USC Gearing Up for Key Clash with Indiana in Final Galen Center Game Before Road Stretch
LOS ANGELES - USC men’s basketball isn’t done with the Galen Center just yet. Before heading back on the road, the Trojans (16-6, 5-6 Big Ten) will host Indiana (15-7, 6-5 Big Ten) in a matchup that carries both historical significance and major conference implications.
It’ll be Indiana’s first visit to USC since 1960 - and if history is any indication, the Trojans like their chances at home. They’re 3-0 all-time against the Hoosiers in Los Angeles.
Holding Off Rutgers: A Gritty Win That Showed USC's Resolve
In their last outing, USC edged Rutgers 78-75 in a game that tested their poise down the stretch. The Trojans built a 19-point cushion, but Rutgers came storming back, forcing USC to dig deep to close it out.
Ezra Ausar led the charge with 21 points, showing off his ability to finish inside and get to the line. Chad Baker-Mazara added 17 points and came up big when it mattered most - his game-sealing steal on Rutgers’ final possession was the exclamation point on a clutch performance that also included three assists and two steals.
Freshman forward Jacob Cofie continued to look like a rising star, posting his fifth double-double of the season with 15 points and 10 rebounds. He was perfect from the field in the second half, going 5-for-5 and providing the kind of interior presence USC has leaned on all year.
Indiana’s Momentum and Offensive Firepower
Led by first-year head coach Darian DeVries, Indiana is starting to find its rhythm. After a four-game skid in Big Ten play, the Hoosiers have bounced back with three straight wins - including a statement victory over No. 12 Purdue and a wild double-overtime thriller against UCLA.
Offensively, Indiana is humming. They rank 30th in KenPom’s offensive efficiency ratings, thanks in large part to a 56.2% effective field goal percentage - fourth-best in the Big Ten. That efficiency has helped them claw back into the upper half of the conference standings.
Lamar Wilkerson, a transfer from Sam Houston State, has been a revelation. He’s averaging 19.6 points per game - good for fifth in the Big Ten - and earlier this season dropped 44 points on Penn State, hitting 10 threes in the process. That performance still stands as the second-highest scoring game by any Big Ten player this year.
Tucker DeVries, the coach’s son and a fifth-year senior, brings experience and scoring punch. With 2,296 career points, he’s the second-leading scorer in all of college basketball across all divisions. He’s averaging 14.1 points and a team-high 5.5 rebounds per game, and his versatility makes him a matchup problem on both ends.
High Stakes: A Quad 1 Opportunity
Indiana enters Tuesday ranked No. 30 in the NET rankings, which makes this a Quad 1 game for both teams - a major factor when it comes to NCAA Tournament résumés. For USC, it’s a chance to notch another quality win and keep climbing the Big Ten standings. For Indiana, it’s an opportunity to prove their recent surge is no fluke.
USC’s Identity: Owning the Paint and Winning Close
One thing that’s defined USC this season? Their commitment to attacking the paint.
Over half of their shot attempts - 51.2%, to be exact - come from in or around the rim. And when they get there, they convert.
Sixty-five percent of their made baskets have come from the paint, a testament to their physicality and shot selection.
That inside focus has paid dividends in tight games. The Trojans are 6-1 in one-possession contests and 2-0 in overtime, leading the Big Ten in close-game wins. Nebraska and Rutgers trail behind with four and three one-possession victories, respectively.
What’s Next
With Indiana coming to town riding a hot streak and USC looking to defend home court one last time before heading out, Tuesday’s matchup has all the ingredients of a classic Big Ten battle. Expect a physical game, some big-time shot-making, and a Galen Center crowd that knows what’s at stake.
This isn’t just another conference game - it’s a measuring stick for two teams trying to make their mark in a deep, competitive Big Ten. And for USC, it’s one more chance to show that when the game’s on the line, they know how to finish.