No. 5 Arizona Basketball goes for the sweep in LA against USC

LOS ANGELES, CA – Playing its last regular season game as a Pac-12 Member, No. 5 Arizona Basketball (24-6, 15-4) looks to finish the LA sweep against the USC Trojans (13-17, 7-12). 

Welp, we have reached the end of the 2023-24 regular season. And with the last-ever Pac-12 Regular Season Championship clenched, there isn't much left for No. 5 Arizona Basketball to prove except to strengthen its tournament resume.

And fresh off of a dominant win over rival UCLA, the Wildcats should have a favorable matchup on its hands in this one as they take on the USC Trojans. 

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 this year, stumbling to a 13-17 (7-12) record.

Hopefully, we will see our Wildcats bring the focus and effort they are expected to, and if they do that, I see them having no problems against the Trojans on Saturday evening!

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

Team: USC Trojans

Conference: Pac-12 Conference

Current Record: 13–17 (7–12)

Head Coach: Andy Enfield. Entering his 13th season as a head coach (11th with USC), Coach Enfield is currently 217–145 (104–100) 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 258–173 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: Saturday, March 9, 2024

Time: 8:00 P.M. MST / 7:00 P.M. PST

Television: ESPN

Location: Galen Center – Los Angeles, CA (10,258)

Spread: -8.0 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)

Overall Series Record: 75-45 Arizona. This is a head-to-head series that dates back to 1921-22. Overall, this is a matchup that the Wildcats have dominated, winning the last six straight meetings against the Trojans. 

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

Arizona Basketball Game Preview:

Sadly, we have reached the end of the 2023-24 regular season, and so far, this year has gone exceptionally well! Despite a few bumps along the way, the Wildcats have proven to be one of the best teams in the country, look no further than them earning the 15th Regular Season Conference Championship.

Fresh off of a dominant win over UCLA just days ago, the Wildcats should be poised as they enter Saturday's matchup.

Coming in, USC has immense talent and athleticism, but as noted earlier, things have not gone well this year for the Trojans, and with virtually nothing to play for, a win against Arizona and playing spoiler could give them momentum heading into the Pac-12 Tournament.

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. 

Luckily, Collier didn't play the last time these two teams met in Tucson, so he will make his debut against the Wildcats on Saturday. The talented freshman is averaging 16.6 points, 4.2 assists, and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Beyond that, Kobe Johnson has been a big part of their success along with DJ Rodman, who has been a key contributor since transferring from Washington State as well.

In addition to a few talented youngsters, the highly-touted Bronny James is perhaps the most notable of the group. The son of NBA Superstar LeBron James, Bronny is averaging 4.8 points per game as he continues to find his groove on the court after being medically cleared to play earlier this year. 

Offensively, the Trojans do like to push the tempo, averaging a respectable 74.6 points per game on 45.2 percent shooting from the field, including an impressive 35.7 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 here on Senior Day in Los Angeles.

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 Saturday's game against USC is at 8:00 P.M. Tucson time, and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

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