Indiana men’s basketball at USC: 5 things to know about the Trojans

SB Nation

Indiana men’s basketball, riding a three game winning streak, is set to take on USC on Tuesday in a road matchup to close out its trip to The Golden State.

It’s the Hoosiers’ first trip to Los Angeles since

the Trojans joined the Big Ten, with Indiana welcoming both UCLA and USC to Assembly Hall last season and going on the road in the Pacific Northwest. That’s just how scheduling is gonna work with the West Coast teams to make travel make sense in conference play.

Here’s five important things to know about the Trojans ahead of the game:

The Trojans are without their go-to guy in Rodney Rice, a transfer from Maryland who was playing incredibly well up until an injury in November. USC has had plenty of time to figure out what kind of team it is without Rice, but it’s worth noting that this is a team that isn’t at full strength. Chad Baker-Mazara, a transfer from Auburn’s Final Four team, has stepped up in Rice’s absence with 18.8 points per game.
USC is different from the vast majority of the Big Ten in that it actually plays with tempo. The Trojans are one of just three teams in the league to rank in the top-100 in adjusted tempo and one of just five to rank in the top-200, per KenPom (are we serious with this).
The Trojans are one of the tallest teams in the country and use that size well. USC ranks fourth nationally in average height, almost five inches over the D-I average. As such, they excel at finishing over opposing defenses and stifling opposing scorers with, avoiding getting blocked on one end while getting plenty of their own blocks on the other.
USC isn’t afraid to mix in some midrange scoring into its offense. The Trojans run a decently modern offense at the 3-point line and around the paint but mix in some looks a bit further from the rim in the painted area and occasionally in the short corners. It’s not a ton, but it’s enough to push their average 2-point distance away from the rim.
The Trojans have played five consecutive games that have been decided by six points or less, with two of those games coming it home in the Galen Center. Indiana has played some… interesting basketball in late game situations but is coming off of two relatively close wins.