The Star's Bruce Pascoe previews all of the game day essentials, from projected starting lineups to storylines and series history, before the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats head to Los Angeles for a Pac-12 date with the USC Trojans.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ forward Ira Lee gets his hands on an offensive rebound against the Oregon State Beavers in the first half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.
Who:ÌýÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats (14-5, 5-1) at USC Trojans (10-8, 3-2)
Where:ÌýGalen Center, Los Angeles
When:Ìý7 p.m. Thursday
Watch:ÌýFox Sports 1
Listen:Ìý1290-AM, 107.5-FM
Follow:ÌýÌýon Twitter /ÌýÌýon Facebook
G Justin Coleman (5-10 senior)
G Brandon Williams (6-2 freshman)
F Brandon Randolph (6-6 sophomore)
F Ira Lee (6-7 sophomore)
C Ryan Luther (6-9 senior)
G Derryck Thornton (6-3 junior)
G Jonah Mathews (6-3 junior)
F Shaqquan Aaron (6-7 senior)
F Bennie Boatwright (6-10 senior)
C Nick Rakocevic (6-11 junior)
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ has won five straight games against USC since a four-overtime, 103-101 loss in 2015-16, when Allonzo Trier played over 15 minutes after breaking his hand. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ didn’t play in Los Angeles last season but beat the Trojans 90-77 at McKale Center when Dusan Ristic had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds, then won 75-61 in the final of the Pac-12 Tournament when Deandre Ayton collected 32 points and 17 rebounds to win Pac-12 Tournament MVP honors.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ leads the all-time series 68-42.
The Wildcats will not host USC at McKale Center this season because of the Pac-12’s unbalanced schedule.
Hit hard with the injury bug, USC has also been without highly regarded freshman guard Kevin Porter Jr. for the past two games because of an indefinite suspension. It is unknown if Porter will be available Thursday. Meanwhile, USC also may seek a redshirt season for injured guard Charles O’Bannon.
But after being swept in Oregon during the second weekend of conference play, the Trojans rebounded to beat UCLA with a display of good ball movement and inside play from forward Bennie Boatwright and center Nick Rakocevic, whose 21-point, 12-rebound effort earned him Pac-12 Player of the WeekÌýhonors. Rakocevic leads the Pac-12 in rebounding at 9.7 per game while Boatwright is second in 3-pointers made (2.3) and hits them at a 38.9 percent rate.
On the perimeter, Jonah Mathews is shooting 40.4 percent from 3-point range after making 4 of 10 against UCLA while Shaqquan Aaron can shoot or drive. Point guard Derryck Thornton is starting to live up to the high expectations he had as a five-star high school player who started his career at Duke. Thornton averages 8.9 points, has a 2-1 assist-turnover ratio, and records the assist 27.9 percent of the time his teammates score when he’s on the floor, the 119th highest assist rate in Division I.
“USC is a lot like the team that we had a year ago, maybe the last couple of years, in that we had both a four and a five who could beat you around the rim. It’s kind of how the game used to be played, where there’s two big guys not just one. The thing that’s really tough to deal with about USC is Rakocevic and Boatwright can both score around the basket, both are excellent passers. And (USC) does an amazing job of getting them the ball in the right position. They’re both very mobile as well.
"(Rakocevic) averages four offensive rebounds a game, which is astonishing. That’s a special talent he has. One of the things that’s been striking about him is he’s got great hands. He can catch the ball in traffic. He’s not just a back-to-the-basket player. So (it’s about) keeping him off the glass, and making sure we match his motor.†— UA coach Sean Miller
USC forward Bennie Boatwright, left, celebrates after teammate Nick Rakocevic, right, scored during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UCLA Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.
USC’s skilled stretch-four is enjoying full health this season after a number of issues have kept him off the floor throughout his career, including in the Trojans’ loss to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ in the Pac-12 Tournament. As a 6-10 veteran, he’s difficult to guard inside or outside the arc, with an effective shooting percentage of 57.4, a Kenpom measure that gives a 50 percent bonus for 3-pointers.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ forward Ira Lee gets a little sympathy from the stands after picking up a foul against the Oregon State Beavers in the first half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.
Ira Lee The sophomore forward’s first trip home to Los Angeles as a Wildcat will be all about business. Without Emmanuel Akot and maybe Chase Jeter — and with Dylan Smith undersized for matchups with Rakocevic or Boatwright — Lee may face more pressure than ever to help defensively.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ guard and Los Angeles native Brandon Williams, center, called this week's road trip home a "business trip" for the Wildcats.
