale of two halves, but USC's brilliant 1st half performance was matched by ucla in the 2nd half. I was there in Staples Center, among mostly bruins fans, and it a tough loss to swallow. I want to reflect on this one before we move forward to the "Big Dance," when it really matters.
This game was decided when the bruins went on a 17-2 run that turned an 8-point deficit into a 7 point lead. USC put itself in a position where they had to play catchup for the entire 2nd half. That is a shame because right before that 17-2 bruins run, USC was rolling. Davon Jefferson led all scorers with 12 points at the half, and Keith Wilkinson came off the bench to hit back to back 3 pointers that put USC ahead 30-22. USC had its foot on ucla's throat, leading 34-26 in the waning seconds of the first half. Ucla was down a starter after Luc Richard Mbah a Moute left the game with an ankle injury, and freshman sensation Kevin Love had been a non-factor to that point. The Trojans were the aggressors on both sides of the court and stifled the bruins with their "triangle and 2" defense, forcing the bruins to settle for shots from the perimeter.
Momentum, however, was about to shift to the enemies from Westwood. Just before halftime, ucla's Darren Collison raced down the court and put up a desparation shot at the buzzer that sank to the bottom of the net, cutting the Trojans' lead to 34-28, and ucla was to have possession to start the 2nd half. The bruins scored a lay-up on their first possession and then stole the inbounds pass for another lay up. The Trojans were stunned as their lead was cut to 34-32. That's when Kevin Love took over, scoring the bruins' next 11 points to cap off the 17-2 run to give the bruins an insurmountable 41-34 lead. Davon Jefferson was scoreless in the 2nd half and committed 4 turnovers in the game. Taj Gibson was frustrated by ucla's aggresive double teams and finished with a lowly 5 points and 4 turnovers.

The bruins just outplayed us in the 2nd half, mostly due to Kevin Love, who finished with a game high 19 points and 10 rebounds. Bruins coach Ben Howland adjusted well to the triangle and 2 defense and forced Tim Floyd to abandon it and play a traditional man to man defense down the stretch. The bruins then held on and survived a late flurry from Mayo who scored 5 straight points to cut the lead to 2 at 54-52. After an exchange of free throws, USC trailed by only 3 at 57-54, and the stage was set for a classic finish. Mayo would have become an instant legend if he could have buried that 3 pointer over Josh Shipp. I would have liked our chances in overtime, especially after weathering the storm and battling back to tie the game, but instead he'll have to wait for Mayo to pull of some March Madness magic in the NCAA Tournament.

Fight On!
[photos] courtesy of: LA Times

Trojans sweep Cal and Stanford

The USC Trojans defeated 7th ranked Stanford 77-64 earlier this afternoon and will enter the Pac-10 Tournament on fire after sweeping the bay area schools this weekend. The men closed out the regular season in style with a record of (20-10) overall and (11-7) in the Pac-10, finishing tied for 3rd in the conference with Washington State. USC played out of its mind on Saturday, and reaped the rewards of the incredible effort that they put into this game on both ends of the floor. O.J. Mayo led the Trojans in scoring yet again with 25 points, but it was a total team effort tonight. The Trojans out-rebounded the Cardinal 47-31, despite the presence of Stanford's 7-foot Lopez twins, thanks to the play of forwards Taj Gibson (20 pts, 11 rebs) and Keith Wilkinson (4 pts, 8 rebs) and some help from the guards (Mayo had 8 rebs). USC's defense was able to contain the twins for most of the game by using a lot of full-court pressure, speeding up the tempo of the game and taking them out of their comfort level. Offensively, Mayo continued his hot play and put on a show in front of a CBS national tv audience. Those who tuned in were not disappointed, as seen by plays like this...

[video courtesy of USChoops.com Message Board]

Lost in Mayo's current hot streak is the re-emergence of Taj Gibson, who got off to a slower than expected start this season. He's been our steadiest player since the Trojans got off to that dismal (0-3) start in Pac-10 play. USC is (11-4) since then, which is incredible when you consider the absence of starting point guard Daniel Hackett, but that would not have been possible without Gibson. He had that key blocked shot in the closing minutes of USC's win at ucla, and carried the team on his back when we hosted the bruins at the Galen Center. Gibson has been scoring at will, staying out of foul trouble, controlling the boards, blocking shots, and playing with emotion out there. USC seems to be peaking at just the right time. Coach Tim Floyd has found two very reliable players off the bench in Wilkinson and point guard Angelo Johnson, who has started some games and played some valuable minutes for Hackett both at the beginning of the season and during his recent back injury. With the regular season in the books, Coach Floyd can now start gearing his squad for the "Big Dance." Let's take a quick peak at next week's Pac-10 Tournament, hosted by the Staples Center, which gets underway Wednesday evening.

The Trojans have earned the #4 seed in the Pac-10 Tourney, having lost the tie-breaker since they were swept by Washington State, and will play 5th-seeded Arizona State in a quarterfinal match-up on Thursday at approximately 6pm (PST). USC is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, but it can go a long way towards improving its seeding with an impressive showing at Staples. USC's two most recent losses came against the teams that they will likely face in the next two games. The prospects of facing Arizona State (quarterfinal opponent) and ucla (potential semifinal opponent) on consecutive nights makes for a very intriguing tournament. I expect every die hard Trojan, living in the L.A. area to come out and support our team. We made it to the final last year, let's go out and finish it this time. Below is the bracket (click on image to enlarge), courtesy of USChoops.com:Great season guys, but there's still work to do.

Fight On! Beat the Devils!

USC beats down Arizona

This picture (from ESPN) sums up the entire game for the Wildcats, whose top two scorers (freshman guard Jerryd Bayless and sophomore wing man Chase Budinger) were held to a combined 15 points, as the Trojans smothered them defensively all night. USC Coach Tim Floyd and his staff put together a great game-plan, keeping the Wildcats off balance by often playing that unconventional "Triangle and 2" defense, which achieved its purpose of taking Arizona's two big stars out of the game and forcing one of the other Wildcats to beat them. The win all but guarantees an NCAA Tournament bid for the Trojans, who improved their record to (18-9 overall, 9-6 Pac-10), and adds to their impresive list of Pac-10 road victories which already included fucla and Oregon. USC was able to frustrate Jerryd Bayless, who sat out with foul trouble early in the game, and held him to one of his worst games of his young career. O.J. Mayo turned in his 3rd straight outstanding performance since the fucla game, playing all 40 minutes and finishing with 21 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds. ESPN's Jay Bilas noted the maturation and development of Mayo as a player and his in-game decision making. Mayo read his screens well and was not hesitant to take the shot or drop it down to either Taj Gibson (14 points) or Davon Jefferson (15 points, 14 rebounds). Daniel Hackett returned from his back injury and played 24 quality minutes, including some clutch play down the stretch. This was a big win for the Trojans, and can now clinch a top 4 finish in the Pac-10 with a win on Saturday at Arizona State.

Tomorrow's game is apparently at noon (Pacific Time), so hopefully the early start won't throw off the team and will provide ample time for them to heal and rest up. ASU (17-10, 7-8) is two games back of the Trojans in Pac-10 play and is reeling after getting crushed by fucla for the 2nd time this season on Thursday 70-49. The Sun Devils are on that NCAA Bubble and need to win a few more games to solidify their spot. Let's get that desert sweep guys.

Fight On! Beat the Devils!