Oregon State at USC men’s basketball
When: 4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Galen Center
TV/Radio: Pac-12 Network/AM 790
Records: Oregon State 4-4, 1-0 in Pac-12; USC 5-3, 1-0
USC latest result: USC won its Pac-12 opener against Cal 66-51 behind a career-high 17-point performance by redshirt sophomore Reese Dixon-Waters. The guard scored half of the points during a 20-0 run by the Trojans in the second half in which USC took control of the game. USC held Cal to 18-for-65 shooting (27.7%) from the field and 3 for 12 (25%) from 3-point range.
Oregon State latest result: The Beavers ended a four-game losing streak with a 66-65 win over Washington. Dexter Akanno converted a go-ahead three-point play with 8.2 seconds left and Washington’s 3-point attempt at the buzzer clinched the win for the Beavers. Oregon State survived 17 turnovers thanks in part to a 35-28 rebounding advantage and an 18-for-23 mark (78.2%) from the free-throw line.
Matchup to watch: Kobe Johnson vs. Jordan Pope. The freshman Pope is Oregon State’s best playmaker, averaging team-high 14.6 points and 3.8 assists. But given his size at 6-foot-2, USC could try to bother him with the length of the 6-foot-6 Johnson. The sophomore has been one of USC’s most reliable defenders and was moved back into the starting lineup against Cal. If he can limit Pope, it will severely weaken Oregon State’s offense.
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USC trend to watch: The Trojans allowed 19 offensive rebounds in its win over Cal and have been vulnerable in this area given their lack of size. While USC’s defense on average produces 39.4 missed shots per game, the Trojans average only 29.0 defensive rebounds. So that’s around 10 opportunities that opposing teams have each game at second-chance points. Oregon State is not a great rebounding team, ranking 11th in the Pac-12, but USC needs to clean up this area of its game in conference play.