USC Men’s Basketball To Host Stanford At Galen On Saturday

Men’s Basketball | January 05, 2024

The USC Trojans (7-7, 1-2) will host the Stanford Cardinal (7-6, 2-1) at the Galen Center on Jan. 6 at 1:00 p.m. The game will air on the Pac-12 Network with Ted Robinson and Bill Walton calling the action. USC is 1-2 to start Pac-12 play for the first time since also starting 1-2 in the 2015 season.  

GLAD TO BE AT GALEN — USC’s home game against California on Jan 3 was its first game at the Galen Center since Dec. 10 vs. Long Beach.  USC had played just two home games in the previous 44 days, while playing three neutral site and four road games. USC also played only five home games in its first 13 games for the first time since also playing just five home games in the first 13 games of the 2005 season. USC, ASU and Villanova werre the only three Power 6 teams to play only 5 home games through Jan. 2.  

USC’S STELLAR STRETCH — USC won a school-record 95 games over the previous four seasons (22 in 2020, 25 in 2021, 26 in 2022 and 22 in 2023). The four consecutive seasons of 20+ wins sets a school record for most consecutive 20-win seasons, breaking the mark of three consecutive seasons with 20 or more wins from 2016-18.  USC’s 95 total wins the last four seasons was tied for sixth-most among all Power 6 basketball programs, trailing only Kansas (111), Baylor (104), Arizona (99), UCLA (99) and Duke (97).  

FACING STANFORD — Stanford (7-6, 2-1) is coming off a 59-53 win at UCLA on Jan. 3 and a 100-82 home win over Arizona on Dec. 31 in which it made a school-record 16 three-point baskets.  Freshman guard Kanaan Carlyle has played in five games and leads Stanford with a 14.0 scoring average. Seven Stanford players are averaging 8.8 points or more.  USC has a 129*-129 record all-time against Stanford (1 win vacated due to NCAA penalty, original record 130-129).  USC defeated Stanford 85-75 at home in the only meeting between the two schools last season and has won 6 of its last 7 games at the Galen Center against Stanford.

ON DECK: WASHINGTON STATE — The Washington State Cougars (10-4, 1-2) will host Oregon on Jan. 6, before traveling to Los Angeles to face USC at the Galen Center on Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m.  Forward Isaac Jones (14.4 ppg) and guard Myles Rice (14.1 ppg) lead Washington State in scoring.  USC is 82-49 all-time against Washington State. …