USC welcomes UCLA at Galen Center Saturday
USC will face crosstown rival UCLA at Galen Center Saturday. The 7 p.m. showdown will be the first meeting of the season between the teams, both in the scrum for Pac-12’s top spot.
“I’m excited for the environment. I’m excited to come out with the win,” said junior guard Boogie Ellis in an interview with the Daily Trojan.
The Trojans have lost four of their last 11 games after starting with 13 straight victories. In their game against a 7-15 University of the Pacific team, USC found itself down 8 points at the end of the first half.
“We’ve got to be more consistent on offense,” Ellis said. “We’re going to have to be able to make those plays down the stretch.”
Ellis’ 13 points and contributions from bench players freshman forward Harrison Hornery and freshman guard Reese Dixon-Waters led to a Trojan victory, albeit a close one. Hornery and Dixon-Waters finished with 9 points each.
Ellis talked about using the disappointment of losing a close game to Arizona as a motivating factor for this weekend.
“We didn’t play very good offensively, and we still had a chance to win the game,” Ellis said. “So that gives us more confidence going into UCLA.”
The Trojans were without star junior forward Isaiah Mobley against Pacific, who was out with a non-displaced nose fracture that occurred in the Arizona game. Mobley leads USC in points, rebounds and steals and is likely to play this Saturday. His injury status is currently day-to-day.
Redshirt senior forward Chevez Goodwin spoke of steps the team can take after the game against the Wildcats.
“I think we just build off it, just knowing we can guard and defend anybody and play anywhere in the country,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin had 12 points and 6 rebounds against Pacific.
The Bruins, who are 17-4, have performed well this season, but are 1-2 in their last three games. UCLA, a 10-point favorite, dropped a game in triple-overtime to Arizona State. A few days before, they lost to Arizona on the road.
With wins earlier this season over the Wildcats and Villanova, the Bruins have proved they can compete with some of the best teams in college basketball. Additionally, UCLA accomplished something USC wasn’t able to: beat Stanford. The Bruins swept the Cardinal, winning both games comfortably.
UCLA guard Johnny Juzang will be a focal point for USC’s defense. The 6-foot-7 junior is a potential late first-round pick in the NBA draft and is averaging 18 points per game. With his size, Juzang can bully his way to the basket. With his accuracy, he is a threat from three.
Junior guard Tyger Campbell is another strong 3-point shooter for the Bruins. Campbell shot 25% from behind the arc last season but is now shooting 40% from three.
“[Campbell’s] improved as a player,” Head Coach Andy Enfield said. “He’s had a great career at UCLA and he is one of the best point guards in our league.”
Avoiding foul trouble will be key. Juzang, Campbell and senior guard Jules Bernard all shoot at or around 80% from the charity stripe. As a team, UCLA shoots 71.9% from behind the line, compared to USC’s 64.4%.
“We have to defend like we’re capable of and try to defend without fouling,” Enfield said.
The Trojans committed 23 personal fouls in their loss to the Wildcats.
Offensively, USC has had difficulties with shot accuracy in recent games, shooting 30% and 34%, against Arizona State and the Wildcats.
While both teams have talented defenses, UCLA is also among the nation’s best. The Bruins hold opponents to 41.7% shooting from the field while giving up 65.9 points per game.
“UCLA’s an exceptional defense, and we just have to share the ball and make the right play,” Enfield said.
The Pac-12 regular season is nearing its end. The path to the top overall seed in the Pac-12 Tournament is feasible for the Trojans but will require USC to win upcoming games against UCLA, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.
“We have to try to win our home games against the better teams,” Enfield said. “UCLA and Arizona both come here in the next couple of weeks.”