Men’s basketball gets set to heat-check Colorado


Freshman forward Isaiah Mobley recorded a personal season-high 11 rebounds in USC’s win over Washington State last weekend. (James Wolfe | Daily Trojan)

Coming off victories at home against Washington and Washington State, the USC men’s basketball team will look to extend its two-game winning streak against No. 18 Colorado to kick off its final road trip of the regular season. This will be the two teams’ second meeting of the year after Colorado’s 78-57 rout over the Trojans earlier this month.

Although USC has performed well at home with an impressive 11-2 record, road games have been a struggle: The Trojans are 5-4 away from Galen Center after two tight road battles against Arizona and Arizona State slipped away from them earlier this month. 

Saturday’s blowout win over the Cougars was a welcomed sight for the Trojans after grinding through three straight games decided by 6 points or less.

“It felt good to get this win,” freshman forward Isaiah Mobley said after the victory, per the Orange County Register. “Not necessarily take a break because they’re still a solid opponent, but get our minds right for this road trip we got to go on.”

With the next two games being their final road battles of the season, USC will indeed need to prepare to face Colorado. The Buffaloes sit at the top of the Pac-12 with Oregon while the Trojans sit one game behind.

USC would certainly benefit from another big performance from redshirt senior guard Daniel Utomi, who scored a season-high 23 points against the Cougars. Utomi has stepped up his performance in February, averaging 15 points per game this month, nearly double his season average of 7.9.

Slowing down Colorado guard and forward Tyler Bey will be crucial for a Trojan victory, as the junior had a tremendous 21-point, 15-rebound performance against Oregon State Saturday. Junior guard McKinley Wright IV is also a key player for the Buffaloes, averaging a team-high 13.6 points per game and coming off a double-double performance Saturday with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

However, USC is averaging the most rebounds per game as a team in the Pac-12. The Trojans will need to continue crashing the glass to prevent another great performance from Bey and Wright.

Defending the perimeter will also be essential for USC as Colorado has the second-highest 3-point field goal percentage in the conference. However, the Washington State game — in which USC forced its opponent to miss 21 consecutive threes during one stretch — proved just how dominant the Trojans’ defense can be.

“They’re long [on defense] and they did a good job,” Washington State head coach Kyle Smith said of the Trojans, according to the Associated Press. “It bothered us and it felt that way.”

Freshman forward Onyeka Okongwu is expected to play after missing the last two games with a concussion and getting him involved early will be crucial for USC. Okongwu struggled in his last game against Colorado, shooting 3-of-8 from the field. Senior guard Jonah Mathews also failed to find his rhythm against the Buffaloes as he shot 4-of-15, but he will look to continue his strong 3-point shooting after sinking four threes against Washington and five against Arizona State. 

With the Pac-12 and NCAA tournaments approaching in less than a month, USC will need to strengthen its bid for March Madness. A victory over Colorado would not only tie the two teams in the conference standings but also be an impressive addition to USC’s resume for the upcoming national tournament.

The Trojans’ crucial tilt with the Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo. will begin at 6 p.m. Thursday.