The Utah Runnin’ Utes will be at Galen Center to play the USC Trojans in a Pac-12 matchup. Action begins at 6:00 pm ET on Sunday, Feb. 21 and can be seen on PAC.
The Trojans were victorious over Colorado 79-72 on Wednesday. Jordan McLaughlin was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points on 8-for-14 shooting. The Runnin’ Utes, meanwhile, are coming off a 75-73 win over UCLA on Thursday. Jakob Poeltl had a big game and claimed his 11th double-double of the season, accumulating 15 points and 11 rebounds.
Over the last five games, McLaughlin has been playing at a high level for the Trojans. During that stretch, he has averaged 16.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.4 steals, and 1.6 three-pointers.
From an eFG% perspective, this will be a battle of strength versus strength when the Runnin’ Utes have the ball. Their upper-echelon offense ranks 10th in the nation in that metric at 56.2%, while USC is 35th-best in the nation in eFG% defense (45.6%).
The Trojans have gone 19-7 Straight Up (SU) and 16-10 Against The Spread (ATS). The Trojans have no trouble scoring as they rank 14th in the nation in offense with 82.9 points per game. The Trojans are an impressive shooting team from three-point range with a .383 three-point field goal percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. The Trojans have a distinct advantage on the boards in this matchup. They are the 21st-ranked rebounding team in Division I, averaging 40.7 per game, while the Runnin’ Utes rank 105th in the nation with 37.7 per game. Transitioning to the USC defense, opponents have consistently had their shots rejected by the Trojans, ranking seventh in the country in blocks per game with 5.8.
As for their opponent, the Runnin’ Utes head into the game with records of 12-13-1 ATS and 20-7 SU. Offensively, they average 79.0 points per game, which is good for 41st in the country. Defenses have a tough time accounting for every player when up against the Runnin’ Utes, who are known for distributing the ball with 15.9 assists per game. The Utah defense has allowed an average of 80.2 points per game during the last 10 games, higher than their season average of 69.6. The Runnin’ Utes are a terror on the defensive glass, averaging an impressive 28.0 defensive rebounds per game.
This game marks the season’s first head-to-head clash between these conference rivals. Their previous game was a Runnin’ Utes victory, bumping their SU record over their most recent meetings to 5-2. The Runnin’ Utes also lead the matchup ATS with a record of 5-2. Utah has led in three key areas (field goals, rebounds, and three-pointers) two times over the last five matchups. USC has never had the edge in all three categories.
Predictions: SU Winner – USC, ATS Winner – USC
Notes
USC is one of the top-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 82.9 points per game (ranked 14th). Utah, on the other hand, allows 69.6 points per game (ranked 109th).
Utah has allowed an average of 69.6 points per away game this season. USC averages 85.2 points per home game, ranking 21st in scoring.
Ranked 67th, the USC Trojans have an offensive rating of 111.4. The Utah Runnin’ Utes rank 120th with a defensive rating of just 101.0.
The USC Trojans average 74.4 possessions per game and 1.114 points per possession, while the Utah Runnin’ Utes earn fewer possessions (68.6) but more points per possession (1.151).
Ranked 10th in the nation, Utah has an average effective field goal percentage of 56.2%. USC has not won a game this season when opponents have a similar or higher effective field goal percentage (0-1).
USC ranks 61st in assists, recording 15.3 per game. Utah ranks 40th with 15.9 assists per game.
USC, the seventh-ranked team in blocked shots, registers an average of 5.8 per game. Utah ranks 88th with 4.2.
USC ranks 91st in offensive rebounding. When it comes to defensive rebounds, Utah ranks 28th.
On average, USC makes 6.7 steals per game. Utah has a solid 11-6 record when it gives up at least 6 steals.
