Tag: USC basketball

RECAP: John Blackwell fuels Wisconsin basketball to win over USC

RECAP: John Blackwell fuels Wisconsin basketball to win over USC

Wisconsin basketball (15-3, 5-2 Big Ten) stretched its win streak to seven games with an 84-69 victory against the USC Trojans (11-7, 3-4 Big Ten) on Saturday.

After leading by as many as 19 points a few minutes after the intermission, the Badgers survived a 20-4 scoring burst from the Trojans in the first portion of the second half. Wisconsin regained composure after the extended USC run thanks to strong play from star sophomore guard John Blackwell and senior leader Max Klesmit. It then maintained a double-digit edge throughout the latter portion of the closing frame.

Blackwell, who has orchestrated several high-scoring outputs this season, erupted for a game-best 28 points off a blistering 10-of-16 from the field and 6-of-7 from the charity stripe in 34 minutes. Klesmit, who suffered an ankle injury on Jan. 6 vs. Rutgers, reminded fans of his offensive capabilities with 18 points and four assists in 27 minutes. Nolan Winter also chipped in 13 tallies, five boards and three dimes on efficient shooting.

Blackwell set the tone for Gard’s crew early with 11 points in the first six minutes of action. Winter, Steven Crowl and Xavier Amos also pitched in to extend the edge to 15 points at the 9:14-minute mark of the first half. Blackwell would add five more points to propel UW all the way to a 15-point advantage (42-27) at the halftime break. USC appeared out of sorts, especially offensively.

The Trojans battled back with an efficient offensive showing in the second half. Blackwell’s second-half play was complimented by Klesmit, who scored 13 of his 18 points in the second frame. The Badgers finally glided to a 15-point victory in their first leg of a two-game West Coast road trip.

Wisconsin will now bring a seven-game winning streak into its matchup against the UCLA Bruins on Tuesday.

Gus Williams was part of USC basketball’s glory days

Gus Williams was an NBA champion, but before that, he was the leading scorer for one of the great USC teams of all time in 1974. RIP, Gus.

USC basketball lost one of its greatest players from its greatest era earlier this week. Gus Williams, who led the Pacific 8 Conference in scoring in 1975, died at the age of 71. Per USC athletics, Williams “finished his career with 1,308 points, the most by a Trojan guard at that time, averaging 16.1 points per game. He also set records for career (362) and season (141 in 1974) assists.  He still ranks in the USC all-time Top 10 in assists and Top 20 in scoring.”

Williams is legitimately one of the greatest players to put on a USC basketball uniform. The NBA champion with the Seattle SuperSonics was a multi-time NBA All-Star who produced a lengthy and productive career. Beyond the numbers, though, what stands out with Gus Williams at USC is that he was part of the program’s best era.

Andy Enfield’s string of NCAA Tournament appearances was impressive, but USC basketball’s absolute height came in the first half of the 1970s under then-coach Bob Boyd. USC was a preseason top-25 team in five of the six seasons from 1970 through 1975. USC was ranked in the AP Top 10 at some point in five of those six seasons as well. The Trojans consistently won despite playing in the shadow of the dynastic UCLA Bruins under John Wooden. The Trojans also played in an era when the NCAA Tournament didn’t allow second-place teams in major conferences to participate in its event. If the NCAA Tournament had been a 64-team event in that era of college basketball, USC would have been able to make multiple Final Fours.

The 1971 USC team is generally if not unanimously viewed as the Trojans’ best men’s basketball team of all time. In an expanded NCAA Tournament (had it existed), the 1971 Trojans would have been a No. 1 seed. The 1974 team probably would have been a No. 2 or 3 seed, winning 24 games and again running into the brick wall known as UCLA. Gus Williams was the leading scorer on that 1974 team. It’s a shame he never got a chance to play in the NCAA Tournament.

That year, 1974, was pivotal for college basketball, because the 1974 ACC Tournament final between North Carolina State and Maryland — a classic game — revealed the absurdity of not allowing second-place teams in conferences to compete in the NCAA Tournament. That game led to the expansion of the NCAA Tournament from 25 teams in 1974 to 40 in 1979. USC, in Bob Boyd’s last season, got into the tournament thanks to that expansion. In 1985, the NCAA Tournament increased to 64 teams, a decade too late for Gus Williams.

