Our preview of Thursday’s No. 16 USC-Colorado game continues with Trojans Wire managing editor Matt Zemek.
Earlier in the week, Zemek explained USC’s identity, but there’s still plenty to learn about the Buffaloes’ looming opponent. We next asked Zemek what USC’s keys to the game are against Colorado, and he gave an answer you’d probably hear from the mouth of Tad Boyle: defend and rebound.
Here’s Zemek’s full response on what USC must do against the Buffs:
It’s all about defense, and it’s less about the unique challenges posed by Colorado than the need for USC to get back to its winning ways. USC won its first 13 games of the season by defending and rebounding at a high level, and committing no more than 11 turnovers per game, often under 10. USC wins by simply not giving away cheap points or possessions. The Trojans, at their best, use their length to create difficult shots. They don’t allow opponents to get to the foul line. They clamp down on 3-point shooting. USC allowed opponents to shoot under 28 percent on 3-pointers heading into the Stanford game this past week, but Stanford, Oregon State, and Oregon all shot the 3-ball really well. USC has to run opposing shooters off the 3-point line and force opponents to drive into the paint, where the Trojans’ length can deter or block shots.
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