Trojans look to play spoilers against Arizona

After breaking their nine-game losing streak, the USC men’s basketball team will look to upset the No. 7 Arizona Wildcats on Thursday night.

Despite losing star freshman Jordan McLaughlin to injury, the Trojans were able to defeat the Oregon State Beavers 68-55. Though the Trojans were missing their assist leader, fellow freshman Elijah Stewart filled in admirably.

Stewart, who came to USC as the Los Angeles City Section player of the year, struggled with consistency in his first year. Thankfully for USC, Stewart had his best game as a Trojan against the Beavers.

“I made that first three and it really gave me [a] confidence boost,” Stewart said. “I felt the stroke and let that rhythm carry me on both ends.”

The former Westchester High standout scored 19 points, including a career high of five three-pointers, to go along with five rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks.

The win was well deserved for a young Trojan squad who had been playing well but was lacking results. Albeit for games against No. 11 Utah and UCLA, the Trojans were able to hang around with some of the best in the Pac-12. However, the team often let the game slip down the stretch.

“This is a big game for us because our players need to prove to themselves that they can compete at this level — and also have a goal to win some more games the rest of the year,” head coach Andy Enfield said.

With the win, the Trojans (10-15, 2-11) will hope to build some momentum heading into what should be their toughest test yet against. Led by standout freshman Stanley Johnson, the Wildcats (22-3, 10-2) place just outside the top-25 in both points per game and points allowed per game.

One of the reasons for Arizona’s consistency on both sides of the court is the experience of their squad. The Wildcats returned 13 players from last years Elite Eight squad and the addition of Johnson only added to their depth.

The Trojans sit on the opposite end of that spectrum with one of the youngest teams in the country. Though the freshman have struggled with their play throughout the season, the upperclassmen have stepped their game up.

Sophomore transfer Katin Reinhardt is averaging 13.2 points per game in his last five and has started to find his stroke from 3-point range, shooting above 40 percent during that stretch.

Since being inserted into the starting lineup, sophomore Julian Jacobs has put in two solid games, averaging 16 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. With McLaughlin out for the foreseeable future both Reinhardt and Jacobs will need to keep their play up.

On top of their inexperience, the Trojans lack a true 7-footer and are often exposed on the glass and in the paint. Sophomore Nikola Jovanovic, who stands at              6-foot-10, is usually tasked with guarding the other team’s tallest player. Despite leading the team in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage, Jovanovic has been in a slump as of late.

The second-year Serbian has scored in double-digits only once in his last five games and hasn’t broken double-digit rebounds in his last seven. With Arizona boasting one of the best front courts in the nation, the Trojans will need Jovanovic breaks out of his slump.

The Wildcats will look to expose their huge size advantage starting with their front court duo of Kaleb Tarczewski, a true 7-footer, and Brandon Ashley. Senior T.J. McConnell, currently second in assists per game in the Pac-12 and sophomore Rondae Hollis-Jefferson round out a very experienced starting five for the Wildcats.

The Trojans, who have yet to win a Pac-12 game on the road, are faced with a tall task heading into Tucson. The Wildcats are undefeated this season at McKale Center, outscoring opponents by an average of 22 points. Their last home loss came against Cal, over two years ago.

Tip-off is set for Thursday, Feb. 19 at 6 p.m. The game will be aired on the Pac-12 Network.