He was a great Trojan in a luminous era for a program which flourished precisely when other forces in college basketball — Wooden’s UCLA and the smaller, less welcoming NCAA Tournament — cut against USC. Never allow those outside forces to diminish Gus Williams’ greatness or the brightness of his memory.

USC can’t put Wisconsin on the foul line when Trojans face Badgers

Wisconsin is the best free throw shooting team in the country. Take note, USC.

USC men’s basketball is rapidly improving as a team. The Trojans will play a huge game on Saturday when they host the Wisconsin Badgers. A win would enable USC to become a legitimate bubble team with a chance to make the NCAA Tournament. A loss would squelch any bubble talk and confirm USC’s status as not ready for prime time. It feels like a pivotal moment in this team’s season.

If USC is going to beat Wisconsin, one thing the Trojans have to do is defend without fouling, especially in terms of avoiding shooting fouls. As Badgers Wire explains, Wisconsin’s free throw shooting is elite.

Wisconsin shot 89% as a team from the free-throw line (25-of-28) to Ohio State’s 86.7% (13-of-15). The biggest discrepancy there is the number of attempts.

A lot has been made about the Badgers’ nation’s-best conversion rate through the first half of the season. But many previous performances didn’t directly decide a game’s outcome. The opposite was the case against the Buckeyes.

Ohio State began fouling with 14 seconds left down just 65-64. John Blackwell missed the front end of his one-and-one, though a Steven Crowl back-tap rebound gave Kamari McGee a second chance. He made both free throws, extending the Badgers’ lead to three points. The two teams then traded foul shots for the remainder of the contest. Wisconsin made five of its last six FTs to clinch the win.

USC, you have been warned: Keep Wisconsin away from the free throw line.

Wisconsin, USC’s next opponent, is not a typical Badger basketball team

Wisconsin is not the stodgy, boring, low-scoring team of past seasons. This Badger team can score.

USC basketball is preparing for a huge game against Wisconsin this Saturday. When one thinks of Wisconsin basketball, the natural instinct for most is to expect grind-it-out games played in the 60s or maybe even the high 50s. For much of the 21st century, that’s how Wisconsin played under Dick Bennett, Bo Ryan, and Greg Gard. This season is different. Wisconsin can score. Badgers Wire looked at what Wisconsin star John Tonje did in UW’s recent win over Ohio State:

This game can be added to a growing file of John Tonje-led victories. The star wing finished with the mentioned 17 points, the majority of which came in the second half. He delivered key baskets throughout the frame as Ohio State worked to trim the Badgers’ margin.

Tonje’s most significant contribution came at the free-throw line: 10 makes on 10 attempts, each of which felt important.

The veteran’s physical play style, ability to draw fouls and best-in-the-nation conversion from the line combine to make his performance reason No. 1 the Badgers exited with a victory.

Tonje and other Badgers have enabled this team to find new levels of scoring punch. Wisconsin eclipsed 100 points in a win over Arizona in nonconference play late last year. Wisconsin scored 116 in a blowout of Iowa.

USC’s defense will face a tough test on Saturday. The Trojans, who scored 99 versus Iowa, might have to score in the 90s to win this game, too.

Eric Musselman is beginning to show USC fans what is possible

Eric Musselman is showing why USC hired him. The results are beginning to flow in for the Trojans.

It was easy to be unimpressed with Eric Musselman and USC men’s basketball in late November. The Trojans got clobbered by Saint Mary’s and New Mexico and looked like a below-average team which was not ready to win. Yet, it was always logical to think that a roster comprised of transfers would need time to come together. Andy Enfield’s departure shredded the existing roster. Musselman had to build a new one from scratch. USC basketball players did not have any experience playing together. The first month and a half of the season figured to be choppy. The results indicated as much, with USC failing to win the biggest games on its schedule. However, Eric Musselman knew that with more time and more practice, these Trojans could become good.

We are seeing the fruits of patience and the return on investment we hoped for when Eric Musselman was hired at USC.

The Trojans have looked like a very good team the past few weeks. They gave Michigan, arguably the favorite to win the Big Ten, a tough battle before losing late. They won at Illinois, another Big Ten title contender. Tuesday, they raced past Iowa by 10 points, very neary scoring 100.

Desmond Claude and Wesley Yates are balling. The Trojans are attacking the glass and are playing with hunger. USC is now bagging some good wins. If the Trojans can keep stacking quality results, the NCAA Tournament — viewed as a longshot (at best) in late November — could become a realistic possibility.

