Southern California returns home to Los Angeles on Saturday for a Big Ten Conference tilt against a recently sputtering Rutgers squad.
The Trojans (15-6, 4-6 Big Ten) split a road series in a pair of nail-biters, beating Wisconsin 73-71 on Sunday before dropping a 73-72 decision on Wednesday at Iowa.
Kam Woods scored a career-high 33 points to power a USC rally from down 17 points at Iowa, and Jacob Cofie scored on a putback that gave the Trojans a lead in the waning moments. However, a pair of Bennett Stirtz free throws ultimately made the difference and sent USC to its third loss in the last four games.
“We’re definitely a resilient basketball team,” Trojans assistant coach Earl Boykins said via USC’s athletic website. “We have a bunch of mentally tough guys there in that locker room — guys that you want to go to battle with night in and night out. They have the toughness, but now it becomes IQ. That’s the next step of being an NCAA Tournament team.”
An upcoming pair of home games could be pivotal for USC’s postseason resume, as the Trojans draw fellow tournament hopeful Indiana on Tuesday after Saturday’s clash with Rutgers (9-12, 2-8).
The Scarlet Knights come in on a four-game losing skid after coughing up a double-digit lead to No. 7 Michigan State on Tuesday.
Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell told reporters following the loss, “We had a chance — the seventh-ranked team in the country, with the ball down the stretch. You couldn’t ask for more from our guys.”
“We’re young,” he added. “We have seven freshmen and 10 newcomers, so we’re learning.”
Part of Rutgers’ learning process has included the use of different lineup combinations. Nine Scarlet Knights have made multiple starts this season, including 6-foot-7 Darren Buchanan Jr. stepping into a starting low-post role over the last five games.
He has scored in double figures in three of the five.
The smaller Scarlet Knights, ranked 130th nationally in average height per KenPom.com, must contend with a USC lineup that is the country’s fourth-tallest roster on average. The Trojans’ height includes the 6-foot-10 Cofie in the post, who has grabbed at least 11 rebounds in three of the last four contests, and 6-foot-7 wing Chad Baker-Mazara playing guard.
USC (plus-3.7) is seventh in the Big Ten in rebounding margin, while Rutgers ranks second-to-last (minus-1.6).