When Los Angeles native Brandon Williams was asked during a news conference Wednesday about going home to play this weekend, he quickly pivoted.
“It’s a business trip and we’re trying to get a road sweep,†he said.
He’s been well-trained, it appears. That’s the sort of mentality Williams and fellow Southern Californians Ira Lee and Devonaire Doutrive may need to survive in what has historically been a difficult trip of mixing work and pleasure for a team that usually has several Californians on the roster.
It’s been a trend for decades.
“Going to L.A. is a big trip for our players but especially the players who are from L.A.,†UA coach Sean Miller said. “I can remember coach (Lute) Olson talking to me a lot about that when I first got here, how going to play the L.A. schools with players who are from Los Angeles, how important it is that they’re focused and how big of a game, how big of a trip it is for them.
“There are times we’ve handled it well. There are times when we’ve handled it not as well. … But Brandon Williams, Ira, Devonaire, those guys are great kids. They want to do things the right way and I think their intent will be pure.â€
Justin Coleman is a film junkie! says he watches 6-7 hours of film at the arena or on his phone.
— The Wildcaster (@TheWildcaster)
Graduate-level guard Justin Coleman says he watches six or seven hours of video every day, and none of them are on Netflix.
“Not right now,†Coleman says.
Rather, the UA grad transfer guard says he spends all that screen time on basketball video, sent directly to his phone so his “film room†can become anywhere he is.
Even at the breakfast table.
“While I’m eating breakfast, after I read the Bible in the morning, I might sit there and watch an hour and a half of film and watch again after practice,†Coleman said. “I might watch it at the gym or at home.â€
At any given moment, Coleman said he might be watching video of a recent UA practice, the past two or three UA games, or the past two or three games of an opponent, sometimes trying to analyze an upcoming zone defense he’ll have to face.
“If I can prepare mentally that’s 90 percent of the game so I just try my best mentally to prepare for the next game,†Coleman said. “In practice the coaches can’t cover everything.
“So while I’m watching film, I might see a clip that will help us on ball-screen defense and I might sendÌýit to Ira Lee and say, ‘Hey, Ira, if you do this thing it will help us as well’ or ‘this guy might shoot 20 percent from the 3-point line so you can short close-out inside of long close-out.’ Just the small details helps a lot in games.â€
Apparently, he’s not exaggerating.
“Most of the time I walk into his apartment,†backcourt mate Brandon Williams said, “and I would think he’s watching the Pacquiao fight or something — but he’s watching USC against TCU or something like that. That’s when I know he’s an old hat.â€
USC coach Andy Enfield suspended freshman Kevin Porter Jr. for a conduct issue. The Trojans guard, averaging 10.7 points, has missed the last two games.
Not only has USC struggled with as many injuries as anyone in the Pac-12 this season, but behavioral issues haven’t helped.
USC coach Andy Enfield suspended guard Jordan Usher last month for an undisclosed conduct issue, and Usher soon transferred to Georgia Tech, while standout freshman guard Kevin Porter Jr. has missed the past two games because of another undisclosed conduct issue.
Enfield said last weekend he would evaluate Porter’s future this week but there was no indication Wednesday from USC if Porter would play Thursday.
“It’s very disappointing,†Enfield told the Los Angeles Times. “We need all our players to be healthy and available. The last thing you want to do as a head coach is suspend any of your players, but when there’s conduct issues, we have no choice.â€
Just in case, UA is preparing to deal with Porter’s five-star ability to shoot or drive.
“He’s a really talented player,†Miller said. “We know he can score in bunches. He can do it driving the ball. He can do it especially in transition.
“We always look at those guys if there’s a chance they’re going to play we assume they’re going to play and prepare accordingly.â€
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ guard Brandon Randolph gets a piece of Oregon State guard Zach Reichle late in the second half of their Pac-12 game at McKale Center, Saturday, Jan. 19, 2019.
Straight games ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s bench has outscored its opponents’ bench.
Points Boatwright has averaged in USC’s last eight games while shooting 51.8 percent.
Points ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ allows per 100 opponent possessions in Pac-12 games, the second-most efficient defense in the conference behind Washington (91.5).
Reporter
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ will face USC at 7 p.m. Thursday, but may be without its starting center.
The Cornell grad has high aspirations on and off the court.
UA still waiting to hear if Chase Jeter will be available for Thursday's game at USC.
Transfer notched 1,000th career point in UA's win over Oregon State on Saturday.
Sean Miller has signed 10 players named to the prestigious high school showcase.
The UA big man appeared limited in warmups at the Galen Center.
Chase Jeter did not play because of a sore back.
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