The first rivalry game of the New Year is set to take place between the Bruins and Trojans at Pauley Pavilion on Thursday night.
The Bruins are making their return to Pauley Pavilion for the first crosstown rivalry matchup of the season, looking to extend their winning streak to 11 games.
WHO: UCLA vs. USC
DATE: Thursday, Jan. 5
TIME: 6:35 p.m. PT
LOCATION: Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA
TV: ESPN – Dave Pasch (play-by-play), Bill Walton (analyst)
STREAMING: fuboTV (Start your free trial)
RADIO: AM 1150, Sirius Ch. 83, SXM App 83 – Josh Lewin (play-by-play), Tracy Murray (analyst)
SPREAD: UCLA -11.5 (-110), USC +11.5 (-118)*
MONEY LINE: UCLA -752, USC, +450
OVER/UNDER: O 139.5 (-118), U 139.5 (-110)*
UCLA came in at No. 10 in the most recent AP Poll and No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, and is currently No. 6 in the NET Rankings, No. 3 in the KenPom and No. 3 in the BARTHAG. USC is not in either poll, and is currently No. 84 in the NET, No. 67 in the KenPom and No. 68 in the BARTHAG.
The Bruins were the heavy favorite to win the Pac-12 this season, earning the No. 1 spot in the preseason media poll with the vast majority of first-place votes. The Trojans, on the other hand, came in at No. 4.
UCLA is led by coach Mick Cronin, who is in his fourth season with the program. Cronin boasts a 81-32 record since arriving in Westwood and a 446-203 record as a head coach overall, including his stints at Murray State and Cincinnati.
The Bruins are currently 13-2, including a 4-0 record in Pac-12 play. A winless weekend in Las Vegas in November set UCLA back in the polls a bit following losses to Illinois and Baylor, but they have since bounced back with a 10-game winning streak that featured big wins over then-No. 20 Maryland, then-No. 13 Kentucky, Washington State and Washington – none of which took place in Westwood.
UCLA is averaging 79.0 points per game while allowing 61.0 points per game, which ranks No. 47 and No. 26 in the country, respectively. The Bruins have the No. 7 adjusted offense and No. 7 adjusted defense in the KenPom. Their 48.8% field goal percentage ranks No. 27 in the country, and their 9.7 turnovers per game are the fourth-fewest in Division I.
Guard/forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. leads UCLA with 17.4 points per game, and he ranks second on the team with 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game. Guard Jaylen Clark is averaging 14.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.7 steals per game, while point guard Tyger Campbell is averaging 13.6 points and 4.6 assists per game. Freshmen Amari Bailey, Dylan Andrews and Adem Bona, menawhile, are each emerging as secondary options alongside veteran sharpshooter David Singleton, although Bailey is banged up and not expected to play Thursday.
USC is led by coach Andy Enfield, who is in his 10th season with the Trojans. Enfield has gone to five NCAA tournaments across his 12 seasons as a head coach at the Division I level, and he has a 235-150 career record including his stint at Florida Gulf Coast.
The Trojans enter Thursday with an 11-4 record, but it has been a true up-and-down season for the team thus far. USC lost to Enfield’s former team, Florida Gulf Coast, at home in the season opener. After rattling off a four-game winning streak, the Trojans lost close ones to Tennessee and Wisconsin at the Battle 4 Atlantis, but they did recover with a seven-game winning streak that included a 3-0 start in Pac-12 play and a win over then-No. 19 Auburn. USC is fresh off a loss, though, falling to Washington State on the road on Sunday.
USC is averaging 72.3 points per game while allowing 66.7 points per game, which rank No. 177 and No. 123 in the country, respectively. The Trojans have the No. 74 adjusted offense and No. 69 adjusted defense in the KenPom. USC ranks No. 7 in the country blocked shots, but is also outside the top-300 in limiting turnovers.
Senior guards Boogie Ellis and Drew Peterson lead the way for the Trojans, averaging 16.1 and 14.0 points per game, respectively, on a combined 9.5 3-point attempts per game. USC has four players that average between 7.0 and 9.9 points per game – guard Reese Dixon-Waters, guard Tre White, forward Joshua Morgan and guard Kobe Johnson.
UCLA is 145-114 against USC all-time, with the Bruins winning last year’s regular season finale and the matchup in the Pac-12 tournament. Those were the first victories over the Trojans under Cronin, however, as UCLA was coming off an 0-5 stretch against USC thanks to a handful of buzzer-beaters, injuries and upsets.
*Odds via SI Sportsbook
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