Eric Musselman is figuring things out. He was viewed as a good hire for a reason.

USC women’s basketball to face Indiana on NBC Sports this coming Sunday

USC women’s basketball will be the lead-in to NBC’s coverage of the Philadelphia Eagles’ NFL playoff game on Sunday.

USC women’s basketball hopes that its increased national television presence, due to JuJu Watkins and the Trojans’ overall standing in college basketball, will continue to help the program. This Sunday, USC gets to play on NBC Sports for its road trip to Bloomington, Indiana. USC versus the Indiana Hoosiers will air at noon Eastern time, 9 a.m. Pacific. Notably, the game will be a lead-in to NBC’s coverage of the NFL playoff game being hosted by the Philadelphia Eagles, which starts at 3 Eastern and noon Pacific. NBC’s NFL pregame show starts at 2 p.m. Eastern, 11 a.m. Pacific. USC will try to continue to take advantage of its proximity to the NFL, as we noted last month after the win over UConn:

The USC-UConn TV ratings are in, and they are good: The game averaged 2.23 million viewers, making it the second-highest-rated game ever shown on Fox Sports, and the most-watched women’s college basketball game so far this season. This game got plenty of eyeballs on it.

We continued:

Fox Sports said that the audience for USC-UConn women’s basketball peaked at 3.76 million viewers in the first 15 minutes of the broadcast window. This is likely due to the fact that USC-UConn followed Fox’s NFL game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. The NFL lead-in gave this game a boost.

The NFL is king. USC hopes that the Indiana game gets some NBC viewers who are tuning in for football … and a lot of viewers who simply want to watch JuJu Watkins on a Sunday. Keep in mind that the USC-UConn game went directly up against a College Football Playoff game (Ohio State versus Tennessee). There is no such competition for this game early on Sunday. JuJu Watkins has it all to herself.

Wesley Yates has delivered for USC in Big Ten play

Wesley Yates has been really good the past three games for USC. Can he continue to be this good?

USC basketball showed more potential and upside in its win versus Illinois than at any prior point in its 2024-2025 season. If the Trojans are going to continue to improve, Wesley Yates will be a central part of that story.

Yates was terrific against Illinois, hitting 7 of 8 field goals for 15 points with 6 rebounds and 2 assists. The scoring production mattered, but the offensive efficiency is what really stands out. Illinois held Penn State to 52 points a few days earlier. USC scoring 82 against the Illini was surprising, and Yates’ precision and crispness helped the Trojans get where they wanted to go in that game.

How good has Wesley Yates been in the past three games for USC? He has scored at least 15 points in all three games — Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois — and has committed a total of just 3 turnovers in those three games. Yates is putting the ball in the basket and not giving away possessions for USC. Those are two substantial contributions to the team, making plays while avoiding large numbers of mistakes. If this is the version of Wesley Yates USC will see for the next several weeks, the Trojans might have a lot more upside than many currently think.

Rashaun Agee hopes to become a bigger building block for USC

Rashaun Agee played his best game for USC against Illinois. Is this what we can expect going forward?

USC men’s basketball stunned college hoops analysts and the Illinois Fighting Illini this past Saturday. The Trojans walked into Champaign and cooled off a red-hot Illinois squad by 10 points. Illinois had established itself as a leading contender for the Big Ten championship. The Illini pounded Oregon by 32 and Penn State by 39. They won on the road at Washington and were looking really good. The Trojans stopped them cold in an authoritative 82-72 victory. One big reason for that win was Rashaun Agee.

The transfer from Bowling Green stepped forward against Illinois and delivered his best game as a Trojan. Agee’s 13 points and 8 rebounds, in a high-energy performance, moved the needle for USC. Agee averages just under 5 points per game this season, so he significantly outperformed his normal output. In a game USC won by 10 points, that obviously mattered a lot.

USC has an all-transfer lineup if you take away Harrison Hornery, who is not a high-minute player. Eric Musselman threw together this lineup in the transfer portal, so it was natural for a lot of players to need time to learn how to fit in on this roster. Agee made his big statement against Illinois. Now the challenge is to sustain that level of play. If Agee becomes a consistently strong player in the next several weeks, who knows how high USC basketball can climb?

USC men’s basketball begins the defining stretch of its season

USC has four home games in its next five. If the Trojans go 4-1, they will be in the NCAA Tournament bubble conversation.

