The 13th-seeded USC Trojans (18-13, 7-13 Big Ten) will face the 12th-seeded Washington Huskies (15-16, 7-13 Big Ten) in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at the United Center in Chicago on Wednesday.
Both of these programs are old Pac-12 rivals and have similar records in the conference, and neither side is playing well. Only one gets to move on. Who will it be? Let’s find out.
Prediction
USC enters this matchup following a seven-game losing streak and appears shorthanded. Point guard Rodney Rice and guard Amario Dickerson are both unavailable, while leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara has just left the team.
The Trojans were 18-6 and hopeful for a spot in the NCAA Tournament just weeks ago. Freshman Alijah Arenas has been carrying the team’s offense, averaging 14.8 points since returning from a torn meniscus. On Wednesday, he might need to step up big against Washington.
On the other hand, Washington is in a similar dire state as well, but it has the head-to-head edge. In the last meeting between the two teams, the Huskies won 91-72 with Zoom Diallo leading the way with 26 points.
Freshman Hannes Steinbach was averaging 26.5 points and 13.0 rebounds against UCLA and USC during the December stretch, which could come in handy this time as well. With a depleted USC frontcourt, Steinbach could make this moment all about himself.
USC has more talent on paper, but is in terrible form without some of its key contributors. The Huskies have a psychological advantage, having won twice already against USC this season.
Washington is shooting 46.0% from the field, which is 2.5 percentage points higher than USC has allowed opponents. Expect Washington to win this matchup with a comfortable margin. ESPN’s matchup predictor estimates a 57.9% chance for the Huskies to win this game.
Lineups
USC Lineup
- Alijah Arenas
- Jordan Marsh
- Ezra Ausar
- Terrance Willams II
- Jacob Cofle
Washington Lineup
- Zoom Diallo
- Quimari Peterson
- Wesley Yates III
- Courtland Muldrew
- Hannes Steinbach
Injury Report
For the USC Trojans, Rodney Rice is out for the season, and Amarion Dickerson will be out for this game. The Trojans have also lost their leading scorer, Chad Baker-Mazara, who has been dismissed from the program.
Coach Eric Musselman addressed the injury situation at USC after the UCLA loss and stated, “We’re the most injured program in college basketball this year. It’s not an excuse, it’s a fact.”
The Washington Huskies also head in short-handed with Franck Kepnang (knee), JJ Mandaquit (foot), Jacob Ognacevic (foot), Jasir Rencher (heart condition), and Mady Traore (foot) sidelined. The Huskies will also miss transfer guard Desmond Claude who left the team this season. Steinbach and Diallo will have the heavy load of carrying the team.
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