No. 12 Arizona Basketball set to battle the USC Trojans

TUCSON, AZ – Just days after a challenging loss to Wazzu, No. 12 Arizona Basketball (12-4, 3-2) returns home to take on the USC Trojans (8-9, 2-4).

Welp, No. 12 Arizona Basketball has come crashing back to reality once again. Just days after falling to Washington State on the road in a stunning upset, the Wildcats resume Pac-12 action.

Returning to the hardwood, the Wildcats should have a favorable matchup on its hands in this one as they welcome the USC Trojans to town.

Coming in, the Trojans have all the talent and athleticism in the world; however, for whatever reason, they have not lived up to the hype, stumbling to an 8-9 (2-4) start on the season.

Hopefully, we will see our Wildcats return to form and get back to their dominant ways. Should Arizona bring the focus and effort they are expected to, I see them having no problems against the Trojans!

Getting to know the details about Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the USC Trojans.

Team: USC Trojans

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

Current Record: 8–9 (2–4)

Head Coach: Andy Enfield. Entering his 13th season as a head coach (11th with USC), Coach Enfield is currently 212–137 (99–92) with the Trojans with five NCAA Tournament appearances, one NIT appearance, and an Elite Eight finish in 2020-21.

Before arriving in Southern California, Andy was head coach at Florida Gulf Coast (2011-13) where he was 41–28 (21–15) and a miraculous Sweet 16 run in 2012-13. Overall, he is 253–165 as a head coach with six NCAA Tournament berths.

2022-23 Record: Finishing the 2022-23 season with a 22–11 (14–6) record, the Trojans ended their year with a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament to 7th-seeded Michigan State.

So, as Arizona Basketball takes on USC, here is how you can watch and follow our Wildcats!

Arizona Basketball vs USC Information and Details:

Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2024

Time: 8:00 P.M. MST / 7:00 P.M. PST

Television: ESPN

Location: McKale Center – Tucson, AZ (14,545)

Spread: -17.5 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)

Overall Series Record: 74-45 Arizona. This is a head-to-head series that dates back to 1921-22. Overall, this is a matchup that Arizona has dominated, winning the last five straight meetings.

Last Meeting: Meeting twice last season, Arizona won both matchups last season with the Wildcats beating the Trojans in Los Angeles by an 87-81 final last March.

Arizona Basketball Game Preview:

Despite their dominant wins over Utah and Colorado the week before, the Wildcats came crashing back to reality with a humbling loss to Washington State in Pullman.

Luckily, they have a great opportunity to turn things around as they welcome the LA schools to Tucson!

Coming in, USC should be a favorable matchup for the Cats as, despite the immense talent and athleticism the Trojans have, things have not gone well this year.

However, the skill and talent is clearly there. Largely led by its guards Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier, these two create a talented backcourt for the Trojans as a lot of the offense runs through them.

Beyond that, Kobe Johnson has been a big part of their success as well as DJ Rodman, who has been a key contributor since transferring from Washington State. And of course, there is the highly-touted Bronny James. The son of LeBron James, Bronny continues to find his groove on the court after being medically cleared to play just weeks ago.

The question is, will Ellis and Collier be able to play? There is a likelihood that both could be out for Wednesday's game, making things challenging for the Trojans.

Offensively, the Trojans do like to push the tempo, averaging a respectable 76.8 points per game on 45.0 percent shooting from the field, including an impressive 36.1 percent from three.

However, where they tend to struggle is on the glass, surrendering 35.4 rebounds per game as well as on defense.

While Arizona should have the advantage overall, we expect the Trojans to give the Wildcats a tough game (if healthy) before the Wildcats eventually pull away!

Hopefully, the Wildcats will be ready to go in this one and will be able to get back on track against the Trojans. Tip-off for Wednesday's game against USC is at 8:00 P.M. Tucson time, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Don’t forget to follow us at @ZonaZealots on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of Arizona news, opinions, and recruiting updates!