First things first: Let’s be honest in saying that USC men’s basketball is highly unlikely to make the NCAA Tournament in Year 1 under Eric Musselman. That seemed apparent in November, when the Trojans’ roster clearly needed time to learn how to play together. Remember that this roster was almost entirely comprised of transfers. Harrison Hornery — who does not play major minutes — was the only holdover from the Andy Enfield era. These players were not going to have it all figured out at the start.

However, they might be figuring things out now.

USC looked like a really good team this past Saturday in Champaign. The Trojans went on the road and decisively defeated a very good Illinois team by 10 points, 82-72. Illinois could win the Big Ten. The Fighting Illini could be a No. 3 seed at the NCAA Tournament. USC beat that team by 10 on the road. That shows you what this USC team is capable of when everything is coming together. Desmond Claude, Wesley Yates, and Rashaun Agee played tremendous games. Three guys playing their best will win a lot of games.

Now USC enters what will be a defining stretch in Big Ten play. No, USC isn’t likely to make the NCAA Tournament, but if it wants a chance, it has an opening here with four home games in its next five. USC hosts Iowa, then Wisconsin. The Trojans go to Nebraska for a roadie but then return home to play UCLA and Michigan State.

Here’s the deal: If USC goes 4-1 in this stretch, the Trojans will be on the bubble and very much in the NCAA Tournament conversation. Can USC go 4-0 at home or grab the Nebraska road win? After beating Illinois, the conversation is different at USC. Let’s see what the Trojans can do.

One scary fact about USC women’s basketball on January 13

USC women’s basketball is putting together a very good season. How can the Trojans become great? It starts with 3-point shooting. We have the numbers.

It is the morning of Monday, January 13, 2025. USC women’s basketball is 16-1 overall this season. Its only loss came on a day when one of its best players, Kennedy Smith, was injured and unavailable to play. That was against Notre Dame — a top-10 team — on November 23. USC is 6-0 in the Big Ten Conference, right there with 5-0 UCLA and 5-0 Ohio State in a battle for a conference championship. USC beat 5-1 Maryland on the road. UCLA and OSU have not played Maryland yet. USC has a road win at UConn and looks like a No. 1 seed.

Sounds pretty good, right? One might easily think USC is playing its absolute best basketball, and that it can’t get much better than this. “Just keep doing the same thing” is a reasonable line of analysis with this team. It’s not as though this season is going poorly. It’s not. It has been a really good season to this point.

However, we are not seeing — and have not generally seen — the very best from USC women’s basketball. We have seen really good basketball, but not great basketball. That sounds like nitpicking, and we get it. If Lindsay Gottlieb thinks that statement is too harsh, we understand why.

However, Gottlieb and JuJu Watkins and everyone else associated with this program can acknowledge one reason why this team hasn’t hit its ceiling. It’s not controversial to bring up this point because no one can dispute it: USC is not a good 3-point-shooting team. That’s a fact, Jack.

On January 13, the 2025 Trojans are a 31.9-percent shooting team from 3-point range. JuJu Watkins hits 35.3 percent of her triples, which is not terrible but not amazing. Kayleigh Heckel hits 37 percent of 3-pointers, but she has taken just 27 attempts in 17 games, which is under two attempts per game.

Sunday against Penn State, USC was 6 of 25 from 3-point range. USC scored 95, but just imagine how much the Trojans would have scored if they hit threes.

In 17 games this season, USC has made 115 3-pointers. That’s an average of close to seven made 3-pointers per game, which seems significant and impressive until you realize that USC went wild from 3-point range in three games against lighter competition. The Trojans hit 38 of their 115 3-pointers in three games against Northridge, Saint Louis, and Cal Baptist. They made at least 10 triples in those three games, 17 versus Northridge.

In the other 14 games USC has played, the Trojans have made a combined 77 3-pointers, under six per game. This is with JuJu Watkins (102 attempts in 17 games) averaging exactly six 3-point attempts per game this season and other players getting open shots when defenses double-team JuJu and dare the USC supporting cast to hit open looks.

There are two statistical categories where USC must improve: reduced turnover counts and improved 3-point shooting. If the Trojans can check these two boxes, they’re a national title contender. If they can at least hit threes to offset turnovers, they’re still more likely than not to reach the Final Four.

As well as this season has gone, USC women’s basketball can improve a lot as a 3-point-shooting team. Do that, and the Trojans become even better — much better — than they already are.