Hoops home stand begins against WSU


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The men’s basketball team will look to rebound after a disappointing road trip that saw the Trojans lose back-to-back games for just the second time this season. The Men of Troy entered the road trip ranked for the first time since 2008, but the two losses have USC on the outside looking in.

The Trojans struggled mightily on the offensive end during the road trip in Oregon. USC shot an icy 39 percent from the field, while allowing Oregon and Oregon State to shoot over 48 percent. The Trojans lead the Pac-12 in made 3-point shots with 169, but were only able to convert 26 percent of their 3-point attempts during the road trip.

The Trojans are one of the youngest teams in the nation, with just one senior on the roster, which explains their struggles on the road. All five of USC’s losses have come away from home. The Trojans have already showed much more poise than in years past, but consistency will be key if USC hopes to make a legit run at the Pac-12 title.

The Washington State Cougars will make their way to the Galen Center this Thursday. The Trojans defeated the Cougars 90-77 on Jan. 1 in Pullman. Five Trojans scored in double figures, led by forward Nikola Jovanovic, who finished with 20 points on 8-12 shooting.

The Cougars have lost five straight and sit at the bottom of the Pac-12 for a second consecutive season. Junior Josh Hawkinson leads the team with averages of 14 points and 10 rebounds per game. Hawkinson was the only Cougar to have any success against the Trojans in their first matchup, finishing with 19 points and 13 rebounds on 7-12 shooting.

USC has been extremely well-balanced this season. The Trojans have five players averaging double digit scoring per game. One big reason for the uptick in offensive team production is the play of guards Julian Jacobs and Jordan McLaughlin. Jacobs is leading the Pac-12 in assists with 5.7 per game, with McLaughlin right behind him at 4.9 per game.

Both McLaughlin and Jacobs had stellar games against the Cougars in their first matchup, finishing with a combined 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists on 61 percent shooting. Expect the backcourt duo to attack hard against a weak Cougar defense.

At first glance, defense seems to be the biggest issue for the Trojans as they give up more than 73 points per game. The Trojans are holding teams to 39 percent shooting, however, and have a net scoring margin more than 10 points, both stats good for second in the Pac-12.

Freshman Chimezie Metu has been a big reason why the Trojans have taken such a leap forward on the defensive end. The first year big man is averaging 1.7 blocks per game, good for sixth in the Pac-12 and is giving opposing teams a reason to fear attacking the rim. As a team the Trojans are averaging 6.3 blocks per game, a vast improvement over years past.

After playing five of their first seven conference games on the road, the Trojans play their next three at home. The Trojans are currently 11-0 at home this season, their best mark to start a season since going undefeated at home in 1943.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Galen Center. The game will be aired on the Pac-12 Network.