No. 6 Arizona Basketball begins Pac-12 Tournament against USC
LAS VEGAS, NV – Kicking off Pac-12 Tournament play, No. 6 Arizona Basketball (24-7, 15-5) goes for the rubber match win against the USC Trojans (15-17, 8-12).
Welp, we have reached the final Pac-12 Tournament ever. And with the Wildcats entering the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed, No. 6 Arizona Basketball looks to get back on track against USC.
Fresh off of a disappointing loss to the Trojans, the Wildcats are favored in this one, but as we saw on Saturday, this may not be as favorable a matchup as we initially thought.
Coming in, USC has all the talent and athleticism in the world, and even despite stumbling to a 15-17 (8-12) record, the Trojans are finally healthy and are playing well, winning their last four straight.
Hopefully, we will see our Wildcats bring the focus and effort they are expected to, and if they do that, I see them getting back on track with a win against the Trojans on Thursday afternoon!
Getting to know the details about Arizona Basketball’s opponent, the USC Trojans.
Team: USC Trojans
Conference: Pac-12 Conference
Current Record: 15–17 (8–12)
Head Coach: Andy Enfield. Entering his 13th season as a head coach (11th with USC), Coach Enfield is currently 219–145 (105–100) 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 260–173 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: Thursday, March 14, 2024
Time: 1:00 P.M. MDT / 12:00 P.M. PDT
Television: Pac-12 Network
Location: T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV (18,000)
Spread: -9.0 Arizona (Don’t forget to sign up with Caesars Sportsbook or DraftKings to enhance your overall betting experience)
Overall Series Record: 75-46 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 six of the last seven meetings against the Trojans.
Last Meeting: Meeting twice this year, Arizona split the season series against USC winning in Tucson by an 82-67 final in January. However, the Trojans got their revenge, beating the Wildcats in Los Angeles last weekend as they upset then-No. 5 Arizona by a 78-65 final.
Arizona Basketball Game Preview:
Welp, we've got one last ride in Las Vegas. Beginning the Pac-12 Tournament as the No. 1 seed, No. 6 Arizona Basketball enters Tournament play looking for the rubber match win against the USC Trojans.
Coming in, the Wildcats are fresh off of a loss to the Trojans in which the Wildcats were held to a season-low in points as they were thumped by SC last weekend.
As we saw on Saturday, USC has immense talent and athleticism, and with a healthy squad, they are riding high, winning their last four straight games.
Largely led by its guards Boogie Ellis and Isaiah Collier, these two create a talented and dynamic backcourt for the Trojans, and a majority lot of their offense runs through them.
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. Both had big games that these two squads.
Offensively, the Trojans do like to control the tempo, averaging a respectable 74.7 points per game on 45.3 percent shooting from the field, including an impressive 35.6 percent from three.
However, where they tend to succeed is on the defensive end. Holding opponents to 43.0 percent from the field, the last time these teams met, the Trojans held the Wildcats to 38.7 percent shooting and a season-low 65 points.
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 Thursday's game against USC is at 12:00 P.M. Tucson time, and the game will be broadcast on Pac-12 Network.
Arizona Basketball looks ahead to one final Pac-12 run with the Big 12 party on the horizon. dark. Next. Arizona Basketball looks ahead to one final Pac-12 run with the Big 12 party on the horizon
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