Coming off a championship run through the Maui Invitational, No. 24 Southern California returns to action on the mainland with the Big Ten Conference opener at Oregon on Tuesday in Eugene, Ore.
USC (7-0) capped its run of three wins in three days last Wednesday, beating former Pac-12 Conference counterpart Arizona State 88-75 in the championship game. The title tilt followed a pair of close calls for the Trojans against Boise State, 70-67, and against Seton Hall, 83-81.
The Trojans’ 3-0 week led to them being ranked in the AP Top 25 poll for the first time this season.
Coach Eric Musselman said following the tournament finale that he planned to give the Trojans “two days off” to recover from the grueling schedule.
“We don’t do two days off often, but we do have to get ready for Oregon,” Musselman said.
The layoff gave USC time to regroup as a team and potentially regain standout guard Rodney Rice from injury.
Rice, who recorded just the second triple-double in program history during USC’s Nov. 14 win over Illinois State, sustained an apparent shoulder injury against Seton Hall that sidelined him for the Arizona State matchup. Rice is averaging 20.3 points per game to match Chad Baker-Mazara for the team lead, as well as six assists and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
While USC headed into Thanksgiving on a winning trajectory, Oregon (4-3) figuratively limped into the break with a winless showing at the Players Era men’s tournament in Las Vegas. A 76-66 loss to Creighton on Thursday concluded the Ducks’ showing in the fledgling event, which also included losses to Auburn and San Diego State.
“We are behind where we need to be, especially with our offense,” coach Dana Altman said.
Altman described the Las Vegas tournament leading into the opening of Big Ten play, with the Ducks facing both USC and UCLA, as one of the most important stretches of his tenure with the program.
Halfway through that stretch, it has been a difficult test for Oregon.
The 67.2% field goal shooting the Ducks allowed in the 97-80 loss to San Diego State on Nov. 25 marked the highest rate an Oregon defense surrendered since Altman arrived as head coach in 2010.
Like USC in the Maui Invitational, Oregon closed out its Players Era slate without one of its stars, center Nate Bittle. The 7-foot Bittle, who earned All-Big Ten honors a season ago, is averaging team highs of 16.3 points and 7.8 per game in his six appearances.
The Ducks also lost forward Devon Pryor (5.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg) to a groin injury in the matchup with Creighton. Altman said Monday that Bittle and Pryor are “very questionable” to play against USC.
“It would be a big challenge (to face USC) with the whole team,” Altman said. “It’s a bigger challenge if some of the guys aren’t able to play.”
