Me oh my it’s Friday already. Sadly, everyone’s favorite college basketball conference features just one matchup. Fortunately, it’s a game in The Barn!
You know how this goes. Let’s talk ball:
USC Trojans at Minnesota Golden Gophers
- Time/TV channel: 8:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. CST on Big Ten Network
- KenPom spread: Trojans by (hrmm)
Nobody has
had a worse few days in the eastern time zone than USC this week.
First, the Trojans stopped by Ann Arbor and got walloped by Michigan 96-66. That’s fine, plenty of teams have lost like that against Michigan. Then they made the short trip to East Lansing and found nearly the exact same result in a 80-51 loss to Michigan State.
USC struggled at the 3-point line in both games, converting on just 21.7% of their attempts at Michigan and 17.6% of their attempts at Michigan State. Both games also featured plenty of trouble taking care of the ball, with 21 turnovers against the Wolverines and 17 against the Spartans. Those are two excellent defenses, so it’s not entirely unexpected.
Disrespect Minnesota at your own peril. The Gophers have quietly put together a five game winning streak with back-to-back conference wins over Northwestern and Minnesota. They’ve been a tough out at home, taking down ranked Indiana and Iowa so far. Niko Medved is a good coach, so it’s not wholly surprising, but it’s definitely necessary after a lackluster start.
Minnesota’s defense has tightened up as the season has gone on. The Gophers drag opponents into late clock situations and protect the interior well. They’ve been somewhat susceptible to 3-point shooting, allowing opponents to convert on 33% of their attempts.
Given USC’s struggles against top defenses, it’s easy to see them fighting in a game where Minnesota drags them into the mud. There’s a world in which the Trojans snap their shooting woes, and it’s gonna be necessary if they hope to have something to show for this trip out east.
